“We should stop being scared of food, and we really should just let babies eat.”

                                                                                                          — Dr. Carina Venter

Dr. Mariam Hanna sits down with Dr. Carina Venter, a leading dietitian and researcher in food allergy prevention and management. They get into the everyday realities of feeding infants and children in allergy practice, from early introduction to texture challenges, growth concerns, and the rise of allergen-free processed foods.

On this episode

• How nutrition supports the microbiome and immune system, and helps clinicians navigate the anxiety common in food-allergy clinics.
• Practical early-feeding strategies: pairing low-allergen foods with allergens, starting early, and keeping allergens in the diet once introduced.
• How to approach families whose infants reject certain textures or flavours, and realistic ways to incorporate allergens like egg and peanut.
• Why baby-led weaning may not work well for allergenic foods, especially in babies with eczema.
• Nutritional red flags: milk allergy, multiple food allergies, and texture delays that warrant dietitian referral.
• Concerns about ultra-processed allergen-free products and how emulsifiers may affect gut health.

This episode brings nutrition back to the centre of allergy practice. Dr Venter’s guidance keeps things practical — diverse diets, consistent allergen exposure, and attention to growth and texture — so families can feel confident and kids can learn to enjoy food safely.

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The Allergist is produced for CSACI by PodCraft Productions