8 Organic Baby Snacks Every Parent Should Know About
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- You should wait until your baby is six months old and showing signs of readiness before introducing solid foods.
- You should offer your baby food every two to three hours throughout the day.
- Organic snacks are free from chemical fertilizers and preservatives.
- Organic food doesn’t have to be expensive, and there are plenty of affordable options for organic baby food.
Weaning is one of the most exciting stages of babyhood. It’s lovely watching your baby explore and taste new foods and seeing the hilarious faces they pull when they try something new. Admittedly, it’s less fun clearing up the highchair after, but the less said about that, the better.
Once you have introduced your baby to solid foods, you’ll want to take snacks with you whenever you leave the house. Organic baby snacks are perfect for when you’re out and about. Packaged baby snacks are easy and convenient to carry with you, and mess is usually kept to a minimum.
The baby food market is much bigger than it used to be, with plenty of companies competing for your hard-earned dollars. So how can you know which snacks are best for your baby and which offer the most nutritional value? Luckily, most of that information is displayed on the packaging, so you can make an informed choice when choosing organic baby food.
When Can You Start Giving Your Baby Snacks?
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends waiting until your baby is six months old before introducing solid foods. In addition, the AAP advises parents to look for signs of weaning readiness before offering solid foods; these signs include:
- Being able to hold their head up.
- Opening their mouth when food comes their way.
- Being able to move food from a spoon into their mouth (younger babies have a tongue thrust reflex which should prevent food from reaching the back of their throat)
- Their growth. Generally, a healthy baby should double their birth weight before they are ready to wean.
Introducing solids to your baby is a gradual process, so you won’t need to offer baby snacks immediately. It will take your baby a while to master the art of eating, and mealtimes may feel more like playtimes at first. By the time your child reaches toddlerhood, they will be enjoying plenty of toddler snacks each day.
Once your baby is eating properly at mealtimes (Yes, smearing some of the avocado on your head counts as eating correctly when you’re a baby.) and they’re up to three mealtimes a day, it may be time to introduce snacktimes to their daily routine.
What Is the Best Time of the Day to Give Your Baby Snacks?
If you’re starting your weaning journey, you probably want to know when is the best time to eat. You should feed your baby every two to three hours throughout the day. This means your baby will enjoy three mealtimes and a couple of snacktimes each day.
The precise timing of these snacks will depend upon your family’s routine. For example, a baby who rises early will likely eat all their meals earlier than a child who loves a lie-in.
You might want to consider your baby’s activities when deciding when to offer a snack. For example, if you are about to attend a baby group, it might be wise to offer your baby a bit to eat before it starts. A hungry, grumpy baby is unlikely to enjoy the baby group.
What Can You Give Your Baby for Snacks?
Your daily routine will likely influence the snacks you choose to feed your baby. For example, if you are at home, it’s easy to chop up a fresh avocado so your baby can explore finger foods as a snack is easy. If you’re out of the house, however, you may prefer to offer a less messy food item for your baby’s mid-morning snack.
There are many snack options on the market; your baby certainly won’t be short of choice. However, you will want to ensure you offer your baby a variety of food types throughout the week.
Try to see snack time as another opportunity to give your baby some vitamins and minerals. There’s no reason why you can’t use snack time as another opportunity to introduce your baby to simply fruits and vegetables.
It helps to consider your baby’s diet over a week rather than considering each food on its own merit. Over the course of a week, ensure you offer your child a good variety of food types to help them reach the nutritional targets for their age group. Your baby’s diet doesn’t need to be perfect but ensure they are getting a good mix of foods each week.
Why Are Organic Snacks Better for Babies?
The term organic refers to how food is grown. For example, organic baby food contains no fertilizers, no pesticides, and has not been artificially genetically altered in any way.
A Stanford University study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine found that organic food was not more nutritious but contained fewer pesticides and chemicals than non-organic food.
Many families choose to purchase organic food because of the environmental benefits of organic food production. In addition, it is much kinder to the planet to produce crops without chemical pesticides and fertilizers.
How Can You Tell if a Baby Snack Is Really Organic?
Look for the green-and-white USDA Organic seal on packaged organics. To achieve certification, these products must contain at least 95 percent organically produced ingredients. Products that say “made with organic ingredients” must contain at least 70 percent organic ingredients.
