Grain Sources/snacks OK to Feed Almost 1 Year Old??

What?? No wheat? I've never heard of that before. They make baby food with wheat. They make baby crackers, teething biscuits, etc with wheat! And honestly, when they keep knocking off basic foods because someone might be allergic to them, they're severely limiting important nutrients.
I have heard of ONE person in my whole life who is allergic to wheat. He can't eat bread. What is that, like 1% of the population? It seems awfully paranoid to restrict 100% of children's intake of wheat because 1% of them could develop an allergy. Next thing you know, they'll say that all babies should be switched to Soy Formula instead of breast-milk or milk-based formula because so many kids are allergic to dairy. It doesn't make sense! You deal with a dairy allergy IF it appears.
My babies ate bread and crackers as some of their first foods.
Unless you have a family history of wheat allergies, in which case you would know that wheat is a problem food, then by all means give your son bread and crackers!

Now before you think I totally ignore all the rules, I don't. But I try to make informed decisions. Many children are allergic to peanuts, way more than are allergic to wheat. So I didn't give my kids peanuts before a year. And although I hadn't ever heard of anyone being allergic to citrus, that wasn't a difficult thing to restrict until 1 year, so I did that. And I totally understand the reasoning behind honey, because of the botulinum toxin. But wheat doesn't make sense to me!

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Apparently I'm a terrible mother- despite reading the same article and many like it, I still have fed my almost 7 month old, all the "trouble" foods. She's eaten my wheat bread, and store bought(GASP!) wheat bread and countless things her 3yo older sister has found on the floor or nearest counter, and get this- she's even given her peanut butter! Not in mass quanitities, but she's had it at 7 months.
To make this all worse- I have food allergies, making her more at risk! But, seriously, I don't find any problem with trying things out. I've read you should space possible problem foods a few days a apart, so that if there is a reaction you can tell what its from, but I can't say I've always followed that advice either. At 7 months, she's had wheat, peanut butter, scrambled eggs and whole milk yogurt, raw strawberries, honey nad the list goes on. Her ped knows about it and as an extremely well respected ped up at the U hospital, he has said that as long as she tolerates it, and I feel comfortable, (aside from the peanut butter in large quantities) she's fine.
I say, you know whats best for your child- no one can tell you the right or the wrong thing. when you become a mom your intuition is supercharged- just go with that and you'll know what to do.

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Interesting that you should read that and post about it. I just read some articles that said early exposure to foods does not cause allergies -- either they are allergic or they aren't, but that kids are better able to handle allergic reactions when they are older. Either way, you child has already been getting wheat from cheerios. I fed my son cream of wheat around 9 months old for cereal -- he never liked the rice stuff -- and he did fine. I like goldfish crackers for finger foods and snacks and they come in a whole grain variety now. (I should say I like them as snacks for my son -- I personally think they are gross but he likes them).
Just a note -- on all those parenting articles you read make sure you consider the source: do they cite scientific research, do they reference the research so you could look it up on your own, how recent is it, is the info coming from one small study from the middle of nowhere -- these are all things to weigh as you read these articles.

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That is all my son would eat at first and he is still growing strong. So don't worry about. If I beleived everything I read for my big little man I would be wearing a white jacket with long sleeves that wrap around. Just go with what you Mommy insticts tell you!
Enjoy!

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Hi M.,
I've never heard of restricting wheat in an infant's diet until they are 2. In fact, our pediatrician told us to "open the cupboards and have fun" when we started solids with our son at six months. She said that the most recent research indicates that by offering previously off-limits foods earlier (ie. egg whites, strawberries, etc.) that you may actually reduce the risk of the child developing an allergy. I've not read the studies for myself, but we have been feeding our 1 year-old everything we eat with great success. Just my two cents.
In terms of easy snacks, my son loves string cheese, diced turkey (obviously these can't be left in the diaper bag all day, but with some planning it can work) bananas, cups of applesauce (I get the no sugar added kind), animal crackers (low sugar, no trans-fats, check the label) and steamed, diced carrots (his favorite lately). I have several small plastic containers with lids that I put fresh snacks in before we leave the house, and I always keep things like animal crackers and applesauce, the stuff that doesn't need to be kept cold in the diaper bag. I also make sure we have a few plastic baby spoons in the bag as well. You know what your son likes, just be creative and have fun. Good luck!

