Q: When should I start my baby on solid foods?
A: Around the middle of your baby’s first year, she should be ready to start solid foods. This coincides with her having reached the Supported Sitter developmental stage. To learn more about nutrition and feeding at this stage, please refer to our Nutrition Guide for Supported Sitters.
Before starting solid foods, be sure to discuss it with your pediatrician.
Q: What is the first solid food I should feed my baby?
A: Rice cereal (such as GERBER® Rice Cereal) is typically the first complementary food introduced to infants. It is made with gentle ingredients and its smooth, fine texture is developmentally appropriate for your baby’s first solid food.
Oatmeal (such as GERBER® Oatmeal Cereal) is usually the second cereal offered. Wait about 3 days in between each cereal to see how your baby tolerates them. Watch for signs of allergic responses such as diarrhea, a rash or vomiting. If any of these occur, stop feeding that variety and contact your pediatrician.
Once your baby is eating cereal, you can also try pureed baby foods like GERBER® 1ST FOODS® fruits and vegetables.
To learn more about feeding your baby at this stage of development, read our Nutrition Guide for Supported Sitters.
Q: How do I prepare cereal for my baby?
A: Your baby’s first bite of “solids” should look more like thin milk. Mix 1 tablespoon of cereal with 4 to 5 tablespoons of breastmilk or formula until it has a souplike consistency.
Q: How do I store cereal once it has been opened?
A: Store cereal in a cool, dry area away from sources of heat. It should also be kept away from products that may have strong odors or flavors. Cereal may be stored in the refrigerator or freezer.
Q: How long can I keep an opened container of cereal?
A: An opened container of cereal may be kept up to one month (30 days) in your kitchen cabinet.
Q: Should my baby’s diet include cereal?
A: Most pediatricians recommend starting with an iron-fortified cereal. GERBER® Infant Cereals provide an excellent source of this important nutrient and will help rebuild your baby’s naturally decreasing iron stores.
Iron is important for physical growth and mental development. It also helps prevent iron deficiency anemia and is part of hemoglobin that carries oxygen in the blood from the lungs to every cell in the body.
Q: Can I feed cereal from a bottle?
A: We recommend that you do not feed cereal from a bottle, as babies can choke. Feed healthy babies only liquid from a bottle and solid foods, including cereal, with a spoon.
Q: How do I find the “use by” date on the product?
A: GERBER® products - Each product is stamped with a “use by” date in the format dd mm yy. For example, a use-by date of August 25, 2010 would be indicated as “25 AUG 10”. The numbers before or after the use by date contain information about when and where the product was made.
Q: When should I start my baby on solid foods?
A: Around the middle of your baby’s first year, she should be ready to start solid foods. This coincides with her having reached the Supported Sitter developmental stage. To learn more about nutrition and feeding at this stage, please refer to our Nutrition Guide for Supported Sitters.
Before starting solid foods, be sure to discuss it with your pediatrician.
Q: What is the difference between GERBER® 1st FOODS®, GERBER® 2nd FOODS® and GERBER® 3rd FOODS® products and when do I start each of them?
A: GERBER® 1st FOODS® products are single-ingredient fruits and vegetables. The food is pureed for easy swallowing. These foods are typically introduced when your baby is in the Supported Sitter stage.
GERBER® 2nd FOODS® products include many fruits and vegetables your baby enjoyed in the GERBER® 1ST FOODS® line, but there are many new flavors and combinations of ingredients. These foods are typically introduced in the Sitter stage.
GERBER® 3rd FOODS® products are ideal for feeding your baby in the transition to table-type foods. They have more texture and may include tiny particles that help babies learn to mash food with their gums. GERBER® 3rd FOODS® products also offer new flavors. These foods are typically introduced at the Crawler stage.
Learn more about our developmental Milestone Symbols™.
Q: I think my baby is ready for table foods. Why should I feed GERBER® 3rd FOODS®?
A: While your baby may be ready for some table foods, GERBER® 3RD FOODS® products provide a good transition to eating table foods. Feeding GERBER® 3RD FOODS® products helps your baby learn to chew and swallow new and different textures while still eating the variety of foods he needs for growth and development. 3rd Food dinners are designed to have tender pieces that encourage chewing but don’t actually require chewing.
Q: What is the first solid food I should feed my baby?
A: Rice cereal (such as GERBER® Rice Cereal) is typically the first complementary food introduced to infants. It is made with gentle ingredients and its smooth, fine texture is developmentally appropriate for your baby’s first solid food.
Oatmeal (such as GERBER® Oatmeal Cereal) is usually the second cereal offered. Wait about 3 days in between each cereal to see how your baby tolerates them. Watch for signs of allergic responses such as diarrhea, a rash or vomiting. If any of these occur, stop feeding that variety and contact your pediatrician.
Once your baby is eating cereal, you can also try pureed baby foods like GERBER® 1ST FOODS® fruits and vegetables.
To learn more about feeding your baby at this stage of development, read our Nutrition Guide for Supported Sitters.
Q: How do I prepare pureed baby food?
A: Spoon food from the container into a serving dish before feeding. This allows you to safely store any unused portion of the container in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Q: Do pureed baby foods need to be heated?
A: No. All baby foods may be served cold, warm or at room temperature.
Q: How do I store leftover pureed baby food?
A: As long as you do not feed directly from the container or heat the entire container of food, replace the lid and keep it in the refrigerator for up to three days.
Q: How do I find the “use by” date on the product?
A: GERBER® products - Each product is stamped with a “use by” date in the format dd mm yy. For example, a use-by date of August 25, 2010 would be indicated as “25 AUG 10”. The numbers before or after the use by date contain information about when and where the product was made.