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 fruit and vegetable purees. 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 varieties 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 varieties. These foods are typically introduced at the Crawler stage.
Be sure to wait about three days before introducing a new food.
Learn more about our Milestone Symbols™.
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 or squeeze food from the packaging into a serving dish for feeding. This allows you to safely store any unused portion of the container in the refrigerator for up to two days. Once you're in the Sitter stage, if preparing pureed baby food from a pouch, spoon or squeeze food from the pouch into a serving dish for feeding. After resealing, the pouch should be refrigerated within 1 hour and used within 24 hours.
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 packaging or heat the entire container of food, reseal and keep in the refrigerator for up to two 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”.