Introducing Wheat

First serve

A spoonful of well-cooked wheat farina (wheat cereal) thinned with breast milk, formula, or water to a smooth, spoonable consistency — or stirred into a puree the baby already knows.

Build up like this:

Day 1: a small taste (about ¼ teaspoon of prepared wheat cereal) 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 regular servings — a small bowl of farina, strips of soft bread or toast, or well-cooked pasta pieces as texture skills allow.

Then keep it going: Once tolerated, wheat is easy to keep in the diet several times a week through cereal, bread, and pasta — regular exposure keeps tolerance steady.

What a reaction can look like

• Hives or a raised, itchy rash
• Redness around the mouth soon after eating
• Vomiting within about 2 hours
• Swelling of the lips, face, or eyes
• Coughing or wheezing — treat as an emergency

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

• A wheat allergy is not the same as celiac disease — celiac is a reaction to gluten that develops over time and shows up as chronic GI symptoms and poor growth rather than sudden hives; discuss persistent symptoms with your pediatrician.
• 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

Iron-fortified wheat cereal (farina) →Bread →Pasta →