When my cousin had his little boy, he was the first in our generation to become a parent. I followed suit a few months later, but he gets a lot of the questions like, “what are those puffs that he goes crazy over??” They happen to be the exact same snack that Lila Sophia also goes nuts for. In fact, as soon as she sees the packages she shouts, “nana!” over and over. And if her diaper bag is just barely unzipped, she will reach for the GERBER® Puffs we always keep on hand. (Guess who learned how to open a sandwich bag recently? LOL)

 

 

As a teacher, I love turning Lila’s enthusiasm for GERBER® Snacks into a lesson. I often use the Yogurt Melts as bribery incentive to get her repeating words, working on coordination, and learning patience. While we obviously limit her intake of all foods (she is basically a bottomless pit of baby tummy), I am at ease knowing that Lila is getting a serving of whole grains – especially when a third of kids her age are not eating whole grains on a given day, and 90% of 2 and 3 year olds fall short of the recommended amount. Let me tell you that Lila Sophia is a pretty regular snacker, and therefore a pretty regular do-do doer. 🙂

I’m sharing some other ways to utilize GERBER® Snacks below, so make sure to keep reading. 🙂

 

 

Four Ways to Utilize GERBER® Snacks

Teaching Time

Some of my most engaging lessons as a math teacher involved activities with small candies. Food gets people’s attention. You can make some up, create your own, or research online for a few printables. Lila is still young, so the most we do is count with her snacks. I think she will learn “one” relatively quickly because we are always reminding her to each her GERBER® Puffs one at a time. ha!

 

 

Easy to pack

Whether you toss some into a snacking container, sandwich bag, or Tupperware, GERBER® Snacks are great for on-the-go. Like Lila, your child may become accustomed to their location in the diaper bag and can let you know when he/she is hungry. Encouraging healthy eating patterns from a young age is so important, too!

 

 

Mess-free finger foods

Every single thing your child eats should play a meaningful role – like learning to self feed. Lately she has been all about her independence and when I try to spoon-feed her, she taps the table so I’ll put it down, allowing her to do it herself. I don’t have to worry about a mess with GERBER® Snacks. The Yogurt Melts and Puffs are small enough that Lila can eat quite a few in one sitting, which helps with her hand-eye coordination, too. They are bright, crunchy and the perfect size for fun with food!

 

 

Time sucker

GERBER® Snacks are a Lila Sophia travel essential. If she’s between meals and we are out, I’ll hand her one Puff, Lil’ Crunchie, or Yogurt Melt at a time. This method a) teaches patience and b) regulates her consumption. She loves GERBER® Snacks so much that she will shove them in her mouth by the handful! (Hence teaching her “one at a time”). A really awesome trick that Daniel has been using is putting a Puff in one of his hands. Lila must then pull up each finger in order to access it. He does this with each single Puff he gives her. This is a life saver in restaurants while waiting for our food. 🙂

 

 

Do you have any special tips or tricks for using your child’s snacks?

xoxo