8 Healthy and Organic Baby Snacks for Your Little One
Here are some of the best organic baby snacks we’ve found for your little one to try:
1. Organic Fruits and Vegetables
If you’re looking for the perfect healthy snack for your baby, you can’t go wrong with fresh fruits and vegetables. Organic fresh fruits and veggies contain plenty of vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients and are a great source of fiber.
To serve a vegetable at snack time, steam or boil it until it is soft enough to mash with a fork. For raw fruits and vegetables, you need to cut them to a safe size. For example, you must slice cherry tomatoes and grapes into quarters lengthways to prevent them from getting stuck on the way down.
2. Cerebelly Organic Baby Food Pouches
- SMART FOOD FOR BABIES – Our variety baby food pouches were created by a practicing neurosurgeon, Stanford PhD in developmental neurobiology and mom-of-three. And after years of trial and error she developed the perfect baby squeeze pouches. With tasty ingredients and science-backed nutrition, our baby food puree pouches are the best baby snacks (and toddler foods) for your child’s growing brain.
- SUPPORTS COGNITIVE DEVELOPMENT – Cerebelly pouches are the only organic fruit pouch (and veggie pouch) that delivers 16 key brain-supporting nutrients studied by our founder. A downright delicious blend high in Iron, Copper, Folate, and Choline that helps your little one’s brain manage speech and supports the development of their visual processing. Other veggie pouches for toddlers and regular baby formula lack the quality brain nutrients we know your growing baby needs!
- CLEAN LABEL AWARD SO PARENTS DON’T HAVE TO WORRY – Our toddler food pouches are Clean Label certified. We test for harmful levels of heavy metals and toxins to make sure you are feeding your little one only the highest quality baby food purees. Other companies’ toddler snacks and toddler meals may fall short of testing, but Cerebelly is actually the first shelf-stable baby food to receive the Clean Label Project Purity Award. We are raising the bar for organic baby food!
- ORGANIC INGREDIENTS – This isn’t like your average applesauce squeeze pouch! Baby food pouches stage 1, 2, 3 crafted from whole foods, including organic pumpkin puree, carrots, tart mango pureed with buttery sweet potato, spinach, apples, and more! We’ve put a fresh spin on baby puree. Veggie-first and no added sugar, our organic fruit and vegetable pouches for kids gives your baby what their brain and body needs, right from the start, baby food meals perfect for every stage of development!
Cerebelly Baby Food Pouches are perfect for when you’re out of the house. These pouches offer plenty of nutritional benefits without the hassle of having to prepare and cook food.
Cerebelly is the brainchild of a neurosurgeon. (Who better to take care of your baby’s brain?) Cerebelly foods focus on ingredients to boost brain development and ensure your baby’s brain gets all the right nutrients during this critical growth stage.
Did you know your baby’s brain is 80 percent developed by their third birthday? Cerebelly pouches are specially formulated to encourage healthy brain development. Each pouch contains 16 brain-supporting nutrients. In addition, Cerebelly foods are organic, non-GMO, and BPA-free.
3. Serenity Kids Grain-Free Puffs
- GRAIN FREE GOODNESS: Cassava is a complex carb that naturally contains vitamins (like vitamin c) & antioxidants (including phenolic compounds), high in resistant starch and fiber so it can promote gut health. The cassava flour that we use is not only organic, but it is also Fair Trade Certified, gluten-free certified, non-allergenic, nut and grain free, non-gmo and Kosher certified.
- FAMILY OWNED COMPANY: We’re here for you and your little one! If you have any questions, concerns or feedback, please reach out to us!
- PERFECT SAVORY BLENDS: Our puffs are savory and help introduce vegetable flavors that are sometimes pushed away at the dinner table. Parents can feel good about feeding these to their little ones because the puffs have ZERO grams of sugar and no nutrient poor ingredients like rice or wheat. It is crucial to introduce savory flavors during a baby’s flavor window.
- ETHICALLY SOURCED: Our 100% USDA Organic Cassava Flour is World Fair Trade Organization Certified and comes from over 1,100 farms in Nicaragua. Fair Trade Certified means that the product is made in compliance with the 10 Principles of Fair Trade which covers human and labour rights. In doing so, we are able to help create opportunities for entrepreneurs to build their businesses, children to go to school, farmers to feed their communities, and families to end the cycle of generational poverty.
