The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that solid foods are introduced to a baby’s diet from around 6 months of age in the form of 2 to 4 nutritious meals a day. Depending on the child’s appetite, the WHO also suggests that 1 to 2 snacks can be offered between meals and all foods should be adequate in energy, protein and micronutrients.
The WHO also advises that care should be taken to ensure the food is given in a safe manner to minimize contamination and in a stimulating way to encourage the child to eat. The challenge that many parents have is in providing a safe, mess free and fun way for their infant to self feed.
Different Types of Safe Self Feeders for Babies
By 9 months, baby would have learned to chew and grasp foods using her pincer grasp (ability to pick up objects with thumb and forefinger). In the beginning, she may bite off more than she can chew or swallow, potentially leading to choking. A Baby Safe Feeder is a mesh bag with handle that can hold a small amount of food, allowing baby to self-feed by gumming or sucking on the bag.
At 12 months of age, baby may be quite proficient with feeding herself from a spoon and may show interest in feeding herself most of her meal. This can be a challenging time for parents as they encourage baby to be independent while trying to contain inevitable mess from food and drink spitting and spillage.
To minimize mess when baby is self- feeding from bowl and spoon, or with finger food, a non-slip base and contoured bowl shape is ideal. The Baby Dipper Bowl is a good option as it allows either parent or baby to feed with one hand. The spoon is shaped to fit the corner of the bowl and the sloped bottom helps the food slide to one corner.
Snack Containers Help Toddlers Self-Feed in a Safe Way
Snack containers are a convenient way to transport small dry foods and encourage baby to feed herself. Always choose foods suitable for the child's age to eliminate choking hazards. Snack containers are generally designed so the toddler can reach her hand in and find a snack. She can shake the container and allow it to fall upside down without all the contents spilling everywhere. These food containers are very portable, fill up with snacks and bring to playgroups, picnics, and other outings.
Comparison of Snack Trap With Other Spill-Proof Toddler Containers
To prevent wasted snacks and minimize clean up, the Snack Trap is a great solution. The benefit comes from a simple and efficient plastic slit lid that allows little hands to extract healthy snacks from the tip-resistant cup. The cup has 2-side handles for easy grasping. Also available is a Snack Trap Snap-Over lid, which is a solid plastic piece that fits snugly on top for an air tight seal. It is BPA-free.
A disadvantage of the Snack Trap is that it is not completely spill-proof. Toddlers especially enjoy creating a rattle from the cup so some food may escape. Over time the plastic slit lid may stretch from constant use and older toddlers may even be able to completely pull off the lid.
The Snack Ball is a favourite for toddlers, as it is great for travel, also made of BPA-free plastic and the fun sphere-shaped container can also be used as a toy. A word of warning: the Snack Ball isn’t air-tight so items may go stale if not eaten right away.
Another product that is spill-resistant is the Munchie Mug which is environmentally friendly (made from 100% recyclable materials and eliminates waste from carrying snacks in disposable plastic bags). The mug has a soft fabric closure which is great for sensitive little hands as they reach in for their treats. A drawback to the Munchie Mug is that in order to use the air-tight screw on top the fabric top must first be removed.
Where to Buy a Spill Proof or Self-Feeding Container for an Infant or Toddler
The internet is a great resource for researching and purchasing spill proof toddler food containers. Especially as a parent or caregiver of young children, time is precious and shopping at home can be breeze compared to transporting baby and peripherals around. For those who like to shop in person, independent children’s stores and others such as Babies R Us also stock a range of infant feeding products.
Practice Safe Feeding Concepts When Using a Spill-Proof Food Container
When buying or comparing a spill proof toddler food container, remember to consider the materials that it is made from to ensure that it is child safe. Consider a BPA-free snack container. Also keep in mind safe feeding concepts when encourage an infant to self-feed. Parents and caregivers should offer food in its most nutritious state, free from contamination and spoilage, and in quantities suitable to the age and development of the child.
Bianca Lacharity - Every day I count the blessings in my life. My daughter, my husband, my mother, friends, family, community, breath, physical health, ...
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