Allergen note
Granola is oat-based but often contains tree nuts, peanuts, sesame, wheat, soy or milk, and it may be made on shared equipment, so read the label every time. Introduce each of those allergens on its own first, and only offer a granola whose ingredients your child already tolerates.
How to serve
Before age 2, choose or make granola with no added sugar, and never give granola made with honey before 12 months, even baked, because of the risk of infant botulism. For babies, stir a spoonful of finely ground granola into yogurt or porridge; for toddlers, grind it too, or choose one with no whole or chopped nuts and soften it in milk or yogurt. Granola with whole or chopped nuts waits until 5 years.
Preparation
Homemade is easiest: bake rolled oats with a little oil, cinnamon and mashed banana or unsweetened applesauce, and add nuts or seeds only as finely ground meal. For babies, blitz the cooled granola to a fine powder; for toddlers, soak it in milk or yogurt for a few minutes until soft.
Texture and choking risk
Dry, hard clusters, whole or chopped nuts, large seeds and chewy dried fruit are choking hazards; do not give granola with whole or chopped nuts before 5 years. Serve granola finely ground, or well softened if it has no nut pieces, chop any dried fruit very small, keep your child seated and always supervise.
Starting ages are typical guidance for healthy, full-term babies who show signs of readiness. Your paediatrician may advise differently, especially where there is a family history of allergy.
Track first tastes and reactions
Log when your child first tries granola, note any reaction and see it in the allergen tracker.
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