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Be careful of the Gerber toddler foods and snacks- read the label- many have high fructose corn syrup and/or msg in them. The snacks as well.
But you can get, at some grocery stores, a great cereal bar that is called Sunny Days- I believe it has Sesame Street pictures on them, and they are organic.

If she hasn't had a reaction to the wheat that is in Cheerios, you should be fine- with buttered toast, zwieback toast, crackers, etc.

If you just want good grains to feed her, without it being, necessarily a snack-type food, then of course oats and rice are both grains as well.

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My Dr said not to worry about allergies too much, unless it runs in the family. She said wheat bread is really good for them. So... we didn't worry. He eats wheat, eggs, honey, nuts, everything. No allergies and no one in our family ever developed allergies from eating these foods at a young age. But you are the mom, so go with your gut instinct.
I would always buy those baby puffs. Veggie and fruit puffs. My kid loves them.

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Unless wheat allergies run in your family, go for it. My daughter loves my homemade bread and kashi and back to nature crackers. If you are still weary of wheat there are also a lot of great tasting rice crackers available. Before that she ate gerber sweet potato puffs. One of our stand by on the go snacks is snack cheese and also melon or other fruit, I cut up and stick in a small tuperware bowl, put it in the fridge until I need it and then grab it an go.

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I had not heard they are holding off on wheat now too! that would be tough. Try Enjoy Life bars (King Soopers may care it and Vitamin cottage for sure does). Otherwise, my son is a low tolerance child but does not have Celiacs disease (wheat gluten sensitivity). We eat Snyder's pretzels that come in single packs now. also Back to Nature cinnamon grahm sticks. Annie's honey bunnies. Also cheese sticks good to grab and go if you aren't worried about dairy allergies too my son is dairy free. Also Target and Frutibu fruit leathers. Stay way from most of those toddler snacks as they ahve a lot of soy in many of them...read the labels. also, those gummie style fruits are a chocking hazard still. At that ae when they had to et on the go all the time I bought bulk. Then when I got home, I packed it in snack size baggies so I could grab and go.

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I can not believe that anyone would recomend waiting unitl your child was 2 to give him wheat! That is just silly. Studies have shown that delaying the introduction of a food may not have any impact on whether a child ends up allergic to that food anyway. I say give him wheat, I fed both my babies wheat, peanutbutter, and cow's milk when they were one year old (or even a bit less) and they are perfectly healthy with no allergies. The only time I would hesitate is if allergies (of any kind) run in your family or your husband's family, then it is more likely that your child will develop allergies to something, although not nessesarily to food. You can always consult an allergist if your suspect allergies of any kind, in order to pinpoint just what (if anything)your child is allergic to.

As far as grains, just make sure that the majority (like 80% or more) of the granis that your child consumes are whole grain, like brown rice, whole wheat or oat bread, whole wheat crakers, oatmeal, even popcorn is a whole grain (but it is also a choking hazzard so be careful with that one). YOu can buy whole wheat "pastry flour" to bake with, it has a finer texture than the all purpose whole wheat flour so your breads and things will still be fluffy and light. Be aware that foods that have the phrase "made with whole grain" on the package may not contain much whole grain at all, it is a marketing scam. Check the ingredient list, if the first or second ingredient is not whole grain flour of some kind, it doesn't contain enough whole grains.

Good luck and happy eating!

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I am right there with you, feeling like all I ever offer my 13 month old daughter is tons and tons of Cheerios. I have found that she really likes Baby Mum Mums. It's like a rice cracker and they have both original flavor and vegetable. The only place I have found them is at Walmart. I originally found them at an organic food show. I have tried to give her other little "snacks," but she has always loved these. Hopefully these will work for you and your son will love them! It's nice because they are really crunchy, but dissolve very easily.

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Check out Whole Foods, they have a lot of products that don't contain wheat or gluten. Fresh fruit and veggies are great too or you could try dried fruit, they also have 'snack' veggie chips.

