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: What is “Organic”?
A: Certified organic foods must meet the strict standards set by the United States Department of Agricultural (USDA) National Organic Program. Organic farming boosts soil fertility and leaves the planet in better condition for generations to come.
Q: How can you claim the ingredients in GERBER® Organic products are “organic”?
A: Gerber’s certified organic foods adhere to the strict standards of the USDA’s organic program. In addition, we require that our fields undergo rigorous soil testing for pesticides and other substances – a step beyond the USDA requirements.
Q: What GERBER® Organic product lines are available?
A: Gerber makes organic cereals, pureed baby foods, and juices.
Q: Can I start my baby on solid foods using GERBER® Organic products?
A: Yes. Around the middle of baby’s first year your baby will be in the Supported Sitter stage at this time you may want to explore introducing solid foods into your baby’s diet. Before starting solid foods, be sure to discuss it with your pediatrician. If you would like your baby’s first solid food to be organic, start her on GERBER® Organic SmartNourish™ Whole Grain Brown Rice Cereal. Once your baby is doing well with cereal, GERBER® Organic SmartNourish™ 1ST FOODS® vegetables and fruits would be an appropriate addition to her diet.
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.