Red Cheeks When Eating Tomatoes

Try grouping small amounts of tomatoes with a glass of milk or cottage cheese to counter-act the acid. This works for my 2 year old who also has the same type of reaction.

Be well!

All three of my kiddos got red cheeks (upper and lower - hee, hee) from eating citrus including tomatoes... With my older boys I limited their intake when they were babies/toddlers and they grew out of it around age 3 so it was no problem. My youngest is 19-months-old and I'm going through the same thing. She can't get enough of them and will try to climb up where they are to get into the bag! This means red cheeks and pretty much instant diaper rash if I don't watch her closely enough, so I just keep them out of reach and let her have them as a treat every once in awhile... If she's hungrily reaching for the tomatoes and has already had them earlier in the day, I give her something else. Good luck!

My son, now 13, had an allergic reaction to tomatoes, when he was a couple years older than your daughter. We had a week when he had tomatoes or tomato products every day and ended up with hives all over his body, which started as the bright red cheeks within one hour of ingesting the offending food. It took another week to get rid of the build up and get him back to normal. We ended up using antihisamine each night and once during the day, until the symptoms went away. When I researched it on WebMD, I found that many foods contain salycilates (and many artificial additives are full of them), which was probably what he was mainly allergic to. Specifically, we believed he was allegic to tomatoes, red food dye and chocolate. We just watched for any reaction and tried to not have offending substances several days in a row. As long as she is just getting red cheeks and it is going away, not progressing to red spots or welts elsewhere on her body, she should be fine. They often outgrow allergies, I think my son has.

My nephew who is the same age, get the same red cheeks when he eats them. I don't think it a allergy, but just a reaction to the acid on the cheeks. Try feeding without allowing the food to touch the cheek and see what it does.
At this point just allow her to have in small amounts, until she gets use to them.

Hi. My daughters (now 17 & 18) both loved tomoatoes. They would eat them as a "snack," off the vine too if you weren't looking. They too would get red cheeks, and/or if they ate too much, loose stools. It may be the acid in the tomatoes, as oranges and other similar foods had the same affect. I would wash the tomatoes well before she eats them (which I am sure you are doing), and would also note whether or not she seems bothered by the redness, and/or if it swells.

As they say, you can take it out of her diet for a few months and reintroduce it, and see what happens then too.

It's great she loves her vegies!!

My kids all got red cheeks from tomatoes. They are an acidic food. I avoided letting them have too many or too often. An allergic reaction - perhaps, but it's not hives all over her body, or sneezing, or closing throat... so it's more like an intolerance. I just kept dosages low, and infrequent. Particularly the concentrated tomato products like spaghetti sauce and ketsup. My children outgrew it around 2 or 2 1/2. It's not an unusual reaction at all, and inspite of the alarmist views about allergies I wouldn't get too worked up about it. It will most likely pass. My kids got this reaction from oranges, grapes and apples as well. Now they are fine.

My kids had that too. Citrus foods always turned their cheeks red. It goes away. Usually by 3. I just limited the exposure to those foods. (small quanities)

I've seen lips swell with tomato allergies, but I'm sure that if you notice the red cheeks, it means something. Take her to a N.A.E.T. person to find out and get rid of her allergies naturally. Go to N.A.E.T.com to find one near you. No pills or shots.

It could be an allergy but it could also be sensitive skin. My girls and I all have very sensitive skin. My 15 month old gets a rash on her face when she eats certain kinds of yogurt. My friend who has a 17 month old said her daughter had a reaction to spinach. She said that everywhere it touched on her face broke out red. I dont know if it was an allergy or a skin sensitivity. Next time she eats tomatoes see if only the spots the tomatoe juice touches are red.

If it's just where the juice hits, it sounds like skin dermatitis, which is basically a skin allergy and is no big deal. Beyond that, I don't know - sounds normal, as some others have responded.

Both of my children have a skin condition called ecxema which is common in young children. They get these little dry patches of skin and there's really nothing other than applying lotion that you can do for it. I know that when they eat tomatoes or anything that is acidic like oranges their skin reacts to the acid and gives them that nice red coloring. One thing that I found tht helped was Eucerine Calming Creme works to reduce the redness and helps also with the dry skin. i don't know if your child has ecxema, but it sounds like her skin might be reacting to the acid in the tomato juice. I would suggest maybe trying the calming cream and if you're really concerned just limit her intake of tomatoes.

