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Walnuts are highly beneficial for a child's brain development, enhancing cognitive functions by boosting memory and stimulating brain cell activity. However, many are unaware of the appropriate age for introducing walnuts to infants and the method of preparing walnut porridge for their solid food diet.
At what age can infants eat walnuts?
Is it safe for infants to consume walnuts? Walnuts are categorized among high-risk allergenic nuts for children, along with peanuts, cashews, pistachios, and almonds. Therefore, according to nutrition experts, mothers should only introduce walnuts to their children when they reach the age of 1 or older, possibly 2 years old.
Allergic reactions to nuts are quite common in young children, and it's not improbable that a mother's child may be allergic to walnuts. If a mother feeds her baby walnuts too early, while their organ systems are still delicate and vulnerable, allergic reactions can pose serious health risks to the child. Therefore, always remember to introduce walnuts to your child when they are robust and have a healthy immune system.
If your baby is allergic to peanuts, chances are they may also be allergic to walnuts. Therefore, mothers should be cautious when considering feeding their child walnuts, even if they know the appropriate age for walnut consumption.
How should you feed your baby walnuts?
The baby's digestive system is still too delicate. Moreover, walnuts are still unfamiliar to the baby's body. Hence, we should introduce them gradually at each stage of their monthly development.
– At the beginning, around 4 months old, use 1/8 of a nut per meal. For instance, during the period of breastfeeding and introducing solid foods, use 1 nut combined with baby food powder. If the baby eats 5 times a day, with 3 main meals and 2 snacks, then incorporate walnuts into the two snack meals.
– When the baby turns 9 months old, increase to 1/4 of a nut. When they reach 1 year old, you can evenly distribute 1 nut throughout the day. Gradually adjust to meet the body's absorption requirements.
How to prepare walnut porridge for babies
How to cook walnut oatmeal porridge
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup of oats
- 2/3 cup of water
- 6 walnuts
- A pinch of salt
- A pinch of sugar
Instructions for cooking walnut oatmeal porridge
Remove the shells of the walnuts to extract the kernels
Soak the walnuts and almonds in warm water for about 30 minutes. Peel off the almond skins
Chop the walnuts and almonds into small pieces. If making porridge for a baby, it's best to grind them finely
Put the oats in a pot with enough water
Bring the oats to a boil then add the walnuts and almonds to cook together. Cook for about 4-5 minutes until done
How to cook porridge with walnuts for babies combined with lotus seeds
Ingredients
- 100g walnuts
- 50g brown rice
- 50g lotus seeds
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
Wash the rice and soak it for 3-4 hours
Soak the lotus seeds for 1-2 hours
Peel the walnuts
Boil water in a pot, add the lotus seeds and cook until tender, then remove and set aside.
Put the walnuts in a pot to cook with rice until soft, season to taste.
Once the porridge is soft, scoop some porridge + walnuts + lotus seeds into a blender and pour into a bowl.
Add a tablespoon of olive oil and stir well until the baby can eat.
How to cook porridge with walnuts for babies combined with brown rice, salmon
Ingredients
- 200g walnuts, peeled
- 100g brown rice
- 100g salmon
- Olive oil
Instructions
Soak the brown rice overnight to soften the grains.
Steam the salmon until cooked, then shred it and place it in a bowl.
Boil water in a pot, add the walnuts and brown rice to cook until soft. Season to taste, then transfer the porridge mixture into a blender.
Scoop the porridge into a bowl, add a tablespoon of olive oil and the shredded salmon, mix well until the baby can eat.
How to cook porridge with walnuts, broccoli for babies
Ingredients
- 70g broccoli
- 50g rice
- 3 walnuts, peeled
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
Instructions
Wash the rice, soak it in water until soft.
Soak the broccoli in a dilute saltwater solution, then rinse under running water. Boil water in a pot until the broccoli is cooked.
Boil another pot of water, add rice and walnuts to cook until the porridge is soft.
Put the porridge mixture and broccoli into a blender.
Scoop the porridge into a bowl, add some olive oil and stir well until the baby can eat.
Here are some ways to prepare walnuts for baby weaning that you can easily do at home.
