Picky Eater - Morris, IL

Sun Butter (made from sun flowers) & Soy Butter are great alternatives to peanut butter. They look & taste like peanut butter. Better to be safe than sorry.

My Ped said if there were no food allergies in the immediate family then two was fine......he's been eating it since. I understand the concern though, they have you so worried....I had benedryl in one hand while I was giving him PB in the other....

I gave my son peanut butter at 18 months. He was the same, picky didn't think he was getting enough protein. He was fine. I feel that if she is allergic she will be allergic now or later so you might as well try. It is strictly a personal decision. Like I said I did it early too. My doctor wanted me to wait until he was three, I thought she was crazy. Let me know what you end up doing.

A....Try those crackers with peanut butter in them, if she takes them well then I say go for it...i believe my boys started having pb&j at 15 months because my 2nd son also doesnt really care for red meat, sometimes even chicken I cook. Good Luck

My first daughter has multiple food allergies, and my second will not be exposed to nuts until she's three; however, she'll probably never have them as we do not keep them in the house.

Heed your dr's advice and try: sunflower butter, soynut butter, tofu, BEANS, and of course dairy if she can have it. For my youngest, I hide cottage cheese in her mashed/baked potatoes. Try smoothies as well; my kids love them.

Good luck!

P.S. Even without someone in the family with peanut butter allergies, your child can be allergic. If one parent of a child has ANY type of allergies, the child has about a 30% chance of developing their own allergies to ANYTHING. This rate increases to about 70% if both parents have ANY type of allergy. For instance, my husband is allergic to penicilin and has hayfever, and I do not have any allergies. My daughter is allergic to nuts, tree nuts, dairy, eggs, shellfish, beef, strawberries, raspberries, sunflower seeds, and every indoor/outdoor allergen. My pediatrician didn't warn me AT ALL about allergies and told me to feed her anything at ten months.

I gave it to my son early and after a while he started to have an allergy but then I stopped feeding him the sandwiches and tried again when he was older and he's fine now. Alternatives would be hummus and pita bread (my son loves that and you still get protein), mac and cheese, will she eat soup, cheese and crackers, yogurt. My son didn't like meat at first either. I thought he was going to be a vegetarian. It's been a couple of years and he now likes meat. One trick is adding ketchup. Have you tried to sneak meat in sandwiches? Good luck.

personally I would not give peanut butter at that young age its to easy for her to choke on,try things like yogurt,cottage cheese,for protien and fat they are much easier to eat and to digest
H.

I was just reading an article that says it really isn't going to make a difference with allergies if you give pb at 1 year or 3 years.Other sources of protein you could try are tofu, tempeh, seiten, (trust me, it can be really good and kids love it!), morningstar fake meats such as the chick nuggets and veggie burgers. I wouldn't worry that she doesn't like meat. I have been a vegetarian my whole life and am very healthy. Good luck and contact me if you would like tofu recipes. Here's a good website www.vegweb.com

There was one other post that mentioned this - my ped says that the reason they have you wait until 3 for peanut butter is mostly because of choking, not allergies. He says that otherwise they would recommend everyone hold off on any possibly dangerous allergen food (shellfish, etc) which they don't. Along with nuts and popcorn, peanut butter can get caught in little throats and cause choking. My son got a hold of a peanut butter cracker around 12 months, and since there was no reaction we let him eat those a lot. I am just always careful how much peanut butter I give him on bread, etc, as too much can be too hard for him to swallow. You don't want something sticky getting stuck in your child's throat! Good luck!

Hi A.,

Peanut butter would be great! Kids like it and it is good for them. If she seems to have no problems with other things then give it a try. My children have always had peanut butter and they love it. Peanut butter and apples was and is always a good snack too.
Good luck,
J. J.

I believe if you wait until your child is 3, that may increase the chances of allergies. I have been giving my sons peanut butter since they were 1. But, I only give them Skippy Natural peanut Butter. I also have a 4 year old that doesn't eat meat. Sometimes doctors can be extreme. Parents know their children.

