So your baby is one-year-old, starting to sit up by herself and maybe even has a few teeth. Are you ready to start introducing snacks that can help your child to learn to chew and swallow food properly? Some toddler snacks can get a bit expensive, so you might want to know what they are like and how easy they are to chew before you buy. Here is a guide to some of the more popular Gerber Graduates baby snacks. These popular baby and toddler snacks are widely available at most grocery stores.
Gerber Fruit Puffs
These are an excellent starter food. You get a lot for your money and you can find coupons and sales on this product frequently in the grocery store. These puffs are small and dissolve quickly in the mouth. These are very easy for a baby to chew and swallow. Gerber Fruit Puffs come in many different flavors as well.
Gerber Graduates Arrowroot Cookies
While these cookies are made to last, your baby needs to know how to chew and swallow at least at an intermediate level before you introduce these. These cookies do not break down quickly when they come in contact with saliva. My son got a little choked up on these once and I did not purchase them again until he could chew and swallow better.
Gerber Graduates Cheese Crackers / Gerber Graduates Veggie Crackers
These crackers are thin and taste good. They break down in the mouth a little easier than the arrowroot cookies but tend to stay a little stiff. Since they are also small, you might want to wait until baby gets used to eating an easier to chew snack, like the fruit puffs.
Gerber Graduates Banana Cookies
In my opinion, these cookies are downright dangerous for all but the most experienced baby eaters. These cookies are thicker than they look, and dissolve at about the same rate as the arrowroot cookies. Their banana shape alone is a choking hazard. My son had a hard time with these and due to the thickness and shape, I never bought them again.
Gerber Graduates Bitter Biscuits
These break down pretty well and last for a long time too. Good for beginners.
Gerber Graduates Fruit Snacks
While these snacks tend to remind you of gummi bears, they are much softer. These snacks break down easily in baby’s mouth, taste great and are easy to chew and swallow. Children absolutely love these.
Gerber Graduates Wagon Wheels
These snacks are good even for starters. They last a long time because the wheels are rather large and give baby a lot to chew. The wheels break down easily in the mouth and dissolve almost as quickly as the fruit puffs. Their fun shape make them fun for toddlers to eat.
Gerber Graduates Mini Fruits
These are great tasting snacks that soften in the mouth easily. These are great for beginners.
Gerber Graduates Mini Veggies
These snacks are a little harder than the mini fruits. Not very tasty but certainly good for children. You might want to make sure your baby does not get a handful of these at a time due to the time it takes for them to break down in the mouth.
Gerber Graduates Lil Crunchies
These are a great alternative to unhealthy snacks like Cheetos. They have great flavor and texture and break down in the mouth extremely quick. These snacks are good for beginners but due to their shape you might want to pay close attention when baby first eats them.
Gerber Graduates Zwieback Toast
While this toast seems hard, baby gnaws on it and it becomes very soft. Even a baby without teeth can safely chew on these. Great value for the money and the product lasts a long time.
