As you know, we’re talking All About Baby on The Shopping Mama, and specifically products and things you need for baby’s first year. Obviously, food and nutrition is in that category. The Gerber brand is synonymous with baby food, and for good reason, they’ve been making baby food since 1927. And, in fact, the company started when a mother made homemade baby food for her daughter. The company has obviously grown a bit since then.

We had the opportunity to review two relatively new products intended for “Sitters”: Purees with DHA & Antioxidants and Gerber 8 Grains and Yogurt Cereal. (If you’re not sure what foods are most appropriate for your baby, check out the Gerber website. It has a lot of great information about nutrition from pregnancy through preschool age and even has information about childhood milestones and well-being.)

Purees with DHA & Antioxidants

Gerber 2nd Foods Purees with DHA & Antioxidants, have 18 mg DHA per serving to help support brain & eye development and are an excellent source of either vitamin A (from beta carotene) or vitamin C , powerful antioxidants that help support baby’s natural defense system.

I like to make baby food, but there are times when it’s just not realistic to serve or prepare homemade purees.  That’s why I love having a good alternative like the Gerber Purees. Gerber was my go-to store-bought brand when Toddler Boy was a baby and again when Baby Girl was eating purees. I like the flavor options – and if you could have seen my daughter with them you’d know she agrees – because it goes beyond the traditional store-bought options to offer flavors similar to what I would make at home. (Butternut Squash & Harvest Apples and and Apples with Summer Peaches, for example.) And, of course, I love that these purees in particular include DHA and Antioxidants.

8 Grains & Yogurt Cereal

Gerber 8 Grains and Yogurt Cereal is made with 8 natural grains and real yogurt. The 8 grains are: wheat, barley, rye, corn, sorghum, rice, oat, millet.

I previously reviewed and blogged about our initial experience with Gerber 8 Grains and Yogurt in August. As I mentioned in the inital review, Baby Girl enjoyed the Grains and Yogurt mixed with fruit. To make it more age appropriate for her recently, I used larger chunks of fruit. I love that breakfast option because it’s quick and easy and I know she’s getting a well-balanced meal.

The 8 Grains and Yogurt Cereal is intended for baby’s who are already introduced to single grain cereals like rice cereal or oatmeal. We introduced this when Baby Girl was about 8 months old and had been eating solids for 2 months and that was a good time frame for her.

To Buy or Not to Buy

To Buy… Baby Girl had a great experience with all the Gerber products she’s eaten. I like knowing that it’s more than your average store-bought and prepackaged baby puree and cereal.

Or Not to Buy… Both the Purees with DHA & Antioxidants and the 8 Grains and Yogurt Cereal are more expensive than the traditional purees and cereal.

Win! Two (2) people will receive a prize package including DHA Purees, 8 Grains & Yogurt, Gerber Recipe Tin and Gerber Teddy Bear.

How to Enter: Take a  look around the Gerber website and leave a comment with a food you’d like to feed your little one.

Bonus Entries – valid only after the first required entry. Please leave a separate comment for each you do.
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The Fine Print: Open to US mailing addresses. Giveaway ends November 25. Winner will be notified by email and has 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. Thank you Gerber for providing a sample product for review and the giveaway prizes. The opinions expressed here are my own and are uninfluenced by receipt of product. Others may have a different experience.