When Introducing Textured Foods to Baby Isn’t a Piece of Cake

It’s hard to believe that my baby is already nine months old. As much as it saddens me to see him grow up, it’s also so incredibly fun. So hard to believe he used to be this tiny six-pound bundle of squish and now we’re busy baby-proofing with a new crawler and life is full of new things for him, especially since he started eating “big boy” food. The journey to solids has been an interesting one for us. Oliver gobbled up his baby rice and first helpings of baby food so when he started to get teeth and show an interest in other foods, I was so excited and we took a trip to our local ALDI. 

Compensation was provided by ALDI via Momtrends.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions of ALDI or Momtrends. 

I love that they get it. That sometimes, feeding little ones really IS rocket science, which is why ALDI carries nearly 50 baby products in their Little Journey line – from powder formulas and infant-to-toddler snacks to diapers, wipes and bath time products. 

What’s even better is that all of the items are incredibly affordable. Most surprising were the Little Journey Baby Wipes. I’m very particular about the wipes I buy. They need to be soft but strong, two qualities usually not found in typical value brands. However at $3.49 (price and availability may vary) for a 3 count package, I was amazed at the quality and stocked up on multiple packages. I walked out of the store with the wipes as well as Little Journey Organic Baby Food Pouches, Little Journey Yogurt Bites, Puffs and Little Munchers snacks. Just like the wipes, we found that all of the products we bought were on par with those we purchased from national brands. 

Let me just say, the food pouches are a life saver. Between soccer and dance we spend a lot of our evenings waiting on his big sister so being able to feed him ‘solids’ even on the go, without a high chair, is so convenient.  

But the progression from purees and baby rice to food with more texture has been bumpy (all puns intended). Each time we try something new, he rejects it. If you’re a first-time parent, it’s easy to find yourself worrying endlessly over it – but there is usually nothing to worry about! Despite his aversion to trying new textures, I had high hopes for the variety of snack items we purchased. It’s taking some time and a lot of reintroduction but now the Yogurt Bites are his favorite, followed closely by the Puffs, and we’re still working on the Little Munchers.

It’s taken Oliver a little bit longer but he’s slowly coming around thanks to a few helpful tips we picked up:

• To help Oliver accept new foods, we started with tiny portions. 
• Don’t give up! Just because baby rejects something today doesn’t mean they will tomorrow. Sometimes it takes 3 or 4 or more tries. 
• Once you find something baby likes, introduce foods that are similar in color, texture or taste. 
• Keep in mind that when babies aren’t feeling well, like when they’re teething, familiar foods provide comfort. There is nothing wrong with reverting back to softer foods during these times! 

For more information about the complete line of Little Journey products and pricing, visit ALDI on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest or the ALDI website aldi.us/littlejourney.