The Importance of Texture in Early Food Introduction with Gerber Lil' Mixers
“This post has been sponsored by Gerber. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”
I will never forget the day when my best friend suggested I give Ayla solid food for the first time. She was 8 or 9 months old and I remember thinking, “can’t she handle crunchy food?” I had no idea how, why, or when to introduce texture into my daughter's diet. She ate mostly purees for the first year of her life. I didn’t know it then, but I was setting her up to be a picky eater with a low threshold for new food acceptance as a toddler. She is now 4 and it is still a battle. In fact, she is such a picky eater that my pediatrician actually suggested we meet with a nutritionist. That is where I learned how important introducing texture is in early food introduction to encourage a wide range of food acceptance in children. With my second daughter, we are doing things a lot differently!
When our second daughter turned 8 months old, I knew it was time to start introducing more food than puree. We found NEW Gerber® Lil' Mixers™ one day while shopping at Walmart. Pick up yours and use this Ibotta offer! After reading the label, I realized that there were no artificial colors or ingredients. Plus, I loved that their 8 flavor combinations were inspired by homemade tastes. The best part about Gerber Lil’ Mixers is that they are totally customizable to your child, making it easy to start introducing texture at meal or snack time. I was able to add as much or as little texture to Cosette’s puree as I wanted, allowing us to start slow. Once Cosette was getting the hang of the added texture, I continued to slowly add more.
Finding Gerber Lil’ Mixers made snacking while we were out easy again. I always carry one around in my diaper bag so we have one on hand for when we are at the park or running errands.
The reason it’s better for babies to eat purees with a spoon, is so they can practice closing their lips over the utensil and moving food back in their mouths to swallow. Babies also need the opportunity to touch and play with their food. Being “hands on” helps your little one to learn more about food texture and helps to establish healthy eating habits going forward. When we are at home, I will often give Cosette a bowl of Lil’ Mixers with a spoon and let her practice feeding herself and using her hands to explore the texture of her food. It can get messy, so I usually just have her eat in a diaper and then give her a quick bath in the kitchen sink.
Knowing how to introduce texture does not have to be overwhelming as mom. Gerber Lil’ Mixers make it so easy to get your little one started since their snacks are completely customizable. They are easy to find in the baby aisle at any Walmart and will make on-the-go or at-home feeding a breeze! I am so thankful I found them because establishing some of these healthy patterns with early food introduction has made such a difference for Cosette. Even at 11 months old, I can tell she is curious and adventurous with her food and is anything but a picky eater. I know Gerber Lil’ Mixers can help your family to establish healthy eating patterns as well with their customizable meals! Whether it’s a lil’ crisp or a lotta crisp, you can really add texture your way with Lil’ Mixers!
xo,
Kelly
