Ensuring your child receives appropriate nutrition is crucial, and research suggests that introducing common allergens at an early age can decrease their likelihood of developing food allergies in the future. Yet, it can pose challenges to know how to go about this.
What is Ready, Set, Food? Ready, Set, Food! is a food product that allows you to introduce common allergens to your baby starting as early as 4 months of age. The mix-in packets can be added to food or formula, and they expose your child to one potential food allergen at a time in an attempt to reduce a reaction later in life.
Understanding how this food system works will help you understand whether or not it is a good fit for your family.
When To Introduce Allergens to Baby
Your baby should be introduced to common food allergens when they begin eating food. This usually doesn’t happen until a child is six months old, but it can occur as early as four months of age.
By the one-year mark, make sure your child has been exposed to common food allergens.
Baby Allergen Foods
Baby allergen foods include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Eggs
- Dairy milk
- Peanuts
- Tree nuts
- Wheat
- Soy
- Sesame
Baby Food Allergy Symptoms
If your baby does have a reaction to a food, you need to know how to recognize the signs. The most common symptoms of a food allergy include:
- Mouth swelling
- Hives
- Rash
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Wheezing
- Problems breathing
- Passing out
My oldest child had major food allergies, and they also failed to thrive since their body couldn’t absorb most of what they ate. Weight loss was an indicator that something was wrong.
Ready, Set, Food! Startup Story
Ready, Set, Food! is a company built out of passion. Co-founder Andrew Leitner watched his son battle food allergies that led to eczema before helping to found the company.
With Chief Allergist, Dr. Katie Marks-Cogan, and CEO Daniel Zakowski, Leitner helped build a company that would help other people avoid the pain his child went through due to food allergies.
How Does Ready, Set, Food! Work?
Ready, Set, Food! allows parents to order measured packets that introduce appropriate allergens to children in small amounts over time. You can start using Ready, Set, Food! while your child is still drinking formula or breastmilk.
Stage 1
Expose your child to three major allergens while they are still using formula by adding the Stage 1 mix to your child’s bottle.
This will ensure your child consumes peanuts, dairy, and eggs early in life and not all at the same time. Start Stage 1 when your child is four months old.
Stage 2
Stage 2 allows you to keep exposing your baby to peanuts, milk, and eggs since continued exposure is key to helping your child avoid allergies as they age. Stage 2 should be used for at least six months before moving to the next stage.
Stage 3
Stage 3 adds six more allergens to your child’s diet and should also be used for six months. You can even start with Stage 3 if your child is already eating solid foods.
Optional Organic Baby Oatmeal
You can use Ready, Set, Food! baby oatmeal to introduce food allergens with Ready, Set, Food. Just add the oatmeal to water, formula, or breastmilk, and feed your baby.
There are a variety of flavors so that you can find just the right oatmeal for your child’s taste buds.
Is Ready, Set, Food! FDA Recommended?
Ready, Set, Food! is not FDA recommended.
Is Ready, Set, Food! FDA Approved?
Ready, Set, Food! is not FDA approved because it is considered a supplement. Supplements do not receive FDA approval.
Is Ready, Set, Food! Safe?
Ready, Set, Food! should be safe for babies because of the ingredients used. They are non-GMO, organic ingredients that introduce food allergens to your child in very small doses.
Your child can have a reaction to Ready, Set, Food! products if they are allergic to something in them, but that is always a risk when introducing foods of any kind.
Is Ready, Set, Food! Effective?
Ready, Set, Food! is created to effectively expose your child to food allergens, and this can help them avoid food allergies in the future.
Studies show that early exposure is an important way you can try to offer your child protection from severe food allergies, and that is what Ready, Set, Food! aims to do.
Advantages of Using Ready, Set, Food!
One of the major advantages of using Ready, Set, Food! is convenience.
It’s not easy to introduce your child to food allergens early in life consistently. It’s also hard to introduce one at a time and monitor for reactions when you are planning all the meals yourself.
Ready, Set, Food! does all this work for you and simply allows you to pick what stage you need and add it to your child’s milk or food.
Your child will be exposed to all major food allergens by the age of one without you having to navigate all the details.
Ready, Set, Food! also makes it easy to figure out what your child is reacting to if they do happen to have a food allergy.
By only introducing one allergen food at a time, this product eliminates the guesswork when it’s time to figure out what your child is reacting to and how severe the reaction is.
Ready, Set, Food! Ingredients
Ready, Set, Food! uses organic, real food, so you don’t have to worry about what you are feeding your little one. There are no added sugar or mystery ingredients.
Can Ready, Set, Food! Cause a Reaction?
Any product containing allergens can cause a reaction. However, Ready, Set, Food! is designed to introduce your child to food allergens slowly, and it starts with a small amount.
This should decrease the chances of a severe reaction and give your child’s body time to adjust.
Does Ready, Set, Food! Expire?
Ready, Set, Food! does expire. You should check the expiration date on each package before use, and don’t buy this product before you need to use it.
Don’t put it on your baby shower registry either since this could result in you receiving packets you aren’t ready to use before the expiration date.
When To Start Ready, Set, Food!
You can start Ready, Set, Food! when your child is ready for food. You can even ask your pediatrician about starting your child on Ready, Set, Food! when they are four months old and the mix-in can be added to formula.
When Should I Stop Using Ready, Set, Food?
Though there is no definite time you have to stop using Ready, Set, Food!, most parents feel comfortable quitting when their child is regularly eating table food that contains food allergens several times a week.
Until then, Ready, Set, Food! will get your child the exposure they need.
Where To Buy Ready, Set, Food!
You can purchase Ready, Set, Food! directly from the company or from a variety of retailers. Some include:
You should feed your child allergen foods during the first year of life, and Ready, Set, Food! makes it easy to do. Take the guesswork out of feeding your baby and let Ready, Set, Food! do it for you.
Kristy is the mother of four, including identical twins. With a background in education and research, she is constantly learning more about parenting and raising multiples. When she has spare time, she enjoys hiking into the woods with a great book to take a break.