15/10/2026
We get asked about milk and egg ladders all the time, so here's what the steps usually look like.
A food ladder is a step-by-step way to bring milk or egg back into your child's diet. It works because baking and heating change the proteins, so a lot of kids can handle a well-baked muffin long before they can handle a glass of milk or a scrambled egg. You start at the bottom with the most well-cooked foods and slowly work your way up.
Step 1: Well baked. Foods where the milk or egg is baked right through, like biscuits, muffins or cakes. This is the gentlest starting point because the proteins have been heated the most.
Step 2: Less baked. Foods that are cooked for a shorter time or at a lower heat, like pancakes, pikelets or crumbed foods. The proteins are still cooked but changed a bit less.
Step 3: Lightly cooked. For milk, this is usually cheese and yoghurt. For egg, it's hard boiled egg first, then scrambled egg or omelette.
Step 4: The top. Fresh milk for a milk ladder, or soft or runny cooked egg for an egg ladder.
Once your child is managing a step, keep offering it regularly while you move up. If they're unwell or have mild symptoms, pause or go back to the last step that went well.
This is just the general shape. The exact steps, amounts and timing will be different for every child, and some ladders have six or more steps. Ladders aren't right for every child either, so only start one with the go-ahead from your GP, dietitian or allergist, and follow the plan they give you.
We love helping families find recipes for each step that kids actually want to eat, because a ladder only works if the food gets eaten. If you're about to start one or you're stuck on a step, we're here to help.
