When I think of Gerber, the words that pop into my head are "trusted", "perfect nutrition", and most of all "babies", so when I was asked to do this review, I jumped at the chance. Even though I don't have a baby of my own in the age appropriate range, I knew that Macaroni Moms who did would come out to try the product and give me honest feedback.
We all know that Gerber has led in the baby nutrition field for decades, but did you know that at around 6 months of age the iron stores babies are born with begin to deplete? Or that 2 servings of any Gerber cereal can provide your baby with 90% of their iron needs for the day? Or, that Gerber cereals are loaded with calcium, Vitamins C, E, Zinc and six B vitamins and these nutrients in addition to iron can help prevent gaps in nutrition that may occur in the first year of life and help with healthy growth and development? You might want to check out this Feeding Infants and Toddlers Study.
Here's Issac checking out the nutrition label!
So, your baby is around 6 months old and you are either nursing or using infant formula and are ready to transition to solid foods. Made from natural oatmeal and rice, Gerber Grain Cereals is a great choice to gradually accustom your child to solid foods and thicker textures.
New moms and very experienced moms were present for our taste test. One little guy was new to solid foods and was ready to try everything! Several had already tried the cereals made just as the labels direct, so it was fun to use the cereals as an ingredient in new recipes.
Gerber provided us with some unique recipes using Gerber Cereals and other Gerber products. You can get all of the recipes in the separate article here in this newsletter.
Smoothies are always a hit so we made Mixed Berry Smoothies (using Gerber Oatmeal Cereal), Blueberry Banana Smoothies (using Gerber Oatmeal and Banana Cereal), and Strawberry Banana Smoothies (using Gerber Lil' Bits® Oatmeal Banana Strawberry Cereal).
Here's Issac trying the Strawberry Banana Smoothie! I think he likes it!
Augustus tries out a smoothie too!
Mixed Berry Smoothie for Miller!
Next we tasted Mini Meatloaves with Veggie Gravy (OK...more like meatballs!) made with Gerber Oatmeal Cereal and Gerber 2nd Foods® Garden Vegetables. I never thought to use Gerber Oatmeal in meatloaf or meatballs, but the texture is great and one mom shared that she substitutes Gerber oatmeal in many of her dishes for a portion of the flour. What a great way to sneak in some added nutrition!
Issac tried the meatballs and liked them too. His mom said it was his first try at anything like meat and he wanted MORE!
Talia and her mom trying out the meatballs.
It wouldn't be a party without cookies, so we made some Apple Banana Cookies using Gerber Oatmeal and Banana Cereal. These turned out like tiny banana breads but "light as air" said one guest and appealed to all ages!
I think the moms who are ready to transition to solids will definitely give Gerber Cereals a try, and those who already have are inspired to incorporate it in more creative ways in their recipes! As for me, I have a new appreciation for Gerber Cereals and will substitute it for bread crumbs or flour in my cooking and add it to smoothies from now on!
One mom commented that she finds the Gerber Oatmeal and Banana Cereal to have a very distinctive banana flavor and that she would leave the fresh banana out of the Blueberry Banana smoothie recipe because of that. Good to know! We made all of the recipes exactly as suggested so that our tasters would have a baseline and would know what to add or leave out.
Check out our Facebook album for more pictures of the event.
To learn more about Gerber Cereals, click here.
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*I received product/compensation for the purpose of this review. All opinions expressed are my own or those of my guests.
