Gluten Free Teething Foods Help Please!

[pugluver31902]

Hi all! I have an 8 month old that is ready to start on her first finger/teether foods. My husband and I both have celiac, and while I know that the suggestions of when to introduce gluten vary from different docs and organizations, my husband and I, along with her doctor have decided to keep her gluten free until she is three. My problem is, I am not sure what foods I can introduce to her as her first real food. I know that a lot of people use those gerber puffs or teething biscuits because they will disolve quickly in the baby's mouth, but I am not sure of a good gluten free alternative. All of the bread like products I use are much to hard to give a baby. Any suggestions? Thank you so much!

[Guhlia]

The Gerber wagon wheels are gluten free as are the cheese puff shaped things they make (NOT the little star shaped puffs). Oven toasted bread strips work well for teething, but you have to toast them really slowly, like croutons, to get all the moisture out. My daughter loved mashed potato and mashed sweet potato as first finger foods even though they were uber messy. We also found some soy crisps by Gensoy that were technically gluten free, but they're manufactured in a facility that contains wheat.

We swore by the baby safe teethers for most everything when she was in the teething stage. We would give her fresh cooked veggies and soft fruits in that and she would munch away happily. We have a lot of allergies, so we stayed away from many foods, but I imagine rice would also work well in one of those baby safe teethers.

[CMG]

My girls both loved mini rice cakes. I think MiDel makes gluten free arrowroot teething cookies. As for the messier and more nutritious stuff, my girls both loved mashed or cubed avocado, and one liked cubes of tofu (the other is allergic to soy).

Good luck!

[pugluver31902]

Thanks for your replies! I didn't know that the gerber wagon wheels and cheese puffs were gluten free. I will also have to look for the arrowroot teethers. Thanks so much guys!

[Guhlia]

Thanks for your replies! I didn't know that the gerber wagon wheels and cheese puffs were gluten free. I will also have to look for the arrowroot teethers. Thanks so much guys!

Just be careful with the Gerber stuff to read the labels. I called them a few years ago when I was first diagnosed and, at that point in time, they claimed that they would list any gluten sources clearly on the ingredient statement. My daughter and I eat the cheese puff thingys (zesty tomato) all the time and we've never had an issue. We are both relatively sensitive.

[HiDee]

BABY MUM MUMS, they are fantastic. They are a rice rusk, gluten-free, dissolve easily, I found them at my Walmart, they are also on Amazon. They have a veggie flavor and plain. My kids LOVE them. If you're staying away from other common allergens in baby's first year, the gerber wagon wheels and cheese puffs have corn, just so you know. I think the arrowroot animal crackers by MiDel also have corn starch and they're pretty hard (crunchier, not easily dissolved) but very good, my toddler loves those as well. I think Kinnikinnik has an animal cookie that is gluten-free and corn free as well and it's a little softer texture than MiDel. Those freeze dried fruits by Gerber are good too.