Serenity Kids Grain-Free Puffs are made from cassava, a complex carb naturally high in vitamins and antioxidants. The savory puffs are available in a variety of flavors, including broccoli and spinach, carrot and beet, and pumpkin and cinnamon.
These gluten-free puffs contain bone broth for added protein. Serenity Kids grain-free puffs are suitable for crawling babies.
4. Happy Baby Organic Yogis
- ORGANIC YOGIS: Little drops of goodness made with real organic yogurt* and organic fruit, Happy Baby Yogis are melt-in-your-mouth, freeze-dried yogurt* drops that provide babies and toddlers with a delicious snack that you can feel good about. Designed to encourage self-feeding, these melts are made for crawling babies. *Does not contain live and active cultures
- ORGANIC SNACKS FOR BABY: Happy Baby goes beyond baby food with delicious Superfood Puffs, melts, Snackers, and Teethers. Our products are carefully crafted for baby’s stages of development, supporting skills like self-feeding and developing their pincer grasp
- HAPPY BABY: We provide organic, delicious options for your baby’s nutritional journey; Happy Baby offers baby food pouches, teething wafers, baby snacks and more made for your little one’s age and stage
- HAPPY FAMILY ORGANICS: We are on a mission to change the trajectory of children’s health through nutrition; We provide age and stage appropriate premium organic food products for baby, tot, kid, and mama
Happy Baby Organic Yogis are made with wholesome yogurt and organic fruit. The yogis melt in your baby’s mouth, making them an ideal snack. Suitable for crawling babies, Happy Baby Organic Yogis will help hone your child’s fine motor skills.
Happy Baby is a company on a mission. They create products that will positively impact health and encourage good eating habits for life. In addition, Happy Baby hopes to bring organic baby food to the mainstream through affordable pricing.
5. Awsum Snacks Quinoa Puffs
- Organic Goodness: Made from premium organic ingredients, our Quinoa Puffs are free from artificial additives, preservatives, and GMOs, ensuring the purest snacking experience.
- Solution for Allergies and FPIES: Support your child’s health with this life-saving snack! Packed with fiber, surpassing most grains, it’s an ideal on-the-go option. Enjoy a flavor-packed treat free from additives, sugars, and sweeteners. Indulge in allergen-free, single or minimal ingredient foods.
- Our products are made with few simple quality ingredients that are certified Organic, Kosher, non-GMO, and gluten-free. We prioritize natural ingredients, avoiding artificial flavoring in our production to ensure a mild and gentle flavor experience for your little one.
- Our premium recipes are crafted with love, tailored to your child’s needs. Discover our delightful range of gluten-free, sugar-free, and organic snacks for babies and kids, promoting healthy growth and development.
Awsum Snacks Quinoa Puffs are high in fiber, making them a great on-the-go snack for younger kids. The ingredients are certified organic, Kosher, non-GMO, and gluten-free. The quinoa puffs contain no artificial flavors, resulting in a gentle flavor your baby will love.
Awsum Snacks Quinoa Puffs are convenient snacks for when you’re on the go. The quinoa puffs come in a variety of flavors, including spinach-beet, banana and blueberry, and carrot and raspberry. Order the variety pack so your baby can sample them all!
6. Gerber Snacks for Baby Teether Wheels
- Teething Snacks: These tasty rice/corn puffs with fruit flavor are the perfect snack to soothe teething gums for a baby learning to self feed. A wagon wheel shape makes it easy for small hands to grasp, hold, and mash
- Nutritious Snack: These teether wheels are a good source of iron and zinc. They’re baked with 2 grams of whole grains per serving, and contain 10% or the daily value of Iron and Vitamin E for babies
- For Crawlers: Your baby is ready for this long lasting teething snack when they’re able to crawl on their hands and knees and eat larger pieces of food
- Wholesome Ingredients: Our foods start with whole ingredients like real fruits, veggies & grains to help nourish baby right from the start, from infant formula to baby food to snacks and toddler food
Gerber is a household name when it comes to baby food. These Gerber Snacks for Baby Teether Wheels are tasty puffs with fruit flavor are the perfect snack to soothe teething gums. The fun wagon wheel shape is easy for your baby to grab and hold, so they can learn to self-feed.