When my son was a baby his cheeks would turn red when he ate carrots and then it quickly turned into a rash. He is 8 now and no longer allergic.

Your story reminds me of my husband eating tomatoes out of our first garden about 12 years ago. He broke out in red spots. An alergic reaction to the tomatoes. We went to a naturapath. It turns out that people with Blood Type A can be more sensitive to tomatoes.
You may want to check it out with a naturapath. Also, were the tomatoes organic? Hope it helps.

It could be allergy (tomatoes are a common allergen), but a skin condition called rosacea is more likely, based on your description. Tomatoes cause rosacea flushes in about 33% of people who have the disorder. People who blush easily often have some degree of rosacea.

Rosacea isn't a serious illness, but if aggravated frequently over a few decades it can lead to some degree of disfigurment. The skin of the cheeks (sometimes also nose, chin, and even the whites of the eyes) can become thickened, red and lumpy from the growth of too many tiny blood vessels in the skin. It can also become pretty uncomfortable, bringing stinging or burning pain (temporary, during the flushes).

You might want to watch your daughter's cheeks to find out whether they color up easily at other times, too. Most people with rosacea have many different triggers, which can include such things as specific foods, spices, chocolate, alcoholic drinks, exposure to heat and cold, and much more.

If you suspect she might have rosacea, you can search google for lots more information, including tips on how to control flushes. She might be grateful your early vigilance when she's a lovely middle-aged woman with smooth skin.

please remember your dr. probably knows very little about allergies or nutrition--that's not in his/her training! Your child probably has an allergy and if she's allergic to one thing she is probably allergic to more. Please see a naturopath, a dietician or an allergy specialist. Allergic responses are cumulative and usually get worse with more of the offending substance. I'm mom of 2, and a lactation consultant and postpartum doula in private practice (in seattle). I help families figure this stuff out all the time. Her body is telling you something loud and clear. please pay attention!

R. Beebe, M.Ed., IBCLC
www.second9months.com

My 3 year old was diagnosed with contact dermatitis when she first started solid foods. Citrus, tomatoes, anything acidic or had something acidic in it. It's not anything dangerous. You don't have to limit her tomato intake. I would just wash my daughter's face quickly after she ate to remove the acid. Even if her cheeks turned red, they would calm down within an hour or two and it didn't seem to bother her. I hope that helps :)

I'd make sure she gets only really really ripe, organic, preferably raw tomatoes. If you're giving her canned or otherwise prepared tomatoes, maybe there's something else in them that's affecting her. She could be showing an allergic reaction, but if it is mild and goes away soon and doesn't otherwise bother her, it may not be a problem at all. I'd encourage her to eat a variety of fresh organic raw vegetables.

Hi A.,

It's not an allergic reaction, it's part of the vegetable. It usually depends on the veggie that your child is eating. I was told that when I started eating solid foods that carrots would make me turn red and orange. I would say enjoy the cute moments of trying new veggies to see what color your kid turns :)

This may not be much help. But I get the same thing when I eat apples or pears. Another friend of mine did also but only when they were raw. If it was cooked she would not have a reaction. She was told that the proteins in the raw food was what was causing the reaction. Not sure what the dr. said but with myself I still eat the fruit and it hasn't gone beyond that for me...

My daughter would also get the red cheeks from tomatoes. Especially if she ate them several days in a row. Don't worry. Tomatoes have acid in them. It can leave red cheeks and mouths. I just started limiting her tomatoe in take. It wasn't a allergic reaction. Toddlers tend to be messy while eating and the tomatoes get on their face and making the face red. Adults don't get it because they don't get tomato on their face. Good luck!!

I know this answer is SUPER late, but I was looking up some information and came across this. It actually is probably an allergy - I say that because I have it! This sounds exactly like how I am with tomatoes. I've had it all my life, and it's no big deal, I still eat tomatoes all the time. I was taken to the doctor about it when I was young too, and mine wasn't concerned either. It's definitely nothing to stress about. :)