Time For Big Kid Food
Written: Sep 02 '01 (Updated Sep 02 '01)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Travels well, added vitamins and minerals.
Cons: Meat sticks have a strong smell and microwave meals too much sodium.
The Bottom Line: Other than the microwave meals they are a great choice for any toddler.
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| mzemel's Full Review: Gerber Graduates Baby Food |
When my daughter started eating regular table food, I needed to find a convenient way to provide her with all the necessary vitamins and minerals needed in her diet. Gerber Graduates proved to be a convenient solution to my needs.
Their fruit (peaches, apples, pears and mixed fruits) and vegetable dices ( carrots, green beans and mixed vegetables) are just the right size for toddlers to pick up with their fingers yet don't pose a choking hazard to the beginning self feeder. It was nice not to have to do all the peeling and dicing myself and it worked especially well when we were out dining at a restaurant. The fruits and vegetables are not packed with extra sugars or salt and are unseasoned for delicate palates.
Gerber Graduates meat sticks are a great source of protein and are the perfect consistency for children with few teeth to eat. They come in three varieties; chicken sticks, turkey, sticks and meat sticks (turkey, beef and pork combo). My daughter would eat all three varieties, but showed a preference to the combination meat sticks. When she first started eating these, I would slice them into semi-circle shapes, but as more teeth grew in she was able to take bites off the whole stick without choking.
There are also dinner dices which include smalls dices of either chicken or turkey combined with one of the following vegetables, carrots, green beans corn or peas. While my daughter didn't mind eating these, I felt their was too little meat and that they consisted of mostly vegetables. I found it easier to give her a jar of vegetable dices and a few meat sticks for a meal.
As a healthier choice to snacks I feed my daughter one of the varieties of snacks from the Gerber Graduate line of products. Either animal crackers, arrowroot cookies, banana cookies, sweet potato crisps or cereal bars. All of these products have less fat, sugar or salt than adult brands. They actually taste good, so why fill her up with junk. Especially since most of their products have added vitamins and minerals for a growing toddler.
Now Gerber Graduates microwave meals are another story. While lower in fat, these are chock full of sodium. I tried a few varieties with my daughter because they are convenient for the occasional quick dinner, but she didn't like any of them.
We have not tried any of the juices from the Gerber Graduate line, but they too have added vitamins and minerals.
I do recommend most of the Gerber Graduate line. Not only are they tasty healthier choices for your child, they travel well and are convenient ways to introduce your toddler to regular table foods.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
mzemel
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 - Top 1000 |
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Member: Michele Zemel
Location: Olney, MD
Reviews written: 150
Trusted by: 109 members
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