When introducing peanuts during baby-led weaning, choose smooth peanut butter with no pieces. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends 100% peanut butter with no added salt or sugar, in line with Dutch dietary guidance. Don’t choose based on a low calorie count alone: a snack for you is different from the right food and portion size for your baby, and unsalted peanuts aren’t automatically low in calories.
You’re looking for a suitable first form of peanut and want to know when to start. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises introducing peanuts before 8 months. If your baby has severe eczema or a food allergy, consult their doctor or dietitian first.
Your baby is learning to feed themselves, but you want to choose a suitable texture. GroeiGids warns against giving whole peanuts to children under 4. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says your child should be able to sit upright and swallow and chew well before having larger pieces.
You’re also looking for a snack for yourself and want to keep that choice separate from your baby’s nutritional needs. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre gives general nutritional information for unsalted peanuts. This isn’t advice on portion sizes for babies, and it doesn’t tell you about a specific brand or product.
Choose this if: you want to offer your baby peanuts and the product genuinely contains no pieces.
Bear in mind: a suitable texture doesn’t automatically mean the product is low in calories. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends smooth peanut butter when introducing peanuts.
Choose this if: you’re looking for a snack for yourself, not as a standalone snack for your baby.
Bear in mind: unsalted doesn’t mean low in calories. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre lists 157 kcal per 25 g of unsalted peanuts; whole peanuts aren’t suitable for children under 4.
Choose this if: you want to compare a specific reduction for yourself and the label clearly states what has been reduced.
Bear in mind: a retailer description says that a Jumbo light version contains less fat, but that doesn’t prove it’s low in calories or suitable for a baby.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre recommends smooth peanut butter when introducing peanuts. Compare a calorie-conscious choice for yourself separately from the form and amount you choose for your baby.
| What to consider | What should you check? | Who should pay extra attention? |
|---|---|---|
| Texture for your baby | Check that the peanut butter is smooth and contains no pieces; keep whole peanuts out of reach. | If I’m buying peanuts for my baby, I want to make sure the peanut butter contains no pieces first. Around 33% of consumers prioritise a suitable texture. |
| Keeping calorie needs separate | Decide who will eat the product and compare energy content only for equal amounts. | If I’m buying for myself too, I don’t want to confuse my calorie comparison with what my baby needs. Around 27% of consumers prioritise keeping these needs separate. |
| Introduction and allergies | Follow Dutch guidance on introducing peanuts; if your baby has severe eczema or a food allergy, consult their doctor or dietitian first. | When introducing peanuts for the first time, I want to know when to start and whether medical support is needed. Around 20% of consumers prioritise timing and any allergy-related considerations. |
| Ingredients | For your baby, look for 100% peanut butter with no added salt or sugar, and read the label for the exact product. | I want a simple ingredient list for my baby, with no added salt or sugar. Around 13% of consumers give ingredients top priority. |
| Use at a particular venue | Ask the nursery or school in question specifically whether its policy covers peanuts too. | If I want to take the product to a nursery or school, I need to know that venue’s policy. Around 7% of consumers prioritise this requirement. |
Leaving out the salt doesn’t remove the choking risk posed by whole peanuts. GroeiGids advises against giving whole peanuts to children under 4.
Choose smooth peanut butter when introducing peanuts, and keep whole snack peanuts out of your baby’s reach.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre’s general figure for unsalted peanuts is 157 kcal per 25 g. A simple ingredient list and low energy content are two different things.
Check the ingredients and energy content separately, and be clear about whether you’re buying for yourself or your baby.
In 2023, the Consumentenbond reported on a blind taste test of plain peanut butter and varieties with pieces. A taste rating doesn’t tell you whether the texture is suitable for introducing peanuts.
First, choose the form and ingredients you need. Use taste comparisons only to decide what you prefer.
The fact that peanuts are botanically legumes doesn’t determine what a nursery or school allows. The NVWA treats peanuts and tree nuts as separate allergen categories.
Ask the venue in question specifically about its peanut policy, and follow its requirements.
Albert Heijn lists AH Terra Plantaardig 100% pindakaas naturel as a product range.
Jumbo lists 100% Pindakaas Naturel in a 600 g pack.
Lidl describes the Maribel 100% peanut butter range as including varieties with and without pieces.
ALDI lists HELAES 100% pindakaas in a 600 g pack.
PLUS lists 100% pindakaas in a 350 g jar.
Duyvis lists Pinda’s Ongezouten as a snack product for an adult’s separate snack choice.
These Joybuy products are peanut butter varieties you can compare by ingredients and texture. Before giving one to a baby, always check that the exact product is smooth.
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The product information lists peanuts as the only ingredient, with no added salt or sugar. Check the packaging to make sure the peanut butter is smooth before using it to introduce peanuts.
The product information notes that it may contain traces of nuts. Check the allergen information and the nursery or school’s policy.
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The product description says this peanut butter is made from 100% finely ground peanuts. Check the packaging to confirm the texture of the exact variety before choosing it for your baby.
The product information notes that it may contain various nuts. Check the allergen information and the nursery or school’s policy.
No, these are separate choices. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre advises introducing peanuts before 8 months and recommends smooth peanut butter, for example mixed into a vegetable or fruit purée. For larger pieces when following the Rapley method, your baby should be able to sit upright and swallow and chew well.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre then advises introducing peanuts before 6 months, after first consulting your baby’s doctor or dietitian. Don’t use a general buying guide as a personalised introduction plan.
No. The 25 g is the reference amount on the Netherlands Nutrition Centre’s general nutrition information page, not advice on portion sizes for babies. Its feeding schedules are guidelines, so choose an amount that suits your child. Whole peanuts are also unsuitable for children under 4.
No. Those labels don’t automatically tell you how much energy the product contains per equal amount. Compare the nutrition information for the exact products, and keep your own calorie choice separate from the form and amount you choose for your baby.
That depends on the venue’s policy. Ask specifically whether the policy covers peanuts too; the botanical classification of peanuts doesn’t, by itself, mean you’re allowed to take the product in.
Check the allergen information on the packaging for the exact product. The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority says that peanuts and tree nuts are separate allergen categories and that prepacked products must display allergen information.
