Trying New Flavors And Textures With Your Lil'? If So, You'll Love This






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Today I am partnering with Gerber to talk about the importance of exploring flavors and textures with your infant to toddler.







When I think back to the days when I began transitioning my infant from exclusive breastmilk to solids, I get a headache. Because, what a headache it was! One day he would LOVE carrots, the next, he would turn his nose up at them. 

Desperate to get my infant to eat, I would go through three of four different fruits or veggie purees. Between busting my budget and driving me crazy, the transition to solids was not the easiest.

I turned to our pediatrician who told me to keep trying the same foods, sometimes up to ten times, before casting one out. It turns out, it can take up to ten times for an infant to acquire the taste for something. So, even though he threw the spoon full of peas across the room four times in a row, the fifth just might be the charm.


OR NOT...
As much as I wish I could say I was that diligent, I wasn't. Sweet potatoes were my kids favorite, so I stocked up on it. I just wanted the kid to eat, is that so bad?

By the time the wild-child was progressing from purees to chunkier foods, he had clear favorites and clear dislikes. Still, I at least tried to keep introducing new flavors and textures. Sure, he spit them out, but the times he gobbled up his food, I did the victory dance!

I was determined to not let my kid become a picky eater. I wanted him to constantly try new flavors and textures. Of course I kept our sweet potato fave as a back up, but for the most part, he at least tried everything.

I continued to introduce new flavor combinations and textures to help him both learn to chew, and understand that there is more to life than sweet potatoes. Gerber’s NEW 3rd Foods® Lil Bits™ recipes offer exactly that.

Not to mention, chewing is an essential milestone in a baby’s development;  Gerber’s NEW 3rd Foods® Lil Bits™ recipes offer a gradual texture progression which helps babies learn the skills they need to transition to table food.
Fact: Gerber is the only baby food company in the country which uses a special cooking method that gives Lil’ Bits recipes the right texture and perfectly sized soft bits to help babies master chewing.
Side Note: So what goes into the creation of the perfect meal for little ones learning to chew? 
At Gerber this is how the magic happens:
  • 80 experts spent over 120,000 hours on product development for Lil’ Bits recipes.
  • Over 80 taste tests were held with 700+ samples to ensure that Lil’ Bits recipes had a baby-approved taste.
  • Experts analyzed over 20 hours of video footage and spent 150 hours of analysis and coding on chewing and mashing.
  • Gerber tested 30,000 spoonfuls of Lil’s Bits recipes to develop perfectly sized bits to help babies master chewing.
If you are at the stage where it's time to explore new tastes and textures, make sure you don't stick to the same ol' favorites. Keep introducing new flavor combinations and chunkier textures, even if it takes ten times with the same combo, don't throw in the spoon so soon!

As long as you keep the flavors coming, your baby will keep trying them. Sure, some will end up everywhere but in your baby's mouth, but it's essential to keep trying.

As much as you would like to have your favorite things over and over again, eventually, you would get bored with the same thing, the same goes for your baby.

Fight off the baby food boredom by keeping mealtimes fun and full of new flavors. For ideas on how to introduce new flavors and textures, and claim your chance at instantly winning prizes from Gerber (100 Winners Daily!) Sign your baby up for Gerber Chew U, Here


*This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Gerber. 

April is an award-winning writer and blogger. Her work has been published in over ten countries and four languages. From books to newspapers, to print/online magazines and everything in between, you can find her work. For more on April, Visit AprilMcCormick.com