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Do you have any food allergies in your family? If not, it does not guarantee that your child won't have problems, but it does reduce the risk. Also, magazine articles are not always based on good science. I would just double check with your pediatrician & see what he/she suggests as a guideline for wheat. My pediatrician has never given me that suggestion and all 3 of my kids have started having wheat bread at around 9-10 months with no problems. That being said, wheat is an allergen & so caution is wise. Talk to your doctor.

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Actually, Cheerios have small amounts of wheat, and really its not easy to keep a kid of wheat until he's 2. I've never heard that before. Unless he has a family history of allergies or celiac (gluten intolerance) I wouldn't see any problem with some cubes of home made bread or some easily manageable crackers. (I was giving all 3 of my kids wheat products by the time they were 1, and their cake was made with regular wheat flour).
If you are concerned about the no-wheat that you read about in the articles, call your doctor and get a quick heads-up. (Also consider the source of the articles. Even in good parenting magazines, they sometime report the findings of a study incorrectly or incompletely, giving a different impression than the study. And no magazine is going to be completely unbiased in what they choose to print!)

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I have never heard that at all. If there is a strong history of food allergies in your family I would think then, otherwise it is great for them and you are right on.
I get the small Glade plastic tubs, I mean small, they hold a serving or two of cheerios, rice chex, or anything like that. I actually use them all the time in my kids lunches for snack containers. They also have snack sized baggies too I use too, so it doesn't waste a whole baggie.
Gladware I love for carrying things in lunches or storing stuff in the fridge. I don't heat up foods with them but for storage and transporting I love them! :)

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At the grocery store in with the canned fruit and vegetables they have diced peaches, peas, corn, and carrots in plastic individual serving cups. They come four to a package. They don't have to be refrigerated so you can keep them in your diaper bag and use them when you need them. The veggies are already cooked and they are cut small, so as long as your little one doesn't mind room temperature food you are good to go. They also come in handy if you go to a restaurant that doesn't serve anything appropriate for your little one.

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M.,
I would go to the local whole food store or vitamin cottage. You can find lots of wheat free foods, cereals, crackers, breads and pasta. Another thing that he might like that my kids do are rice cakes. You can get the little ones I just try to stay away from lots of sugary ones or the cheese ones they can get messy. Oh you can also get wheat free pretzels at one of the stores listed above those are all good easy treats.

Good Luck,
Allergies can be a pain but when you know where to look it isn't that hard to work with it.

N.

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I have already started feeding my 11 month old those kinds of things. I think I waited longer with my first, but I'm pretty sure it was before she was 2. There is a possibility of allergies, but my personal feeling is if they are allergic they will be allergic no matter when you start them. I could be wrong, but both of my kids are okay. My main rule of thumb, is it's okay if they can chew it. My 11 month doesn't have teeth yet. So needless to say, I do some grinding.

My daughter has a bunch of food allergies, and wherever we go it seems no one ever has anything she can eat, so I have to pack her food wherever we go. She loves steel-cut oats. They take longer to cook, but they taste better and are way healthier than rolled oats. I buy them in bulk from the health-food store and cook them in advance.

One part oats to three parts water, a bit of salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for an hour. When it's done I stir in some natural maple syrup or a little brown sugar.

I refrigerate it, and it makes great leftovers. When I'm heading out of the house I put a little in a container and pop it in the diaper bag. My daughter likes to eat it cold or hot, so sometimes I don't even microwave it. When you serve the leftovers, it kind of solidifies and you can spoon out little balls that stay together well, if your son likes to feed himself. It's a tad messier than something dry, like a cracker, but since it's a whole grain that hasn't been processed, it is WAY healthier.

Good luck!

M.,

At 11 mo, you can feed him many of the foods you like. Soft fruits and veggies are great. Small chunks of diced meat is excellent for him, as it fills up his iron stores. My kids love yogurt, though its a little messy for being out and about. Cheese chunks are yummy and full of calcium and protein. We chunk up turkey ham and chicken. My kids like cheese sticks - mozzarella, cheddar and other types of cheese are all good. If you want something that you can leave in the bag, you we like crackers, since they travel well and keep in the diaper bag. I make sure to offer whole grain crackers rather than flavored, processed brands. Kashi TLC crackers are made with 7 grains and are really tasty. I keep crackers in a hard tupperware bowl to keep them from getting crushed. My kids also like small cooked pasta shapes - shells, wagon wheels, rotini. You can add a little butter or oil, which is a lot neater than spaghetti sauce. Beans are nutritious and yummy. They make great finger foods, and are packed with fiber and protein. You can cook them yourself, or just drain canned beans. Make sure to rinse canned beans well before you serve them. We love black beans mixed with some mild pico de gallo salsa and a little corn.

