Cashews for Kids and Toddlers: Safe Ways to Serve Them

Cashews are a nutritious, tasty food, and many children enjoy them. But there are two real safety issues to know about before you offer them to a child: choking, and allergy. This post gives general information from a food business. It is not medical advice, so please talk to your child's doctor or a health visitor if you are unsure.

Whole nuts are a choking hazard for young children, because they are hard, small and smooth, and children's chewing and swallowing skills are still developing. Health guidance in many countries is not to give whole nuts to young children, commonly until around the age of five. A child who is running, laughing, crying or distracted is at higher risk, so children should always sit down and be supervised when they eat.

That does not mean cashews are off the menu for young children. It means changing the form: ground, finely chopped or blended cashews, and smooth cashew butter spread thinly, are the usual ways to include them.

Cashews are a tree nut, and tree nut allergies can cause serious reactions. Many allergy organisations now advise that, for most babies, introducing common allergens such as nuts early, in a safe form, may help reduce the risk of an allergy, but that is a decision to make with your doctor, especially if your child has eczema, an existing food allergy, or there is allergy in the family. Never introduce nuts for the first time when you are away from home or when your child is unwell.

If anyone in your household or at a school or party has a tree nut allergy, read tree nut allergy and cashews and take care with shared food, spoons and containers.

Stir a spoonful of smooth cashew butter into warm porridge, or spread it in a very thin layer on toast, as in our guide to making cashew butter at home. Thick, sticky spoonfuls of nut butter can also be a choking risk, so spread it thinly or mix it into something soft.

Add a little Cashew Powder to porridge, smoothies, yoghurt or a milky drink. It is finely ground, so there are no pieces to choke on. Blend soaked cashews into a creamy sauce for rice or vegetables, as in our posts on cashew cream and cashew milk.

Once your doctor agrees and your child is old enough to chew well, you can offer finely chopped cashews on yoghurt, in rice or in a stir-fry, or a small handful of plain cashews at snack time while sitting down. Energy balls made with cashews and dates, like our no-bake cashew energy balls, are a popular lunchbox idea, as long as the school allows nuts.

Many schools have a no-nut policy because of allergies among pupils, so check before you pack anything with cashews in it.

For children, plain or lightly roasted cashews are the better choice. Heavily salted, spicy or sugar-coated cashews add salt, heat or sugar that young children do not need. Our Oven Roasted Cashew is roasted with no added oil, and our Cooking Cashew is plain, so you can season a dish yourself. Save the chilli of our Deviled Cashew for adults and older teenagers.

A small amount goes a long way. A handful of 28 grams, about 18 cashews, is a portion for an adult, as we explain in how many cashews to eat a day, so a child needs far less. A teaspoon or two of cashew butter, or a spoonful of powder in porridge, is plenty. Cashews are rich and calorie-dense, and are one part of a varied diet and not a replacement for meals.

Check with your doctor if your child is under five, has eczema or allergies, or there is allergy in the family. Use ground, chopped or butter forms for young children, and never whole nuts. Make sure your child is sitting down and supervised. Choose plain cashews, keep portions small, and store cashews in an airtight container, as in how to store roasted cashews. If you would like help planning a gift for a family, our gift boxes can include a note card, but check the age and allergies of the children first.

Can a toddler have cashew butter? Smooth cashew butter is a common way to introduce cashews, spread very thinly or stirred into something soft, but check with your doctor first, particularly if there is allergy in the family. Choose a butter with nothing added, such as the one in our cashew butter guide, and avoid thick spoonfuls.

Are cashews good for children's growth? Cashews supply protein, healthy fats and minerals such as magnesium, copper, zinc and iron, as we explain in the minerals in cashews. They are one useful food among many, and a varied diet matters far more than any single food.

What if my child reacts after eating cashews? Stop giving them and seek medical help straight away if there is swelling of the lips or face, trouble breathing, repeated vomiting, or widespread hives. Severe reactions are an emergency. For mild or uncertain symptoms, talk to your doctor before trying cashews again.