We love peanut butter, but my daughter's school is peanut free, so we make pb&j sandwiches with soy butter or sunflower butter. Both are yummy!! You can buy them both at Trader Joes.

I gave all three of my kids peanut butter within the first year and peanuts shortly after once I knew they could chew them. Mine have had no problems. If you're concerned about it, I would find out what the symtoms are for nut nut allergies, mild to severe, so you know what to look for.

try tofu chunks--different texture and you can marinate it or give it raw. There's good reason to avoid high-allergenic foods for a few years.

The reason kids have to be older for peanut butter is because of the choking factor if caught in their tiny throats.

My son eats PB&J & he's 15 months now. You just have to make sure to introduce it to her slowly. If she seems to have a reaction (wheezing, hives, etc.) directly afterwards or within the next couple of days, chances are it was a reaction to the peanut butter. Also, I am allergic to richer nuts, like walnuts, pecans, etc. & I was informed that my children would be more susceptible (sp?) to the allergies since I was. But like I said, my son eats it & he's fine. My son, too, HATED meat in the beginning & he's still pretty picky about most of it, so I had the same idea as you. Another thing you can try, and I know it sounds gross, but a friend of mine gives her son tofu fried in olive oil & seasonings, which is HIGHLY rich in protein & he loves it! I've never tried it, but it's worth a shot if nothing else works. Good luck!!!!

Will she eat eggs? That's a good source of protein. Did you ask your ped about nuts other than peanuts, like cashew or almond butter?

Try sunbutter! It tastes just like peanut butter, but is made from sunflower seeds. My kids eat it almost every day. It is a great source of protein and monounsaturated fats. I get it at whole foods(it is less expensive there), but they sell it at jewel too. My oldest is allergic to nuts, and I wish I had known not to give it too him too early. It actually first happened at daycare, his provider didn't know to wait until he was 3 either. Better safe then sorry, living with food allergies can be very hard. Best of luck!

I give my daughter peanut butter and she is 15 months old. Her ped who was also my ped said that as long as there is not a history of allergies why not!

A.,
I can understand your concern. My son was a picky eater when he was a baby and consecuently had a weak immune system which might of been the reason why he developed ashtma at one point. I opted to give them supplements to provide him with the right nutrients. His apetite improved tremendously and his asthma has been under control since 2004! If you'd like more information about the line of products I gave him please call me at ###-###-####. I live on the northwest side of Chicago but work downtown. Best of luck with your precious little girl! N.

Hi, I hope you do decide to give your daughter peanut butter. We just decided to start giving it to our daughter after reading all these messages.
A few months ago, Harpers magazine exposed the whole peanut scare as basically a myth. It's true, some people are severely allergic, but food allergies are far more rare than people think. The article pointed out the disparity between the number of people killed in car accidents each year (I don't remember exactly but something like 200,000) and the number who die from food allergies (about 12 people).
I doubt we'll ever give her tofu. ;-)

Try sunbutter made from sunflower seeds. You can find it at Trader joes and I think Super Target has it.

what about soy products? good source of protein...

S.

I also had that trouble with my kids too. Ironically enough, liversausage or braunswager is what they gravitated to. It was a last resort and omg did they just LOVE IT! Go figure. Anyway, that is what I did. Now they want me to make them a liversausage sandwhich. lol

I agree with other posts, sunflower butter is really a lot better than PB. Other good sources of fat is avocado, flaxseed oil, coconut oil, ghee, olive oil. Protein/fat ideas can be hummus, white bean hummus, legumes/beans.

Hi A., I know the peds. say no peanut butter until 2 or three etc, but both of mine (age three and 16 mo.) had peanut butter before they were one with no problems. My daughter is also not a fan of meat for the most part (she'll eat chicken nuggets and some sandwich meats). I think that as long as there are no peanut allergies that run in the family, and she doesn't have problems eating it(i.e. choking on it because it is thick)it should be fine. At any rate, if you try it and she does have a reaction of some sort, then you know that it's not an option anymore. Have you tried eggs with her, they are also a good protein source? Good luck, C.