Just remember to feed him foods that are as close to their natural forms as possible. The more processing that a food goes through, the more nutrients it looses. Added back vitamins and minerals are not comparable to naturally occuring nutrients. At this age, I would avoid nuts, but most of what you eat will be fine. Dice things up small enough that he won't choke, but large enough that he can grab hold easily. Make sure that foods are soft enough to mash in his mouth. I don't worry about trying to pick bland foods for my kids - they like spices and salt just fine, so why get them used to eating bland foods? Start him on nutritious foods now, and he will keep eating them as he gets older!

Best of luck,
S.

Guess maybe they were citing possible allergies as the reason as to why not to feed wheat? Cheerios have wheat starch in them according to the ingredient list on the box. My daughter was eating crackers and bread (store bought) by her first birthday and she was fine - she is now three. Before she really got any teeth, she really liked the Gerber toddler snacks they have out now. She especially liked the veggie and fruit "puffs" (they are nice because they pretty much would dissolve in her mouth) and the yogurt snacks - those are like little yogurt drops, kind of look freeze dried, but they came in packets so it was easy to pop a few in her diaper bag if we were going to be out for a long time.

Rice Chex, corn Chex, Kix. There are some yummy rice/soy crisp snacks (like rice cakes but smaller). If you make your own bread you could just use some alternative flours (amaranth, quinoa, garbanzo bean, rice, gluten-free mix, etc.). And you could make your own crackers with those as well. I saw a lot of other good suggestions here for fruit snacks & stuff, too.

As for the allergy info... we were kind of blindsided by my DS1's allergies, as my DH and I don't really have any. Maybe occasional mild hayfever some years. So I was pretty casual about things like peanut butter, eggs, etc. since I figured the chance of allergy was very small. Now that I know better, I wish I'd known better then. ;) Honestly, I think you're being wise in being cautious about it. If you, your DH, your parents/grandparents or his parents/grandparents have ANY food or environmental allergies, the chances are much higher that your kids will have some.

There is a lot of disagreement even among allergists as to whether or not avoidance of a food decreases the chance of allergy. Ours believes that it does, so I plan to keep the top 8 allergens (tree nuts, peanuts, fish, shellfish, soy, egg, dairy, wheat) away from my younger son for quite a while yet. Just in case. 'Cause people think it won't happen to them (I sure didn't) and then you're stuck in the allergy lifestyle. And believe me, it's much more of a hassle than finding alternatives for wheat for your baby's first two years.

So good for you for being cautious. I hope that it pays off & your son will be allergy-free! :)

I don't know where you heard that?! Unless he has a family history of allergies (that is really severe) then there is no reason to have even waited this long! My daughter (only weeks older (or younger) than your son has been eating everything from Annie's bunnies, to pirates botty, to regular old Rudy's organic bread for months now. Her father is allergic to everything, so we just introduced everything one at a time, and made sure there was no reaction before introducing anything else!
BTW cheerios are on the bottom of the healthy snack totum pole.....
Branch out and so it slowly

If he doesn't have allergies from anything else that you've noticed, you should be just fine giving him breads and crackers. Just start with a little bit, watching for reactions, and work your way up to more and more. By this age, you can really be starting to feed him anything that you yourself eat, just start slowly. He'll be glad to be eating real food! :-)

Have you tried the baby goldfish? They are great for that age, as well as fruit puffs, ritz, club, saltine, and graham crackers (the sticks are a little harder than the reg. ones, so I would try those first). Pretzel sticks too, if not now, in a couple of months. Also, now they have graham cracker fish (I've only been able to buy them at Target), but they come in cinnamon, honey and chocolate. My little guy is 15 months and he's been eating those for a couple of months now. Good luck. This is a really fun age!