Oh they grow so fast! Introducing their first foods is such a fascinating time and Gerber takes all the worries out of making the first impressions tasty!

Why First Foods
If you leave a used spoon in the baby food you will see just how easy this is to digest. 1st food is the perfect texture for little mouths who have never tasted food before. 1st foods come in the basic flavors that your baby is sure to love and are are easy on the tummy to digest. They are natural and do not have preservatives. This special food is not designed to last long opened and I mean even an hour in the fridge after it's opened it gets nasty. If there's any chance they won't finish it all immediately, put it on a separate plate to feed. If you put a spoon in it that has been in the babies mouth and then back in the jar you will not be able to save it.

When to Introduce 1st Foods
A baby who can sit without support, has control of body movements, weighs at least 13 lbs, and is still hungry after milk is a prime candidate for 1st foods. You can talk to your pediatrician during your routine visits about what foods to introduce and when. Because there are many allergic reactions to food and can be fatal to infants, it's important to wait 3 days before introducing a new food -- which I know is hard. What you don't have to worry about in 1st foods is that it's free of eggs, milk, wheat and citrus which many are allergic or sensitive to. When moving into 2nd foods you'll find these ingredients ARE present. Talking to your pediatrician about what to do in case of an allergic reactions may be helpful. I personally have to carry Dye-free Children's Benadryl everywhere she goes because she's so sensitive to foods. Even with the very mild 1st foods, she could not eat the carrots.

Excitement/Frustration
I was full of excitement to see how she would react to each of the flavors. Unfortunately, even if they love the first couple of bites, they might not want to finish the jar or even eat at the same time every day. Sometimes it can be frustrating because they act like they really want it, then suddenly they're full after 3 bites. Or they just get tired and don't want to. That all evens out when they get use to the food. They will still be on milk the first year so experiment and know they're still getting their nutrition with the milk.

Brand Name
Gerber holds the lead in producing baby food and is certainly a brand that is well-known and trusted. They are also a company that likes money so you'll see that they gain your trust with the 1st food and as you move into seconds and 3rds a lot of choices that are yummy but not necessary. Obviously dessert is marketed for the parent and not a necessity for a growing baby. There are other brands that offer early baby food too. I personally found the baby was happy with whatever was on sale that week.

Safety Alerts
Even though Gerber is a highly reputable company, they still have recalls just like any other company. Here is a website that you can find safety alerts which you can check or receive e-mails regarding any baby recalls:

http://www.safetyalerts.com/rcls/category/food.htm

Not to get you paranoid but it is something to consider. For example, In 1997 there were 2,141,880 jars of baby's carrots recalled due to high levels of arsenic--most of which were already eaten. There have been recalls for glass particles in Gerber jars as well as other brand baby foods.

Choices

Your choices are limited for 1st foods but it's for a very good reason.

FRUIT - Fortified to meet 45% of daily vitamin c - Applesauce; Bananas; Peaches; Pears; Prunes (Not fortified)

VEGETABLES - Carrots, Green Beans, Potatoes, Squash, Peas, Sweet Potatoes

Where to Find
They sell baby food almost anywhere. Grocery stores, Walmart, Drug Stores, Online, Toys-R-Us. They are often on sell and they'll last so you might as well stock up. You can get coupons from signing up for them at www.gerber.com.

Making Your Own
I had planned on making my own baby food and did that successfully for step 2 and up however for step 1 it's just easier to buy it because making it is very time consuming in very small portions, and extremely fine texture makes it difficult to replicate at home. Fruit is the hardest to make in the correct consistency and it doesn't freeze well at all.

Travel
These little jars are a blessing for travel. You can add a couple to your diaper bag to always be prepared. They don't need to be warmed, they don't need to be refrigerated, there's no left overs to worry about, and the jar is disposable. It's like fast food!



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