This article contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you. For educational purposes only. Not medical advice.
When Can Babies Eat Puffs Safely?
Baby puffs are specifically designed to dissolve quickly in a baby’s mouth so that they are a safe finger food for children practicing their pincer grip, chewing, and learning to self-feed.
If you’re a parent wondering – when can babies eat puffs safely? The best answer is: when your child can sit up on their own, unsupported and bring foods to their mouth on their own – this is a significant sign of ability-readiness that many experts will agree on.
For most babies, this happens at the 8-9 month mark, as 6-7 months can still be quite wobbly with less hand and arm control.
Likewise, at the 9 month mark, many babies are beginning to use a pincer grasp – which is where they pinch foods with their thumb and pointer finger, rather than grab fistfuls of food.
As the owner of a Montessori-inspired Daycare & Playschool, I have helped start dozens of babies on solids over almost a decade. Below I’ll talk more about what I’ve learned first-hand, as well as through research and interviews with baby feeding specialists, and the puffs most babies haved loved the most!
You Might Also Like:
How To Start Solids With Baby Led Weaning – EVERYTHING To Know
What Are Puffs?
Puffs, like these Happy Baby Superfood Puffs on Amazon, are a fast-dissolving snack for babies just starting out on solids, usually made of grains like rice flour, and much lighter than a cheerio. (Do you remember those listerine breath freshener sheets? Puffs almost dissolve that quickly.)
There are organic and non-organic options, grain-free and gluten-free options as well.
Most puffs also have fruits and vegetables added to them by way of juice or powder.
Many have no added sugar and/or are grain-free.
Some puffs are enriched with things like iron and choline to help give baby’s bodies more of what they need as they grow.
They come in a variety of different colors and packaging, and are usually loved by most babies.
Can Babies Without Teeth Eat Puffs?
100%, yes!
Most parents don’t realize that babies can eat many safely prepared foods without teeth. Gums are strong!
Safely prepared foods are soft foods – soft as a banana is a good rule of thumb when starting your baby on solid foods.
Because baby puffs dissolve very quickly – and are intentionally designed this way, unlike a crunchy cereal that looks similar (ie: kix or cherrios, which many experts will advise against for the first few months of eating) – puffs make a very safe option for inexperienced eaters that are just beginning to learn chewing, swallowing foods other than milk, and all the new flavors of the world!
Teeth are not needed to handle these types of foods, and most babies are happy and ready to eat them before that first tooth pops out!
In the US, most experts will agree, that babies are typically ready to start of safely prepared solids at 6 months old, given that they are developing normally and are able to sit up on their own, without assistance and without falling over. And not many babies have teeth at 6 months old.
Baby struggling to grip foods? Check out this First Years SenseAbles Finger Foods Placemat silicone food placement mat for beginner eaters!
Can Babies Choke On Puffs?
There are 2 key situations you want to look out for when giving your baby puffs that could cause choking:
- Puffs that are stale or have been sucked on and then spit out
- Baby grabbing fistfuls of puffs and stuffing their mouth
*A note about gagging – gagging is different than choking, and is actually the body’s way of protecting your baby from choking.
Gagging has sound, choking is silent. This is why it is so important to always have your eyes on baby when they are eating, because you won’t be able to hear if they need your help.
Gagging can be a very common part of learning solids, as babies are getting used to the flavors and the feel of solids in their mouth.
However, I did an interview with a Pediatric Feeding Specialist, Abbie Gacke of Childworks Therapy, and she said that if gagging persists after 9 months, you may want to consult a specialist, as there might be something more going on.
Check out these PandaEar Flexible Silicone Unisex Baby Bibs – functional, and cute!
Benefits Of Baby Eating Puffs
Baby puffs were created to be a safe, quick-dissolving snack for babies who are just learning how to grab foods and self feed.
They make a convenient and fortified snack for in between meals.
The flavor is mild and pleasant, as not to overwhelm a baby’s sensitive palette.
Puffs are easy to pack on the go, and will help your baby practice their pincer grip, portion control, hand-eye control, chewing, and more.
Most puffs come in containers that are convenient to toss in a diaper bag or send off to daycare, so they make an easy option for parents on the go and they keep well in their packaging.
Unlike most other small, packaged snack foods for babies, puffs are filled with air, making them very safe with a low choking risk. (Unless they are stale or have been sucked on and spit out, as I mentioned above.)
Likewise, most babies enjoy puffs as snacks throughout the day, in addition to a healthy variety of whole foods of other textures, colors, and flavors.
All the babies I have worked with have had baby puffs included in their daily diet, and all enjoyed them!