I dont know much about allergens, but as a vegetarian, I can tell you that there are lots and lots of other protien sources out there. Have you tried black beans, garbanzo beans or hummus, lentils, or (my daughers favorite) avacados?

Both of my children who are 4 and 19 months eat peanut butter--in fact almost every day. WE were just careful the first time they had it. WE gave just a little bit and then once we knew it was okay started to give more. With my 19 month old I just make sure it is a small enough amount so his mouth doesn't get sticky.

I've given my daughter PB & J since she was about 11 months old. It is such an easy thing to bring on the go :)

My 3 YO has been eating PB since 18 mos. At first, I spread it very thin on bread b/c I had heard it's a choking hazard for little ones. She's never had a problem, and now eats PB & banana sandwiches almost every day for lunch!

Try the skin test for a week before feeding it to her. rub some on her hand and wait 24 hrs for a reaction. Repeat for a week. If there is no reaction its fine. My son also hates meat, 21months as well, but he hates peanut butter too. I give him eggs for breakfast pretty much every morning. Cheese too is a good form of protein. Also try tofu, for some reason kids really love it. You can buy it at any grocery store and I get it extra firm and saute it with all kinds of marinaides.

There is just something about peanuts.... Perhaps the way they are grown, that more people have sensitivities to them than ever before.

Our solution is Almond butter and sunflower seed butter and cashew butter. The sunflower is just our absolute favorite.
You can find it at Trader Joe's, or organic food sections.
I can't say I've looked at the "regular" grocery stores. We actually like the sunflowerbutter, way better than peanut butter.

My ped says after 1 year old if your family does not have any history of peanut allergy's..... go ahead & give peanut butter & jelly! I think 3 is a very long time to wait with no history of the allergy..... Some peds are way more conservative than others.

I wanted to hold off on peanut butter until my son was at least 2, so I gave him sunflower butter(I found it at Trader Joe's, but I think other stores are starting to carry it). It's really good, has the same advantages of PB and there's no concern about allergies.

I would try fish and tofu and other nuts rather than peanut butter. there are a variety of other less allergenic nut spreads eg. almond spread. Also avocados are good. There are also protein shakes and protein bars (check these for peanuts). I grew up in another country and never had peanut butter till I came to the US, so it is possible to survive without it. You could also look at the Super Baby food book, it is vegetarian.

A.,

I've been giving my son peanut butter sandwiches since he was 2 years old, and we have never had any problems with food allergies. He loves peanut butter! I am a vegetarian, and know that there are so many other sources of protein out there that most people don't realize. Trust me, nobody needs meat to get their daily required serving. Examples of foods high in protein are yogert, cottage cheese, and any kind of beans or nuts. Also, have you tried any of the Morning Star meat substitue products? They are really good and my family (who is not all vegetarian) loves what I can make with them.

Cheers to your daughter for leaning on the side of vegetarianism. If she keeps that up she will enjoy a much healthier life style and will never worry about weight!

J.

there definitely seems to be an increase in children with serious allergic reactions to nuts. my daughters can't even bring nut related foods to school. having said that, i gave my daughters peanut butter at 2. one alternative to meat/peanut butter is tofu. i shred it and mix it with spaghetti sauce and say its cheese. since it doesn't taste like anything, it is not offensive to young taste buds. hope this helps.

As long as there is no family history of peanut or other nut allergies in your family, it should be safe to feed your child peanut products after age 2.

My family is vegan, so we have found lots of other options for protein sources- Beans, such as kidney, black, chickpeas, navy, pinto, etc., and lentils (my 2-year-old LOVES them!). (think chili without meat, baked beans, cold bean salads with homemade olive oil & vinegar dressing, hummus)
Also, you can try tofu in a number of recipes, or even tempeh.

Most of America consumes way more protein than they actually need.

If you are feeding your daughter the typical American diet, minus the meat that she doesn't like, she is probably still getting all the protein she needs. (in milk, cheese, etc.)
Even vegetables and whole grains have protein; just in lower amounts.

Almond butter is another option. My kids love it spread on toast! You can use nut butters as a dip for crackers or veggies, as well. (Nut butters, besides peanuts, are safe for kids after 7 months old!)

