Week 1
Peanut
Smooth peanut butter thinned with water or stirred into oatmeal, or peanut powder in a puree. Never whole peanuts.
verified_userTop 9 allergen plan
Introduce the Top 9 allergens early, then keep them in
A calm, week-by-week plan for peanut, egg, dairy, wheat, soy, fish, shellfish, tree nuts and sesame. One new allergen at a time from around 6 months, with gentle reminders to keep every one on the menu.
Quick answer
Introduce the Top 9 allergens from around 6 months, once baby is eating a few other solids: one new allergen at a time, at home, early in the day. Once an allergen is in, keep serving it regularly, about 2 to 3 times a week.
- Start with a small taste, wait about 10 minutes, then offer the rest and watch baby for 2 hours.
- Use baby-safe forms: thinned smooth nut butters, well-cooked egg, plain yogurt. Never whole nuts.
- Severe eczema or an egg allergy? Talk to your pediatrician before starting peanut and egg.
HOW THE PLAN WORKS
Nine weeks, one new allergen each week
This is the order the Bite100 plan uses. There is no single official order, so you can swap weeks or skip any your baby already eats. Babies who need extra care get their pediatrician’s plan first.
Week 2
Egg
Well-cooked whole egg, yolk and white together: hard-boiled and mashed, or thin omelet strips.
Week 3
Dairy
Plain full-fat yogurt or pasteurized cheese. Cow’s milk as a drink waits until 12 months.
Week 4
Wheat
Soft pasta, wheat cereal or toast fingers.
Week 5
Soy
Soft tofu strips or mashed, well-cooked edamame.
Week 6
Fish
Flaked, well-cooked salmon or cod, checked carefully for bones.
Week 7
Tree nuts
Smooth nut butter, like cashew or almond, thinned or stirred into food. Never whole nuts.
Week 8
Sesame
Tahini stirred into yogurt or a puree, or thinly spread hummus.
Week 9
Shellfish
Well-cooked shrimp, finely chopped or minced into food.
Inside a plan week
New allergen at the start of the week, while everything already introduced stays in rotation.
Day 1A small taste, then the rest after 10 minutes if all is well. Watch for 2 hours.
Day 2Same allergen again, in a food baby likes.
Day 3Once more. All fine? It’s in.
Day 4Rotate earlier allergens into meals.
Day 5Keep-in day for 1–2 allergens.
Day 6Keep-in day for 1–2 allergens.
Day 7Rest or catch up. Next allergen starts tomorrow.
| Once it’s in | How often | A typical serving |
|---|---|---|
| Peanut | About 3 times a week | About 2 g peanut protein, roughly 2 teaspoons of smooth peanut butter, thinned |
| Egg | About 2–3 times a week | A quarter to half an egg, well cooked |
| The other seven | Regularly, ideally a couple of times a week | Whatever baby eats happily. Regular exposure matters more than amount |
The peanut amount comes from the research behind the NIAID guidelines. For the other allergens there are no official gram targets; the frequencies above are what allergy experts commonly suggest.
WHY EARLY AND REGULAR
Waiting doesn’t prevent food allergy
For years parents were told to hold off on allergens. The research changed that advice: offering them early, and often, is now the recommendation.
~80%
Fewer peanut allergies
In the LEAP study, high-risk babies who ate peanut regularly from 4–11 months were about 80% less likely to have peanut allergy at age 5 than babies who avoided it.
2017
Guidelines flipped
US guidelines from NIAID, endorsed by the AAP, now recommend introducing peanut early. The AAP finds no evidence that delaying egg, peanut or other allergens past 4–6 months prevents allergy.
2–3×
Regular beats once
Trying a food once, then waiting weeks, can make it harder for the body to stay tolerant. Keeping each allergen in the diet a few times a week is the goal.
SAFETY FIRST
How to offer a new allergen
- Pick a day when baby is well, with no cold, fever or eczema flare.
- Serve it at home, in the morning or early afternoon.
- Offer a small taste first, about a quarter teaspoon mixed into food.
- Wait about 10 minutes. If all looks well, offer the rest at baby’s pace.
- Watch baby for at least 2 hours afterward, and note it in your log.
emergencyCall emergency services (911 in the US)
Trouble breathing, wheezing or repeated coughing; swelling of the lips, tongue or face; hives spreading over the body; repeated vomiting; or baby turning pale, floppy or unusually sleepy. Use epinephrine first if it has been prescribed.
A few hives around the mouth and nothing else: stop the food, take a photo and call your pediatrician before offering it again.
Talk to your pediatrician first if baby has severe eczema, a known food allergy, or has reacted to a food before. Under NIAID guidelines, babies with severe eczema or egg allergy may start peanut as early as 4–6 months, sometimes after testing or with a first feed in the office.
AVOID THESE
Common allergen mistakes
- Waiting until after the first birthday “to be safe”. Delaying doesn’t prevent allergy and may raise the risk.
- Giving whole or chopped nuts, chunky nut butter or a spoonful of peanut butter. These are choking hazards until about age 4.
- Offering a new allergen when baby is sick, has an eczema flare, or late in the day when you can’t watch for 2 hours.
- Introducing two new allergens on the same day, so you can’t tell which one caused a reaction.
- Trying an allergen once, then not serving it again for weeks.
