How to Introduce Variety to Your Sitter

Look Out for Whole Grains

Combining different tastes and textures, they're a great way to give your little one the variety of nutrients they need and get them used to whole grain flavors. Gerber® Organic 2nd Foods® Pouches — Banana Blueberry Blackberry Oatmeal or Purple Carrot Banana Acai with Cardamom are a couple of our favorites, but there are many more options for you and your baby to explore.

Making Familiar Flavors New Again

If your Sitter has tried and mastered single fruits and veggie baby food, you can start to offer new combinations of those foods. Try mixing your Sitter's favorite iron-fortified baby cereal with purees for a new taste and texture. Exposing your little one to new flavors now may help them be more accepting of new foods in the future. Not only that, but creating healthy eating habits early may help set them up to make better choices later.

Try Adding a Little Dairy

After your baby is at least 6 months of age, you can also introduce yogurt. Rich in calcium and protein, yogurt can provide key nutrients important for your baby’s growth and development. But as always, if you have questions about introducing new foods, talk to your pediatrician first.

Important Tips for Introducing New Flavors:

• Introduce one new food about every three days to make sure the new food doesn’t cause intolerance or sensitivity.
• If you suspect a reaction, stop feeding your baby the last food you introduced and call your pediatrician.
• Don’t give up on a food after the first couple of attempts. If your child spits out the food, be patient. Just wait a few days and try it again. Studies show that it may take up to 10 exposures before they accept a new food.