Need Some Ideas for Good, Healthy Snacks

I was told not to worry about the teeth. They don't get their back teeth until they are almost 2, and they are eating almost everything by then. They learn to gum everything.

Here's our list:

I sometimes mash up crackers, cheerios or graham crackers (the honey is not dangerous in these) and roll bananas and other slippery things in it.

frozen peas (FAVORITE!) Straight out of the bag still frozen, they're tender, almost melt (we call them green baseballs!)

frozen fruit (strawberries, blueberries, melon, cherries, raspberries - he eats tons and tons of these - you might have to thaw for a few minutes, if they're harder, or run under water for a sec)

canned corn, peas, beans, lima beans, garbanzo beans

black olives (sliced)

pickled okra

Multigrain Cheerios

Bumpers Peanut Butter Cereal (be careful with peanuts)

scrambled eggs (another favorite, sometimes I put a little squash or sweet potato baby food in with the eggs - I do this with everything for my family to sneak in some more veggies, and they never even know)

Multigrain Club Crackers

baby marshmallows

Granola Bites and Morning Minis

grapes (if they start to get old, I freeze them - he loves them cut up this way)

bananas

pumpkin muffins

chicken vienna sausages (they have nitrates, so I go easy)

organic cheese puffs

grilled cheese (I mix grated cheese w/ sweet potato baby food and a little butter to make a paste and spread it on - he likes this on crackers, too)

frozen pancakes

bagels with cream cheese (my family loves Bagelfuls)

pasta

Hopefully, this gives you some ideas. I have trouble thinking outside of the same old foods, too!

Sprouts and Central Market sell freeze dried fruits and veggies. My son fell in love with freeze dried peas (We call then crunchy peas in our house). They don't add anything to these items, they simply freeze dry it and give it a different texture. They are terrific because they are soft, healthy and relatively low mess. They hold up well to the Texas heat when they are left in the car too. We gave this stuff to him around ten months of age and never bought another box of cheerios after these were introduced. He's three and still loves crunchy peas and mangoes! (Beware the berries can be a little messy)

G.,

I am also a first time mom and my daughter will turn 9 months old next week. I am in the process of reading a book called Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron. It's fantastic. I make my own baby food and cereal and I'm about to start making her snacks as well. There are many wonderful recipes and suggestions in this book and it also details what foods you can give your baby at various ages. One of the things that I will be trying soon is "beans cooked until very soft with skins removed"...which is one of the "super snacks" in this book. I hope this helps!

Hi G.,
When my son was around 6 months old (as soon as he was able to pick things up with his "pincer grasp"), he started eating Cheerios. He still LOVES them at 22 months, as do I since they are high in fiber and low in sugar.

Since that time, I've tried to expand the number of snacks that we give him and, besides fruits and veggies--fresh, cooked and freeze-dried--I've really only found whole grain (whole wheat?) Golfish that have at least a couple of grams of fiber in them and low sugar.

I've looked at all of the Gerber snacks mentioned below, including the stars in tubes and the wagon wheels, and there's just not as much nutrition going on as I would like, in exchange for all of those preservatives!

Anyway, just my two cents.

Honestly, the fruit, veggies, Cheerios, and whole grain goldfish (which taste as good as the original ones) have done well for us, so far.

But I'm always keeping my eye out for more to add, so I'll be curious what types of recommendations you get.

Oh, and I almost forgot, I think we waited until one-year old to give our baby citrus, such as oranges, because the acid is supposed to be h*** o* young stomachs. I can't remember where I got that info (perhaps the What to Expect in the First Year "bible"), but citrus/oranges are mentioned alongside milk, wheat, chocolate, etc as things to delay until 1 year of age (we did wheat and chocolate right before his 1-year birthday, so that we had "tested" them as new foods (allergies) before we knew he might have them as part of his birthday cake)!!

Good luck!
D.

At Costco they have a box of freeze dried Fruit Crisps. They have apple, pear, and a banana/strawberry mix. I gave her the apple and pear. My 11 month old has loved them since she was 9 months. They are great! You can buy the ones made by Gerber but they are little squares and harder that these. My little one was out of baby food quick and did good with the Gerber ones but the Fruit Crisps are in slices and dissolve very easily. I also did real banana and at 10 months cut blueberries into fourths. Yogurt is something she likes and if I'm on the go I do the Gerber Yogurt Bites every once and a while.
Good luck!

Kiwi & Peach Puree (10 Baby Servings)

2 Kiwis, peeled and chopped
1 Fresh Peach, chopped or 1 Cup Frozen, defrosted or cooked for 4
minutes in a steamer pot over boiling water

Place both ingredients in a food processor and puree until smooth

Mango, Apple and Carrot Puree (10 Baby Servings)

1/2 Cup Baby Carrots, chopped
1 Cup Mango, chopped
1 Cup Apple, peeled and chopped

1. Put carrots in a steamer pot over boiling water for 3 minutes.
2. Add mango and apple for 2 minutes or until everything is fork tender.
3. Put in a food processor until smooth.