- Giving cow’s milk as a main drink before 12 months. Use yogurt and cheese for dairy instead.
- Counting only egg yolk or only baked goods as egg. Serve well-cooked whole egg, yolk and white together.
- Dropping a food over a flat red rash where acidic food touched the skin. That is usually contact irritation, not allergy.
GET HELP
When to call your pediatrician
Call before you start if baby has severe eczema, a known food allergy, or has reacted to a food before. After an allergen, call the same day if baby has:
- A few hives or red welts around the mouth or face, with no other symptoms
- Vomiting once after a new food, then seems well
- Repeated, heavy vomiting 1 to 4 hours after a food, often with paleness. This can be a delayed reaction called FPIES; seek care the same day
- An eczema flare that seems linked to a food
- Blood or mucus in the stool over the following days
Call emergency services (911 in the US) if baby has trouble breathing, wheezing or repeated coughing, swelling of the lips, tongue or face, hives spreading over the body, repeated vomiting, or turns pale, floppy or unusually sleepy. Use epinephrine first if it has been prescribed.
IN THE BITE100 APP
Your baby’s plan, one tap a day
The app turns the nine weeks into a daily step, so you never have to remember what’s next or what’s due again.
today
Today’s step
What to serve and how, like “½ tsp smooth cashew butter in oatmeal, day 2 of 3”.
task_alt
One-tap check-in
Mark “all fine” or “noticed a reaction”. A reaction pauses that allergen and shows what to do next.
autorenew
Keep-it-in reminders
Every allergen that’s in stays on a gentle rotation, so none drop off the menu.
description
A log for your pediatrician
Dates, amounts and any symptoms in one place, ready to show at the next checkup.
SEE THE FULL PLAN
Open your baby’s week-by-week plan
Create a free account, tell us your baby’s age and which allergens they already eat, and the plan starts from there.
- 1Read how the plan works
- 2Create your free account
- 3See your baby’s plan in the app
7 days free · No card · Already have an account? Sign in
Keep reading
How to introduce peanut
How to introduce egg
Signs of an allergic reactionRecipe collectionsBaby pancakesBaby oatmeal recipes
Introducing allergens: questions parents ask
When should I start introducing allergens to my baby?
Start around 6 months, once baby is ready for solids and already eating a few other foods. Don’t start before 4 months. Babies with severe eczema or an egg allergy may start peanut as early as 4–6 months, after talking to your pediatrician.
Does my baby need an allergy test before trying allergens?
Most babies do not. If baby has severe eczema, a known food allergy, or has reacted to a food before, talk to your pediatrician before starting. They may suggest a skin or blood test, or a first feeding in the office.
Which allergen should I introduce first?
There is no required order. Many families start with peanut and egg, because the evidence for early introduction is strongest for those two. The Bite100 plan starts with peanut, then egg, then dairy, wheat, soy, fish, tree nuts, sesame and shellfish.
How long should I wait between new allergens?
There is no single official rule. A simple, cautious approach is one new allergen at a time, served for a few days, so if a reaction happens you know which food caused it. The Bite100 plan adds about one new allergen a week.
How often should allergens stay in my baby’s diet?
Keep each allergen in regularly once it is in. For peanut, the research behind the NIAID guidelines used about 2 grams of peanut protein 3 times a week, roughly 2 teaspoons of smooth peanut butter per serving. For egg and the other allergens there are no official amounts; allergy experts commonly suggest a couple of times a week.
Can I introduce allergens if my baby has eczema?
Yes, and it matters even more, because babies with eczema are more likely to develop food allergies. With mild to moderate eczema, NIAID advises introducing peanut at around 6 months at home. With severe eczema, talk to your pediatrician first.
Can I give my baby cow’s milk?
Introduce dairy as plain full-fat yogurt or cheese from around 6 months. Cow’s milk used in cooking is fine, but cow’s milk as a drink waits until 12 months.
What if my baby only eats a tiny amount or refuses the allergen?
Small amounts still count, and refusing a new taste is normal. Mix the allergen into a food baby already likes, such as oatmeal, yogurt or a fruit puree, and offer it again over the next days. Regular exposure matters more than finishing a serving.
What should I do if my baby has a reaction?
For a few hives around the mouth and nothing else, stop the food, take a photo and call your pediatrician. Call emergency services (911 in the US) for trouble breathing, swelling of the lips, tongue or face, widespread hives, repeated vomiting, or if baby turns pale, floppy or unusually sleepy.
Sources
- Togias A. et al. Addendum guidelines for the prevention of peanut allergy in the United States (NIAID expert panel). J Allergy Clin Immunol, 2017
- Togias A, et al. Addendum guidelines for the prevention of peanut allergy in the United States. J Allergy Clin Immunol, 2017
- AAP clinical report: The effects of early nutritional interventions on the development of atopic disease. Pediatrics, 2019
- Du Toit G, et al. Randomized trial of peanut consumption in infants at risk for peanut allergy (LEAP). N Engl J Med, 2015
- AAP HealthyChildren.org: starting solid foods and food allergies
- FDA: Food allergies (sesame became the 9th major allergen in 2023)
Based on AAP and NIAID guidance. Bite100 is written for healthy, full-term babies and doesn’t replace your pediatrician. If your baby was born early, has a medical condition, feeding or swallowing difficulties, or a known allergy, check with them first (medical disclaimer).