You can make date-nut balls my mashing a few dates with about 2 cups of ground up nuts (almond, walnuts, sunflower seeds, cashews) and rolling it into toddler-sized balls. Lots of healthy protein!

Good luck!

OOPS!!! My kids have had it since they were one, with no problems. Our doctor told us the only time you have to worry before three is if there is a history of peanut allergy in the family, and to just spread it very thin for them.

DON'T DO IT!! My mother in law who is a pediatric nurse thought it would be a great idea to give my 1.5 year old niece peanut butter since there is no history of allergies in the family. This child had a severe life threatening reaction and had to be rushed to the hospital....Just because you may not have a family history of allergic reactions does not mean your child won't. Do not go by this!! If you must, have an allergy test to rule the allergy out. You can request your doctor to order a simple blood test for these sort of allergies. This is the only accurate way to do this at this young of age. Think about it. Peanut allergies are a LIFE AND DEATH SITUATION. Would you really want to risk your daughters life?

With my first child, our pedi said PB after the first year, but a friend of mine who is a pedi in another state warned me not to give it before age 2. I tried to hold out, but by 14 months we needed some lunch alternatives and so I gave it to him. I spread it really thinly on bread and cut the pieces into about 1/2 inch or so squares and he was fine. With my daughter I know we waited the year but that's about it.

We don't have any food allergies in our family so I wasn't terribly worried.

My son did not eat hamburger meat until he was probably 5. He'd eat other meats but he would not even eat a McD's burger. Now he'll eat McD's but he's picky about homemade burgers. He has gone through various meat strikes through the year and like you I worried about protein. My BIL told me that pasta has protein and so I checked it out; it has 7 grams per serving...my kid loved and still loves pasta and would eat a ton of it. Other sources are eggs, cottage cheese, yogurt and even milk has some.

I don't have any experience with the other nut butters so I can't speak about those.

:) GL

our pediatrician just says no peanut butter before one year.

i gave my older boy peanut butter around age 11mo. (he's almost 3 now.) and i gave my younger boy peanut butter around 10mo. (he's 11mo. now.) and they're both as healthy as can be.

as for protein, don't discount milk, eggs, cheese, yogurt, etc...sounds like you have a little vegetarian in the making.

Peds worry everyone about the peanut allergy thing and it is not as common as people think. In other countries they don't make kids wait to eat nuts. BUT I was paranoid about it too, so I scheduled a ped appt for my son (around 2 yrs old) and gave him a PB & J sandwich in the waiting room. I figured if he had a reaction than we would be in the perfect place. He was fine and now eats PB&J or PB & banana sandwiches all the time. Good luck!

You are supposed to wait to give a child peanut butter because kids develop a kind of immunity to certain allergies as they get older. A child who has an allergy to eggs, for example, often outgrows it by age 3.

To give a child something like peanut butter too early means they are more likely to have an allergic reaction because their systems haven't finished deveoping the protection from these kinds of foods. The reason why they don't tell you to wait so long for other foods that cause allergies (wheat, diary, eggs, etc, are all very common food allergies in children), is because of the risk of anaphylactic shock that is so commonly associated with peanut allergies.

Peanut allergies can be one of the deadliest allergies, because they can involve anaphylactic shock. Even the most miniscule amount can cause death in someone severely allergic, and it can happen within minutes. So testing out peanuts on a younger child, even while in the doctor's waiting room, can be a risky endeavor. It is far safer to wait until the child is older before taking such risks. Even though a severe, deadly reaction occurs in only a small percentage of the population, and could be relatively unlikely, you do increase your chances of it by introducing it too early. Considering that there are so many alternatives out there to substitute for meat, why not hold off on the peanut option until three?

Do you have peanut allergies in the family? We didn't so both my kids got peanut butter very early. And thank goodness they were not allergic because I love peanut butter.

I have friends who refuse to give peanut butter because of the father's allergy. They just assume the kids are allergic - I would prefer to know for sure. Her kids are 5 and 2.