Baby Food Allergen Introduction: A Week-by-Week Schedule

The LEAP study changed the guidance: introduce allergens early, starting from 6 months. Early exposure reduces allergy risk significantly. But tracking 9 allergens, keeping a 3-day gap between introductions, and remembering what you gave when is a lot to hold in your head. A schedule helps.

The top 9 allergens

These are the foods responsible for about 90% of food allergies:

1. Milk / Dairy
2. Eggs
3. Peanuts
4. Tree nuts (almonds, cashews, walnuts, etc.)
5. Wheat / Gluten
6. Soy
7. Fish
8. Shellfish
9. Sesame

The 3-day rule

Introduce one new allergen at a time and wait 3 full days before introducing the next. This gives you a clear window to spot delayed reactions like eczema, digestive issues, or hives.

A sample schedule

Starting at 6 months, you could introduce all 9 allergens over about 5 weeks:

• Week 1: Dairy (plain yogurt) on day 1, wait 3 days. Egg (well-cooked scrambled) on day 4, wait 3 days.
• Week 2: Peanut (thinned peanut butter on a spoon) on day 1. Tree nut (almond butter) on day 4.
• Week 3: Wheat (toast strips) on day 1. Soy (tofu strips) on day 4.
• Week 4: Fish (flaked salmon) on day 1. Shellfish (shrimp) on day 4.
• Week 5: Sesame (tahini drizzled on food) on day 1.

What to watch for

Mild reactions (slight redness around the mouth) are common and usually not allergic. Watch for:

• Hives or widespread rash
• Swelling of face, lips, or tongue
• Vomiting (not just spit-up)
• Difficulty breathing

If you see any of these, stop and call your pediatrician. For breathing difficulty, call emergency services immediately.

Keep offering them

Introduction isn't a one-time event. To maintain tolerance, offer each allergen regularly (2-3 times per week). This is the part most parents struggle with. Tracking helps.

Garden crops make great allergen vehicles. Mix peanut butter into sweet potato, stir tahini into broccoli, top avocado with scrambled egg, or blend almond butter into banana. These pairings let you re-expose to allergens at every meal without it feeling like a separate task.

SowAndSpoon's allergen checklist tracks which allergens your baby has been introduced to, enforces the 3-day waiting period, and marks each one as cleared. It's free for all users. You can also download the printable allergen tracker to keep a written record for your pediatrician.