Healthy Eating Tips with Gerber

This post is sponsored by iHerb. All opinions and tips are my own.

I recently ordered some Gerber baby food items from iHerb. In this post, I share my review of those products plus some Healthy Eating tips with Gerber. About iHerb

iHerb is one of the largest international supplier of herbal products online. They have almost 1200 brands with over 30,000 natural products. They have climate controlled distribution centers around the world from where they ship to over 150 countries. Their customer service supports 10 languages. You can place your order online, in a currency of your choice and your shipment arrives in just a few days.

I have been using iHerb to order food and personal use items, for the past two years. I find them very easy to work with. It takes me just a few minutes to place my order and they deliver within 5-7 working days.

When you place an order, they show you all the available shipping options to your country and how much they will cost you. There are frequent offers and free shipping from time to time that I love to take advantage of.

NEW TO IHERB? CLICK HERE TO GET 10% OFF YOUR FIRST ORDER

Healthy Eating with Gerber

Recently, iHerb gave me a chance to buy $100 worth of baby products. I was asked to review food items from Gerber and also share some healthy eating tips. I was quick to take them up on their offer to show you some of my favorite products that I have used with my own babies.

From the moment a baby is ready to eat solids, it is every mother’s struggle to feed them healthy wholesome food. There is just so much to think about!

Is my baby really ready to eat?

What should be their first food?

When are they ready for textures?

What kind of snacks can they eat?

Should I brush their teeth?

What about teething… and so on.

Gerber products can be a mother’s best friend at this time. I have found them to be the best choice for a range of products – from baby cereal to snacks to even teething biscuits. They are all natural, GMO free, many are organic and they contain added nutrients that are required for the baby’s age. Each item is clearly marked to show suitability of age and milestone, so you know whether your baby is ready for it or not.

These are the Gerber products that I ordered from iHerb.

Here are some tools that I ordered from iHerb.

Spoons, Squirt spoon, bowls, plates, sippy cups (age 6+ months, 12+ months and 18+ months), tooth brush and tooth paste, baby food masher and a teether.

Feeding your baby Healthy wholesome food is not hard!

I am sharing some tips today that I have found useful in helping start my children on good eating habits. These food items have helped me save time, energy and most importantly, I was able to ensure that my children only ate healthy food.

Don’t start solids before they are ready! According to the FDA, WHO and the American Pediatrics Association, it is safe to start solids from when your baby is 6 months of age. This is the time when most babies have doubled their birth weight, lost their tongue thrust reflex and able to hold up their head.
Start with baby rice. Baby Rice is normal rice that has been soaked, dry roasted and ground to a fine powder. I always felt safe to use packaged baby rice because it was hygienic, packaged and stored in a controlled environment compared to rice powder that is store bought. Gerber has NON-GMO, Organic Baby Rice Cereal that has Iron, essentials minerals and vitamins necessary for your child’s age. Mix 1 tbs of Baby Rice to 3 tbs of your milk (either breastmilk or formula) to make the cereal. You can use a squirt spoon like this or an ordinary spoon to feed your baby.
Keep meal times calm. Follow the same pattern every day, so your baby learns to recognize meal times. For example, following a routine like washing his hands, putting on a bib, sitting him in his high chair before starting to feed, tells your child what is to come. Prepare his food and place all the utensils, a wash cloth and his supply ready, before you set them in their chair.
Understand that cereals and grains will form the base for most of your child’s meals. Once your child is accustomed to taking rice, you can add other cereals like oats and wheat to their menu. Gerber has single grain cereals as well as multi grain ones for older babies. They also have it with a combination of fruits or vegetables. I love that they offer so many choices!
Sometimes after they are 8 months old, babies are ready to try textured foods. You can add steamed and mashed fruits, vegetables, chicken or meats to their cereal. Cereal masks the strong taste of fruits and vegetables, making it easier for babies to try them. We ordered these Multigrain Apple Banana Strawberry ready to feed cereal. This cereal is a little bit coarser than the baby rice that I mentioned above. For babies who are ready for mashed foods, this is perfect.
Gerber has many snacks for babies at 8-12 month. I ordered these Apple Harvest Teether Wheels and Veggie Dip Lil’ Crunchies. Apple Harvest Teether Wheels are oven baked whole grain corn snack for crawling babies. Veggie Dip Lil’ Crunchies are wheel shaped whole grain snacks but these are long lasting so teething babies are sure to enjoy.
Teething babies get very fussy when they are sprouting their little teeth. It helps to offer them a soothing teether like this one. Gerber also has delicious oven baked teething biscuits for this stage. My children enjoyed munching on teething biscuits. I would offer it to them whenever I was running a bit late for lunch or supper. They are perfect to offer at the afternoon snack time too.
Babies love to practice their pincer grip. I bought these organic star shaped Puffs in Fig Berry flavor that are really fun puffed snacks that babies would love to practice their pincer grip on. Children at this age love to concentrate on picking things with their fingers. These are a safer option to cereal loops that are totally unsuitable for babies.
Mothers wonder what to do when their babies are picky. If they dislike something, don’t worry. Just offer it again after some time. Did you know that babies have 10,000 tastebuds that they eventually lose or are replaced? Gerber snacks come in many flavors. I ordered these Yoghurt dips that are fruit and yoghurt melt-in-your-mouth drops. I think these are genius! I mean, here’s healthy candy for little babies!
Don’t forget to offer liquids while feeding solids. Babies need sips of water to clear their palate while eating. You can use a spoutless cup like this to help children learn to use a glass without spilling the contents. A sippy cup, a straw cup or a glass like like I mentioned above are all good options. Generally, babies loose interest in soft rubber spouts or nipples so you can move on to a straw cup like this. (Remember that sippy cup straws need to be replaced. Check for wear and tear and be sure to buy extra sippy straws. )
The right tools matter the most when it comes to feeding your baby. A good segmented plate, a rubber tipped spoon that has a good shape for your child., a fun looking but practical sippy cup, bowls to store prepared or left over food and a mash bowl like this is something that I found essential.
Make cleaning your baby’s teeth a habit from the start. You can use a soft muslin cloth in the beginning. Gradually, let them have their own tooth brush and a fluoride free tooth paste. They can start using a tooth brush from when they are 1 year old.

Gerber makes it easy for you to feed your baby healthy wholesome food. They have a wide range of items that you can use to create a healthy menu for your child. They simplify a mother’s job and make healthy snacking possible.

iHerb is giving my readers a 10% discount on their first order.