From the YummyYucky team, founded by Nancy Nash
How to track which allergens your baby has tried
Introducing allergens early is one of the best things you can do for your baby, but it comes with a lot to remember: which of the nine categories you have covered (with each individual tree nut counted on its own, since tolerating almond says nothing about cashew), how each one went, and which to keep offering. Here is a simple system to keep it all straight.
Why tracking allergens matters
Keeping a record does three useful things. It tells you at a glance which allergens are still left to introduce, so none quietly get skipped. It helps you connect a reaction to the right food, because you introduced one at a time and wrote down when. And it reminds you to keep the allergens your baby already tolerates in regular rotation, which is what current guidance recommends. Memory is not a great system for any of this, especially on no sleep.
The 9 major allergens to track
The system: one at a time, then watch
Introduce a single new allergen on its own, earlier in the day rather than right before bed. Watch closely for about two hours for an immediate reaction, then keep an eye out over roughly the next three days. Because you only added one new thing, a reaction is much easier to pin on the food that caused it. When those days pass with no reaction, you can consider that allergen introduced and move on to the next one.
Keep a running checklist
For each allergen, note the date of the first taste, whether there was any reaction, and keep it visible so you can see what is done and what is left. Then, and this is the part people forget, keep the tolerated allergens in the diet, roughly a couple of times a week. An allergen that was introduced once and then dropped for months is the gap a checklist catches.
Ways to track it
A paper list on the fridge works fine, and we offer a free printable first-foods and allergen checklist if you want one. If you would rather not keep it by hand, that is exactly what YummyYucky's allergen tools do, and they are free on every plan: log the first taste of an allergen and the app opens a watch window, records any reaction, and its allergen radar flags a tolerated allergen that has fallen out of rotation so you can work it back in. Safety features are never behind a paywall.
The allergen radar, the watch window, and reaction logging are free on every plan.
Related reading
See the full guide to introducing allergens, the signs of a food allergy, and how often to keep offering them.
Frequently asked questions
How do I keep track of which allergens my baby has tried?
Introduce one allergen at a time, write down the date and how it went, and watch for a reaction over about 3 days before moving on. Keep a simple running list of the 9 major allergens so you can see at a glance which are done and which are left. A printable checklist or an app that logs it for you both work.
What are the 9 major allergens?
Peanut, egg, milk (dairy), wheat, soy, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, and sesame. Sesame is the newest addition to the list. Introducing these early, from around 6 months and once a few first foods are going well, can lower the chance of developing an allergy.
How long do I watch after introducing a new allergen?
Offer a new allergen earlier in the day, not right before bed, and watch closely for about 2 hours for an immediate reaction, then keep an eye out over roughly the next 3 days. Introduce only one new allergen at a time so that if there is a reaction, you know which food caused it.
Do I need to keep offering allergens after the first taste?
Yes. Once a baby tolerates an allergen, the current advice is to keep it in the diet regularly, roughly a couple of times a week, rather than introducing it once and stopping. Tracking helps here too, because it is easy to lose sight of an allergen that dropped out of rotation.
Sources
- American Academy of Pediatrics (HealthyChildren.org): Infant Allergies and Food Sensitivities
- NIAID: Guidelines for Clinicians and Patients on Food Allergy
Let the app track the big 9 for you
Log a first taste and YummyYucky opens a watch window on that allergen, tells you when it is clear to start the next, and keeps the ones that go fine in rotation. Free.
Start the allergen tracker, freeLast updated September 2026. Next review December 2026. How we write these: built from current published guidance from the AAP, CDC, FDA/EPA, NIAID, WHO, and other pediatric and public-health authorities, with sources cited on the page. See our editorial and medical policy for how we research, source, and update these, and how we double-check the food advice.
This is general information, not medical advice, and is not individualized for your baby. Always talk to your pediatrician about your baby's diet, introducing allergens, and any reaction. In an emergency, contact emergency services.
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