Gerber Single Grain Cereal: Oatmeal
Gerber Oatmeal Cereal is baby's number one food source for Iron,* available in an easy-to-use, less-mess package that's easy to pour, scoop, open, and close. This completely cooked cereal is ready to serve - just add liquid. It provides baby with Iron, Zinc, Calcium, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and six B Vitamins for healthy growth and development.
*Among the foods your baby eats, Gerber cereals are the number one source of Iron.
At A Glance
- Two servings (about ½ cup) offer 90% of your baby's daily Iron needs
- Made with VitaBlocks Nutrient Blend
- With Iron, Zinc, Calcium, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, and six B Vitamins
- No added starch, artificial colors, or flavors
- NutriLock seal
Your Guide To Starting Solids
Congratulations on reaching this exciting milestone, and have fun feeding your baby his first foods. Starting cereal is a new and exciting step in your baby’s eating development, but it often comes with many questions. You may be wondering why cereal is often recommended as the first solid food, how to know when your baby is ready, and how to really get started. The guidelines that follow will help you through this next phase of his big move to solid foods.
Big Nutrition For Tiny Tummies
Fortified infant cereal provides big nutrition for tiny tummies. They are designed to provide essential nutrients in a small serving, perfect for a small tummy that can’t hold much food at one time. Infant cereals are easy to digest and perfect for first tastes of solid food. Because you are mixing it, change the consistency by mixing it thinly, then moving to a thicker texture as your baby gets older. This lets you keep pace with his developing eating skills. Introducing new textures and flavors at the appropriate time is an important part of establishing lifelong healthy eating habits.
How Do I Know He’s Ready?
Before four months of age, babies have yet to develop the skills needed to move solid foods around in their mouth and successfully swallow, and his little digestive tract is still developing and not ready for anything but breastmilk or infant formula. If your little guy is at least four months old and has reached the milestones of a Supported Sitter, he may be ready for his first cereal experience! Look for these milestones:
- Pushes himself up with elbows straight while lying on his tummy.
- Sits with very little help because he’s gained more control over his head and neck.
- Turns his head to the left or right.
- Moves his tongue backward and forward in a smooth rhythm when you put a small spoon to his lips. This allows him to draw food in and swallow it. If he’s pushing the spoon and food out, this is his body’s reflex telling you he may not be ready. Keep trying in a few more days, though, as your baby’s oral skills are always developing.
Good To Know
Not all babies reach these milestones at the same time, so be sure not to start too soon. It is always smart to speak with your pediatrician around your baby’s 4-month visit about when to start cereal. Before starting cereal, he should be taking at least 24 oz. of breastmilk or formula on a daily basis.
