When Can Babies Have Eggs? (And Why They Should)

Eggs are recommended as one of the best first foods for baby, even though they are one of the most common food allergies in kids. So what’s the deal? Should you avoid this allergen or offer it to your baby? And if you do offer eggs, when can babies have eggs?

In this post, we’ll break it all down, including:

When Can Babies Have Eggs?

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization both recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life. (source)

After six months, you can (and should) start to introduce solids, including eggs. In fact, the latest research suggests early introduction is the key to preventing food allergies.

When Can Babies Have Scrambled Eggs?

Babies can have scrambled eggs after they have started to eat solids, around six months. So how is this question any different than the first one: When can babies have eggs?

Many mamas offer the egg yolk first for two reasons:

• Egg yolks are loaded with nutrients, which makes them a powerhouse of vitamins for little tummies.
• And it’s possible to be allergic to just the whites. Out of the 1-2 percent of children with egg allergies, most are allergic to a protein in the egg whites only. (source)

Why Is It Important to Give Baby Eggs?

If you have any doubts about when can babies have eggs, consider these two very important benefits of early introduction:

1. For nutritional needs
2. To prevent later allergies to eggs

Eggs Are Packed With Nutrients

Eggs, especially the yolks, serve up some very important nutrients to a growing baby.

• Egg yolks are loaded with choline—a compound that promotes healthy brain and liver function. Choline also promotes healthy DNA synthesis. (source)
• Egg yolks also provide other necessary vitamins and minerals including vitamin E, calcium, iron, and selenium.

Early Exposure to Eggs Can Help Prevent Food Allergies

As noted above, eggs can cause allergic reasons in 1-2 percent of kids—in fact, eggs are one of the most common food allergies. But before you swear off all eggs, research shows early introduction of eggs is important for helping reduce allergies in kids. Specifically, researchers in the PETIT study found that introducing eggs early (around six months of age) can reduce allergies in at-risk babies (i.e. babies with eczema) by 79 percent!

How to Introduce Eggs

Now that you know when can babies have eggs and why they’re so important to have early, there’s one question left to answer: how should you introduce eggs to a baby?

The Safest Way to Introduce Eggs

There are programs like Ready, Set, Food! that are designed to help parents (easily and safely) introduce the three most common allergens (eggs, cow’s milk, and peanuts) to babies even before they are ready to eat solids. You simply add specialized, pre-measured packets of powder to baby’s bottle (breast milk or formula) to safely and gently expose your baby to these allergens. Baby can continue on these programs for six months (or more), until they are ready to regularly eat solid food.
Ready Set Food reduces the risk of developing food allergies by up to 80%

More Ways to Give Baby Eggs

You can also try these quick recipes:

• Scramble a yolk with butter and breastmilk.
• Soft- or medium-boil an egg, then remove the white and mash the yolk with breastmilk until you reach the right consistency for your baby.
• Mash soft- or medium-boiled egg yolks with other foods like avocados or peaches.
• Pan fry a yolk in a little bit of ghee or grass-fed butter.
• For older babies: Dip a slice of sprouted grain bread into a scrambled egg yolk, then pan-fry in ghee for a healthier version of French toast.

Keep Eggs in Regular Rotation

Continue to offer eggs to your baby regularly. When it comes to preventing allergies, sustained exposure is just as important as early exposure. (source)

How to Choose the Best Eggs

There are dozens of egg choices: Pastured, free-range, cage-free, brown eggs, white eggs, eggs in a carton, eggs fortified with omega 3 fatty acids—what are you supposed to use?!

• If you have access to farm fresh eggs, this will provide you with the freshest eggs possible.
• If you don’t have access to a farm (sad to say that we all can’t!), buy the highest quality eggs you can afford. Ideally, choose a pastured egg that’s certified organic or cage-free organic. (Note that “pastured” is not the same as “pasteurized”; pastured means the birds had access to a pasture with dirt and bugs.) (source)

Tip: The better the egg, the smoother and harder the shell.

Remember…

You shouldn’t be scared to introduce your child to known allergens—the latest research proves that early introduction is is the surest way to prevent food allergies. But if you’re still worried, try a product like Ready, Set, Food!—it’s the gentlest and safest way to introduce allergens like eggs, cow’s milk, and peanuts. You can read the full review here.
Ready Set Food reduces the risk of developing food allergies by up to 80%