Highlights
- Begin to offer soft cooked fruits and veggies that are the right size and texture for your Crawler.
- Introducing new textures is an important step in your Crawler's development and nutrition.
- New textures—including thick purees with small, soft cooked pieces of fruit, vegetable or pasta, as well as finger foods—help practice eating skills and are nutritious foods for your Crawler.
Your Crawler is on the move and exploring so be sure to offer nutritious choices that give him the energy he needs. Check out the following chart listing the daily nutrition goals and food groups for your Crawler as a guideline for preparing his meals.
Daily nutrition goals & food groups for Crawlers
| Food Groups |
Serving Size Examples |
Total Daily Goals: |
| Breastmilk or Infant Formula |
4 fluid ounces breastmilk or formula |
24 fluid ounces |
| Vegetables |
½ – 1 tub GERBER® 3RD FOODS® Lil’ Bits® vegetables;
½ tray GERBER® Fruit Pick-ups™ Carrots (10 months or older) |
½ cup |
Fruits
(limit juice to 4 ounces of 100% juice, only once a day) |
½ – 1 tub GERBER® 3RD FOODS® Lil’ Bits® fruits;
4 fluid ounces 100% fruit juice;
½ tray GERBER® Fruit Pick-Ups™ Diced Apples (10 months or older) |
½ cup |
| Meat/Beans |
2 tablespoons GERBER® 2ND FOODS® meats |
1 ounce |
| Grains |
¼ cup (4 tablespoons) GERBER® Dry Cereal;
1 tub GERBER® 3RD FOODS® Lil’ Bits® cereals |
1 ounce equivalent |
Watch & learn
Learn about your Crawler’s nutrition needs, and how to introduce him to new textures and flavors, like finger foods.
Good to know
Crawlers are ready for small soft pieces of fruit, vegetable or pasta added into their baby food.
Finding the right food for your Crawler
New textures help develop eating skills
Depending on his chewing ability and interest, your baby may be ready to try something new, which is good for his Crawler nutrition. These new foods can be introduced when your child is developmentally ready:
3RD FOODS® Lil’ Bits® Fruits or Vegetables
Provides good practice for up-and-down, forward-and-back tongue motion prior to swallowing. Helps him learn to use his lips for wiping food from a spoon.
3RD FOODS® Lil’ Bits® Dinners and Cereals
Created with a thick baby food that hugs the small, soft pieces of fruit, veggie, pasta or grain. This mixture of baby food and food pieces allows baby to feel texture without having to manage all those separate pieces within his mouth.
Puffs & Yogurt Melts® Snacks
Easy to pick up and dissolves in his mouth. Helps develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
Veggie Pick-Ups™ Diced Carrots and Fruit Pick-Ups™ Apple
Very soft veggies and fruits that mash up easily. This texture helps his eating skills and is appropriate for Crawlers that are 10 months old and older.
Test yourself
How’s your Crawler nutrition knowledge? to find out.
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