Introducing Food & Beverages
Adding snacks to the menu
Snack time is a great way to introduce your older baby to healthy independent eating. Soon snacks will become an important part of your baby’s nutrition. In fact, the 2002 Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study (FITS) sponsored by Gerber showed that foods eaten at snack time make up about 25% of your toddler’s daily calories!
Because of babies’ small tummies and changing appetites, the American Academy of Pediatrics says that most young children fare best when fed four to six times per day, which can include snack time.
Around this time your baby develops oral motor skills that help her begin to mash and chew. That’s why your baby’s first snacks should dissolve easily, like GRADUATES® Puffs and GRADUATES® YOGURT MELTS® snacks.
As she gets more familiar with the textures and further develops her oral motor skills, you can introduce more textured snacks such as GERBER® Arrowroot Cookies. Other recommended snacks include GRADUATES® Fruit and Vegetable Dices, cheese slices, GERBER® 100% fruit juice, and yogurt.