Gerber Snacks for Baby Teether Wheels are a good source of iron, zinc, and Vitamin E. In addition, each serving contains two grams of whole grains, making them an excellent choice for your baby. Teether wheels are suitable for crawling babies and above.
7. Amara Organic Smoothie Melts
- NO ADDED SUGAR: Amara delivers nutritious baby food and snacks that are 100% organic and non-GMO. The first melt-in-mouth snack without any added sugar or fillers, these melts keep little hands busy and tiny tummies full without the sugar crash.
- SIMPLE, CLEAN INGREDIENTS: All of our baby yogurt melts are made from 5 or fewer ingredients, always without preservatives or sweeteners. Just whole fruits and veggies in a healthy plant based snack for your family.
- SAFE & FUN: Delight your little ones with smoothie melts that are perfectly sized for tiny hands so they can practice their pincer grip, learn to self-feed and improve hand-eye. The perfect bite-sized, tasty distraction that’s sure to save the day!
- CONVENIENCE WITHOUT COMPROMISE: Lightweight and resealable, these fruit snacks with veggies do not require refrigeration making them the perfect healthy snacks for kids either at home, on-the-go or at school. Anytime is yogurt melt time!
Amara Organic Smoothie Melts are a wonderful, nutritional snack for your baby. These nutritious baby snacks are 100% organic and non-GMO. The smoothie melts are free from added sugar or fillers and keep tiny tummies full without the sugar crash.
Smoothie melts are perfectly sized for little hands, so your baby can build independence by learning to self-feed. Made from whole fruits and veggies, Amara Organic Smoothie Melts are plant-rich snacks for your little one. The smoothie melts come in a resealable bag, so they’re perfect for taking out and about.
8. White Leaf Provisions’ Biodynamic and Organic Baby Food Pouches
- The only variety box that we offer, this set features six packs of our six beloved baby food blends to stock up and to savor. Our regeneratively farmed, organic & GMO-free baby food blends are the perfect first foods and/or convenient, nutrient-rich snack for your little one. Our Bundle Variety Box is ideal for finding your child’s favorite flavor or introducing them to a range of pure, health-giving ingredients and delicious purees that you can trust and that they will love.
- At White Leaf, we consider ourselves Organics Elevated – bringing the Farm to eComm. What does this mean? We only source fruit, vegetables and grains grown with biodynamic farming techniques, which is the golden standard of regenerative farming — offering the freshest start possible for growing bodies and developing palettes.
- Our award-winning organic biodynamic baby food is grown and manufactured in harmony with the earth. Regenerative farming goes even beyond organic farming requirements, by employing farming practices that prioritize soil health and actually heal the earth. This is so important because healthy soils are the foundation of our food system – and the pathway that delivers health benefits to our food.
- Our Baby Food is: Certified Biodynamic by Demeter. Certified USDA Organic. GMO-Free. Certified Kosher. No added sugar or salt. Grown in an Ecological manner that that helps to regenerate the soil and planet. No artificial colors, flavors or preservatives. Gluten-Free. BPA-Free and recyclable packaging
White Leaf Provisions’ Biodynamic and Organic Baby Food Pouches are regeneratively farmed, organic, and GMO-free. As a result, they are an ideal, convenient, and nutrient-rich snack for your baby.
White Leaf only sources fruit, vegetables, and grains grown using biodynamic farming techniques, so you can be sure the planet and soil health were prioritized during the production process.
White Leaf baby food is grown without chemical pesticides, fertilizers, or herbicides. They are certified organic, Kosher, and contain no added sugar or salt. Flavors include carrot and sweet potato, peach and oat, and pumpkin and nectarine.
Are Snacks Necessary For Babies?
Yes, your baby will need to snack throughout the day. Babies should eat every two to three hours, which means two snack times during the day. These snacks, however, can be whatever you like. They don’t need to be pre-packaged commercial baby snacks like some of those listed above.
Instead, you can serve simple fruits and veggies prepared at home for every snack if you like. However, you will need to consider the convenience, time, and cost. Though it is cheaper to prepare fresh veggies at home, there are times when convenience will be the most crucial factor.
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