If your toddler can eat almonds, choose nut butter with no added sugar or salt for spreading on bread, or use ground nuts. Don’t give whole nuts to children under 4. A gluten-free or lactose-free label doesn’t mean a product is nut-free: check the ingredients and allergen warnings to make sure it meets your dietary needs.
You’re looking for a toddler snack that fits a specific dietary requirement. Check the ingredients, allergen information and any cross-contamination warnings. A claim about one ingredient doesn’t automatically tell you anything about other allergens.
Your toddler can eat almonds, but you want to choose a form that’s right for their age. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises giving children under 4 nut butter or ground nuts instead of whole nuts.
You want a practical option with a simple ingredient list and clear instructions for use and storage. Compare the ingredients and follow the instructions on the packaging of the specific product.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who is this important for? |
|---|---|---|
| Dietary requirements and allergens | Check the ingredients, allergen information and cross-contamination warnings. Almonds are a tree nut allergen. | If you need to avoid a particular ingredient, you’ll want to compare the ingredients and warnings side by side; around 34% of consumers prioritise suitability for their diet. |
| Suitable product form | Check whether you’re offering the product as nut butter or ground nuts. Don’t give whole nuts to children under 4. | If you’re choosing a snack for a child under 4, you’ll want a form that doesn’t contain whole nuts; around 33% of consumers prioritise age suitability. |
| Added sugar or salt | Read the ingredients to see whether sugar or salt has been added. Naturally occurring sugars or sodium are not the same as added ingredients. | If you’re looking for a simple recipe with no added sugar or salt, you’ll want to check the ingredients; around 20% of consumers prioritise the product’s ingredients. |
| Storage and everyday use | Check the storage instructions and any guidance, such as stirring before use, on the packaging of the nut butter you’ve chosen. | If you’re fitting a snack into your daily routine, you’ll want to know how the product should be stored and used; around 13% of consumers prioritise practical use. |
Almonds are a tree nut allergen. So a gluten-free or lactose-free claim doesn’t make a product containing almonds suitable if almonds need to be avoided.
First decide which ingredient you need to avoid, then check the ingredients and allergen information on the packaging.
Being unsalted or unroasted doesn’t change the form of the nut. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against giving whole nuts to children under 4 because of the risk of choking.
If almonds fit your dietary requirements, choose nut butter or ground nuts instead. Whole almonds as an ingredient need extra preparation.
The product name alone doesn’t tell you whether you’re buying a single-ingredient nut butter or a product with other ingredients. For example, Dr. Oetker Amandelpasta contains sugar and other ingredients too.
Check the ingredients list and product description to see whether it meets your needs for a single-ingredient almond butter.
Instructions vary from product to product. For the AH Terra spread reviewed, Albert Heijn says to refrigerate it after purchase; for the 100% Amandelpasta reviewed, Jumbo says to store it in a cool, dry place.
Follow the storage instructions and any directions for use on the packaging of the product you buy.
According to Albert Heijn, the AH Terra almond butter reviewed has a single-ingredient recipe made with almonds.
Jumbo’s 100% Amandelpasta is the single-ingredient almond butter reviewed, sold in a 180 g jar.
The PLUS product reviewed consists of unroasted, unsalted almonds in a 200 g bag.
Lidl has a product page for unsalted almonds.
ALDI describes its 200 g pack of unroasted almonds under the product name Trader Joe’s.
Duyvis describes Almonds Original as oven-roasted savoury almonds.
No. Almonds are a tree nut allergen. Treat a label such as gluten-free or lactose-free as applying only to the ingredient it names, and also check the ingredients and allergen information.
Don’t assume so. Stichting Voedselallergie states that the nut allergen remains stable when heated, so roasting doesn’t automatically make a product suitable if almonds need to be avoided.
No. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises against giving whole nuts or peanuts to children under 4 because of the risk of choking. If almonds fit your dietary requirements, the Centre recommends nut butter or ground nuts instead.
Follow the instructions for the specific product. For the AH Terra spread reviewed, Albert Heijn says to stir before use and refrigerate after purchase at a maximum of 7°C. For the 100% Amandelpasta reviewed, Jumbo says to store it in a cool, dry place.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends having something extra to eat or drink no more than twice a day, ideally, so your child is hungry for their main meals. Water is always fine between meals.