Tips For Serving Baby Puffs
Safety is always top priority when baby is just starting out with solids, whether it’s snacks like puffs or whole food at meals.
Here are some tips for serving baby puffs to your child:
- Ensure they are sitting up so they can swallow and breathe without any blockage.
- Check the expiration date to make sure they puffs aren’t expired.
- If you opened the puffs days ago, pop one in your mouth to make sure they aren’t stale, as they could be a choking hazard if so.
- Check your baby’s tray and seat to make sure there are no leftover, spit out, or sucked on puffs lying around, as those could be choking hazards as well. **I’ve worked with several moms whose babies got a hold of a stale puff.
- Take an infant CPR class to be prepared and equipped with how to respond in a choking emergency. I cannot recommend this enough. Children, until age 5 are at a higher risk for choking and knowing what to look for and what to do, can make all the difference!
- If your baby isn’t yet using the pincer grip, and is doing fistfuls, offer them 2-3 at a time, spread out on their tray. Naturally, as they gain more dexterity through practice, they will no longer grab fist fulls and overstuff their mouth.
Different Types Of Baby Puffs To Consider
You are going to see lots of flavors and colors, organic and non-organic options.
Some puffs will be enriched with iron and zinc, and most come in a cylinder container with a pop top.
You can try a variety and see which your baby takes to the most.
When just starting solids, around the 7-8 month mark, I’ve found that using these quick-dissolving Happy Baby Organic Teething Wafers are easiest for baby to hold and still very safe.
Like the little baby puffs, these longer wafers have very similar ingredients and dissolve quickly. Of course, no matter what, always stay close to baby when they are eating anything.
Then, close to the 9-10 month mark, I’ve found that the small puffs like the ones below can more easily pinched and picked up without overstuffing, getting frustrated, or too much being swatted to the ground because of lack of arm control.
(These Serenity Kids Puffs are a grain-free option)
What Other Types Of Snacks Can A 6-7 Month Old Have?
When it comes to baby snacks – I have a ‘mini meals’ mentality, which means I take the same type of regular, whole foods I use in meals, and turn those into snack portions.
For babies this young, just starting out with solids, I simply do things like spears of banana, a softly-steamed piece of broccoli, or some slightly smashed avocado.
I think of foods as snacks, rather than ‘snack foods’, and that’s because I want to give babies a wholesome, holistic start to eating food – rich with nutrients, letting them explore and get used to a variety of flavors and textures, so they get all the vitamins and minerals they need AND are less likely to become picky.
Here is a list of some great starter foods, that can also be served as snacks:
And if you need some ideas on how to cut and serve these foods, you can see my blog post with 21 picture examples of baby’s first foods, here.
Want a FREE Holistic Baby Led Weaning Guide to help you get started with solids?
Final Thoughts On Babies Eating Puffs
Before serving any solid foods to your baby, including puffs, be sure that they are sitting up on their own so that they are able to swallow safely. This typically happens around 6 months. You can check with your pediatrician to be sure for your unique baby.
Only serve a few puffs at a time if your baby is grabbing fistfuls and not yet using pincer grip.
Pincer grip usually happens around the 9-10 month mark and after baby has been practicing self-feeding. Pincer grip is when they use their thumb and pointer to pick foods up, rather than their whole hand.
Always check the expiration date on your baby puffs before serving them, to make sure they aren’t stale.
Stale puffs can be a choking hazard for your baby.
If the container has been opened, try eating a puff yourself to make sure they haven’t turned stale.
Always take a moment to check your baby’s high chair seat, tray, eating area, to make sure there are not old, sucked on, or stale puffs laying around, as these can be choking hazards.
Use puffs as self-feeding practice and one component to safe introduction of solids/solid snacks, but don’t solely depend on them as foods or snacks, as they don’t provide hardly as much nutrition as whole, natural foods.
As your baby’s eating skills sharpen after a month or more, be sure to serve them a well-rounded, wholesome variety, so they get the nutrients their growing brains and body’s need.
I wrote about baby’s nutritional needs, like iron (along with allergens, feeding schedule, and more) in my blog post: Everything You Need To Know About Starting Solids With Baby Led Weaning.
And if you are looking to get more support with starting baby led weaning safely, with recipes, and step-by-step feeding guidance, this is the highly-rated course I recommend to families. You can start with the free workshop here.
And if you want to see all the starting solids products I use and love, like on-the-go containers, grape cutter, and bamboo plates, you can see them in my Amazon shop here.
Happy baby feeding! This is an exciting time, watching your little one explore the world of food! And if you are feeling nervous, use some of the resources I have listed in this blog post!
More blog posts you might like:
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.