One way I know my baby is growing up is by the food she eats. While she still nurses, her diet is full of solid foods at every meal. While I do my best to feed her what we are eating, I’m not always able to do that. If I’m in a hurry, I want something quick that I can feed her that isn’t junky. I know it sounds dumb that when I’m busy I’m okay with eating not-so-healthy food in front of her, but at least I’m trying to give her something better than what I’m eating! My plan was not to buy any baby food. I was going to make my own! Well, I never really made my own, but she does eat what we eat a lot. She’s a very independent eater and always has been. So, I do supplement her meals with purchased baby food, typically Gerber.

Now, my daughter is petite, but she has a BIG appetite. Especially after hitting one year in October. Man, I swear she has a hollow leg! She’s always on the move, so I suppose she burns off a lot of calories all day long too. She absolutely LOVES Gerber’s Little Crunchies and their little ravioli meals. Since her appetite has increased quite a bit, I wanted to try the Lil’ Entrees from Gerber. They are a complete meal, basically, that heats up in the microwave in less than a minute. Talk about easy when you are busy!

These entrees have meal combos in a ready to serve tray, though my daughter doesn’t like to eat from the tray. It’s usually best if I just dump her food onto her high chair tray. I think she likes it so she can see everything better (and can pick out the good stuff easier!). Plus, she can’t throw the tray or a plate then… that makes a big mess. These entrees have been reformulated with 30% less sodium, contain 1/4 cup of vegetables (1 serving), no preservatives or artificial flavors, and cooked to be tender and in small pieces. I do find myself still cutting pieces a bit smaller just to be on the safe side. Since it’s soft, I just do it quick with a spoon. Rissa doesn’t much care for silverware yet, so she gets good practice on that pincher grasp!

We received one of each of the following reformulated varieties:

• Lil’ Entreés® Pasta Stars in Meat Sauce with Green Beans
• Lil’ Entreés® Cheese Ravioli in Tomato Sauce with Mixed Vegetables
• Lil’ Entreés® Garden Vegetables & Pasta in Tomato Sauce
• Lil’ Entreés® Rice & Turkey in Gravy with Green Beans & Carrots
• Lil’ Entreés® Chicken and Pasta Wheel Pickups in sauce with Peas
• Lil’ Entreés® Mashed Potatoes & Gravy with Roasted Chicken and Carrots

Rissa sampled each of these. Unfortunately a couple of them mostly ended up on the floor but she LOVED the pasta stars. Not the green beans so much, but anything soup like she enjoys as well as chicken and pasta.

If you’d like more information on Gerber® products, you can find Gerber on Facebook.

Has your little one ever tried these? What is their favorite dish?

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** FTC Disclosure: I received the product(s) mentioned above free of charge by the company or PR representative in order to conduct an honest review. I was not compensated in any other way for this post. The thoughts, experiences, and opinions included are entirely my own and may differ from that of others. I am not liable for any issues you may incur from use of said product(s). Images used are owned by me or provided with the company's permission unless otherwise sourced. See full disclosure information. If you have any questions you can contact me or leave a comment.

About Darcy

Darcy Zalewski is a married, stay-at-home mom who is discovering her greener side, starting with advocating for cloth diapering. When she's not changing diapers or singing the Itsy Bitsy Spider, she can be found at Tales From the Nursery, where she shares tales of motherhood as well as product reviews, or at ShePromotes, a resource for blogger support.

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