Benefits

Compared to other dried fruits, omega-3 level of walnut is higher. Also it is rich in minerals like thiamine, B6, folic acid, phosphor, magnesium and copper. It is a great Vitamin E source.
 
Walnuts are the same shape as human brain. Many cultures consider it as “the food of the brain”. In Asia, students eat walnuts before exams. It is definitely a better choice than the sugar cubes we give to our children here in Turkey.
 
Warning
 
One of the questions that troubles us when our babies start eating solids is: "When can my baby eat dried fruits?"” There is a lot of hesitation in this respect since dried fruits are associated with allergies.
Most doctors believe that dried fruits should be introduced between 12 and 36 months. However this seems like a very wide range. What are we supposed to do? This range is this wide because there is not a real consensus in this respect among pediatricians.
 
The most logical thing to do in this case is to decide with your own doctor the time you should introduce dried fruits taking into consideration the requirements of your baby. If your baby is not prone to allergies or there is no allergy story in your family history you may introduce dried fruits to your baby when he is around 12 months old.
 
However if your baby is prone to allergies, maybe it would be better for you to wait until he is 24 to 36 months old.
The dried fruits with the highest probability of causing allergy are: walnut, almond, cashew, hazelnut, pistachio, peanut... By the way, peanut allergy is one of the most common one. And the symptoms arise at most during the first year of babies. Allergy to peanuts may cause very serious problems along with mild discomfort.
 
Click here for ways to overcome allergy.
 
Keep in mind
 
Buy walnut in shell and try to avoid the ones that are very light. These are usually old and dried ones. But don't buy the ones that are soft either. You can keep peeled walnut in a container and store it in the fridge up to three weeks. Walnut in shell may stay fresh up to one year in cold and dry locations.
 
Nutritional value per 100 gram walnut;
 
Protein 15 gram
Omega 3- 9079 mg
Omega 6- 38.092 mg
Vitamin C 1.3 mg
Vitamin E 0.7 mg
Vitamin K 2.7 mcg
Folate 98.0 mcg
Calcium 98.0 mg
Iron 2.9 mg
Magnesium 158 mg
Phosphor 346 mg
Potassium 441 mg