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: 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.
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: What is the difference between GERBER® Organic SmartNourish™ 1ST FOODS® products and the regular GERBER® 1ST FOODS® products?
A: GERBER® Organic SmartNourish™ 1ST FOODS® products meet the USDA standards for organic and are certified by Oregon Tilth, a USDA-accredited organic certification agency.
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.