I can’t even believe I’m already at this stage of the baby game. Starting a baby on solids is an exciting time, but can also be a very stressful time. Personally, I worried about whether she would be allergic to something or she wouldn’t like the food or that she wasn’t getting enough to eat between milk feeds. I can barely remember going through this stage with Harper because it was such a long time ago. I do remember a messy kitchen and a lot of food being wasted because she was quite a picky eater. I recall wishing there was some sort of magic to make her eat!

This time around, I have been using GERBER Organic Purées with smart flow spouts to help introduce real food to Noa and she loves them! Especially the Banana, beet and pomegranate.

With that said, I feel like the introduction of food is such an important part of the motherhood journey and a lot of women often have questions about it. Therefore, I thought it would be a good idea to blog about it. So here we go!

Health is Wealth

As you know, following a healthy lifestyle is important to me and nutrition is very much a big part of this. I have always been committed to instilling good habits for my family when it comes to food. For baby Noa, this means starting now so that we can pave the way for a healthier future.

Some Common Signs Your Babe Is Ready to Start Solids

A common question a lot of moms ask, including myself, is how do you know when your baby is ready to eat. If your baby is around 6 months old, here are some common signals to look for:

· She can sit upright and can hold up her head and neck.

· There is enhanced curiosity about what you’re eating.

· Even after a full day’s feed of milk, she still appears hungry.

· She can keep food in her mouth without using her tongue to push it out.

Typically, most mothers start to see the above happening around 6 months. Bottom line: don’t rush this process!

I’m sure we can all agree that we just want to give our baby all the nutrients they need to thrive and be happy. With that said, the quality of food is something I wasn’t about to skimp on either. When GERBER asked me to partner with them on their new organic purées, I felt good about my decision to say yes. After taking my time to research a lot of the options on the market, I was confident that introducing Noa to the true goodness of fruits and vegetables would be an easy task with GERBER Organic Purées.

I See The Signs, but Now What?

So you have seen all the signals mentioned above and the big question is “what should my baby eat?”It has been 5 years since we were here with Harper, so this all feels brand new again. It has been great partnering with GERBER because I’ve been able to learn a lot about the introduction of solids. Coupled with my own research, here’s a quick overview of what I found:

Around 6 months- consider single-grain cereals, which are ideal in the earlier stages of food introduction because they are fortified with iron. You can also start to introduce puréed foods (like veggies to fruits and even pureed chicken)! GERBER Organic Purees have been my #1 choice!

6-8 months– your baby might express interest in self-feeding, so you can start to experiment with single-ingredient finger foods. Always make sure veggies and fruits are soft enough that you could mash them easily between two fingers.

9-12 months– moving from smooth purees, you can start to incorporate more finger foods with added texture in any mash. Continue to introduce your baby to the different GERBER Organic Purees and you can be rest assured he/she is getting the quality goodness of fruits and veggies.

ALL HAIL KALE … and Mango, Apple and Carrot!

When I started doing my homework about all the different purées on the market, I realized that they are definitely not all made the same! In addition to providing my baby with quality nutrition right from the get-go, there are so many other reasons that GERBER Organic Purées stood out from the rest, including:

· The transparent packaging to see the nutrition I am feeding my baby

· Their puréesare organic and non-GMO

· There’s no added sugar or salt – amazing!

· Thankfully, there are no artificial flavours or colours!

Most importantly, my daughter loves them! All of these benefits wouldn’t mean much if baby Noa wasn’t going to eat them, right? Fortunately, according to my daughter’s taste buds all 15 organic varieties available are delicious. Yay! Her favourite flavour combos are:

· Organic Mango, Apple, Carrot and Kale

· Organic Banana, Beet and Pomegranate

· Organic Apple, Blueberries and Spinach

Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho … I’m Always On The Go!

Mom life just got crazier with two girls and I feel like I am always on the move. The one thing I do love about GERBER Organic Purées is that you can reseal the package. Sounds simple enough, but this makes being on-the-go so much easier! What’s more, their smart flow technology allows for less mess and more healthy goodness going into baby’s belly … and not on their clothes. That’s because GERBER is the only brand that has a smart flow spout that controls the flow of the puréemaking it easier to feed Noa without the mess. Another total mom win!

A Healthy Baby is a Happy Baby

Once your baby is ready to start eating, it’s truly an incredible milestone and one that shouldn’t be rushed. Remember, every baby is different when it comes to learning to eat solids. Of course, if you have further concerns always talk to your healthcare provider. Good luck, mamas and enjoy this memorable chapter of your baby’s life!