We do soft steamed veggies. My daughter loves green beans, chopped broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, and potatoes (white and sweet). Cook them until they are nice and mushy.

Also I get a bag of brown rice puffs from Walmart for $1. She loves those. It also helps build those pincher skills.

Canned pears and peaches in juice also work great.

G.,

G.,

Of course everyone has a different definition of "healthy." I like Dr Sears for the most part. Good nutrient -dense snacks include: avocado, sweet potato, egg yolks (hard boiled), soft beans like small navy beans, hummus, guacamole, baked apples or pears with cinnamon, soft cantalope, smashed cauliflower, yogurt (if you do dairy), any cooked whole grain like rice, quinoa, oats, millet- mix with frozen organic berries and rice milk.

Good books:
Family Nutrition by Dr Sears
Feeding the WholeFamily by Cynthia Lair
Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron

Good luck!

sliced: bananas, oranges, grapes, cherries, mango, cheese...

My son has teeth, but he loves the fruit/cereal bars (like a nutra grain bar, but they have them on the kid aisle and they are organic). He also loved grapes, cut in 4's or more if they are really big grapes. He also loved banannas (I hold the banana and he takes a bite). Also, have you ever used one of those feeder bags? It looks like a ring (that the baby can hold) and then has a mesh bag on the end where you can put apples, bananas, etc. in it. They can chew on the bag and get the juices, but they can't get any big chunks. I used to freeze banannas and put them in there for my kids and they loved it! It's a little messy, but gives them the chance to do it themselves and to taste a variety of things in a safe manner. Also, things that melt easily, try teeting biscuits, ritz crackers, etc. Applesauce is another good snack.

avocado! (and if she doesn't seem to like it, keep offering it to her, at least 4 or 5 times...you might be surprised!)
also: mashed sweet potatoes, hummus, applesauce, well-steamed broccoli tops, almond butter, etc.

HTH!

Avacado is one of the first foods you introduce to a baby about 11 months old. Banana, steamed squash, steamed apples, etc. Cut into small bites and let her feed herself. I'm sure you will get more advice from others. Enjoy her.

G.,

Lil Graduates makes all kinds of snacks that you can give your little ones. They make soft crackers so that when they chew on them they won't hurt their gums.

M. R

If I remember correctly, at 9 months, my kids had cheerios and graham crackers for snacks. They also loved those wagon wheel things Gerber makes and those cracker things that come in the tall tube. I can't remember what they were called, but they were shaped like stars and had carrot and apple flavors and some others. Those made great snacks. They also liked those teething cookies or biter biscuits (can't remember the exact name). It's been a while since I've had a baby around, but there is a pretty good selection of stuff right there with the baby food. You could also try some banana chopped really small or other soft fruits. You can always test the snacks yourself and see if you can eat them without using your teeth. See how hard it is to break down. Sounds kind of crazy, but it works.

When my daughter was 9 months she had a few teeth so it may have worked out for us, but she loved mandarin oranges, grapes and any variety of 'o' shaped cereal. She also loved cucumbers and bell peppers(I would pull the skin off). My pediatrician said anything I could smoosh between my two fingers was soft enough for her to handle, especially if yours is got at chewing, or moving the food around in her mouth, especially if she really can move things from side to side easily.

Breakfast bars (like Nutragrain bars) are always a good option. Babies can break them apart easily and they very soft for chewing with no teeth. The little "puffs" in the baby food aisle are also a good snack option. You can never go wrong with Cheerios!

Mashed potaoes(sweet potatoes and regular), mashed avocado, well cooked pasta(I used whole wheat rotini),puddings,yogurts,scrambled egg yolk(yolks are less likely to cause allergies than the whites),vienna sausages(cut lengthwise and then into tiny pieces to avoid choking, mashed peas, crunchy toast. I feed all of these to my daughter. There is a list in "What to Expect for the First Year". The Gerbers people are very helpful and will send you coupons too. I hope this helps.

My son loved Gerber Yogurt bites. They melt in their mouths and are a good size. They also have fruit puffs and dried fruit. All of which come in resealable containers and have nutritious elements in them. I am also a working mom and these were a hit at day care with all the kids.

http://www.gerber.com/products/Yogurt_Melts.aspx

My daughter loved mandrin oranges when she was that little. We also did the tube snaacks that the other R. was talking about and I can't remember the name either (LOL), but the good thing about those is as soon as they hit their mouth they start to dissolve.