Introducing Soy

First serve

Silken or soft tofu mashed to a smooth paste and stirred into a puree the baby already knows — plain, with no added salt or sauces.

Build up like this:

Day 1: a small taste (about ¼ teaspoon of mashed tofu) mixed into a familiar food, early in the day; watch for 2 hours.
If no reaction, repeat with a slightly larger amount over the next several days.
Build to a regular serving — strips of soft tofu for self-feeding, or well-mashed edamame once texture skills allow.

Then keep it going: Once tolerated, keep soy foods like tofu or mashed edamame in the diet about twice a week to maintain the exposure.

What a reaction can look like

• Hives or redness around the mouth soon after eating
• Vomiting within about 2 hours
• Swelling of the lips, face, or eyes
• Delayed GI symptoms such as diarrhea or mucus in stool
• Rarely, FPIES: repetitive, profuse vomiting starting 1–4 hours after the meal, sometimes with lethargy — soy is one of the more common FPIES triggers

Trouble breathing, tongue or lip swelling, widespread hives with vomiting, or a pale, floppy baby means call 911 now. See the emergency guide.

Good to know

• Whole edamame beans are a choking hazard for infants — mash or finely chop them until chewing is well established.
• Serve every new allergen early in the day so you can observe for the next 2 hours, and introduce one new allergen at a time with about 3 days before the next one.

Foods that deliver it