The wheel in her mouth goes crunch, crunch, crunch...
Written: Feb 15 '08
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Product Rating:
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Pros: My daughter loves the taste, crunchy
Cons: Really not safe for infants (marketed wrong?), not much nutritional value
The Bottom Line: I would recommend for toddlers (not infants) due to their crunch and tastiness (to a toddler palate)
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| tracmd's Full Review: Gerber Finger Foods - Veggie Wagon Wheels |
On one of my mother's relatively recent excursions to our local Shop Rite, she picked up a canister of Gerber Graduates Finger Foods- Carrot Wagon Wheels. She thought my daughter might enjoy them, as she (my daughter) especially loves crunchy foods. My daughter was approximately 18 months of age at the time.
The label has a picture of the wheels in actual size. I would estimate that the wheels are approximately one inch in diameter. They are rather cute looking, with little puffed corn spokes. They come in a can with a plastic pull off lid. There are approximately six servings per can, with three pieces per serving.
Nutrition
I would certainly not classify this as a nutritious snack by any stretch. It's definitely healthier than chips, but carries very little nutritional value. A serving size of three pieces has 30 calories, 10 of which are from fat. There is no protein, and then only vitamins listed are:
Calcium (4% for infants 0-1, 2% for children 1-4)
Iron (10% for infants, 15% for children- note that is makes no sense logically, I suspect this was a typo and the numbers are reversed)
Vitamin E (10%, 5%)
Zinc (10%, 6%)
The ingredients are:
Corn Flower, Ultra Low Linolenic Soybean Oil, Carrot Powder, Non-fat Dry Milk, Whey (from milk), Dicalcium Phosphate, Cheddar Cheese (Cultured Milk, Salt, Enzymes), Salt, Buttermilk, Maltodextrin, Mixed Tocopherols (for freshness), Disodium Phosphate, Natural Flavor, Butterfat, Zinc Sulfate, Alpha Tocopheryl Acetate (Vitamin E), Electrolytic Iron.
The label also states that there are no artificial colors, and that this snack is made with puffed corn, real carrots (as opposed to fake???), and cheese "flavor."
Readiness
According to the label, this food is designed for babies learning to self-feed.
Your baby is ready for Wagon Wheels when he:
- Crawls on hands and knees (with tummy up and off the floor)
- Eats thicker, lumpier foods with larger pieces
- Uses jaw to mash food with gums
- Holds small foods between thumb and first finger
When I glanced at the Cons of the other reviews of this product, it was clear that choking is a significant concern. I can completely understand how that could be an issue. The diameter of this product, and its overall scale, makes it possible for a baby to fit a whole piece in his or her mouth. Plus, I myself stuck one in my mouth to test how well it dissolves. This is not one of those foods that dissolves immediately when moist. This is a food that requires chewing. Hence, even if a baby has a piece of the wheel in his mouth, it can be dangerous.
When my daughter first tried this food, she was already at 18 months. She had a full set of teeth, was already chewing many adult foods, was walking, etc. In other words, eating this food was no big deal. However, I would not have wanted to give her this food when she was an infant (i.e., around one year old), since I don't think she would have been ready for it.
Another thing I want to point out, that is common among many beginning self-feeding foods (i.e., these, teething biscuits, etc.), a child should only be fed them with complete adult supervision. Even with a full set of teeth, any food that does not dissolve rapidly, and/or requires much chewing, is a choking hazard. I remember when my daughter started on teething biscuits many months ago. She'd occasionally bite off a giant piece and I would have to immediately stick my fingers in her mouth to scoop it out. I would imagine this food providing the same issue with a child at that age.
I definitely feel that this food is not really an infant starter food, but is rather a toddler food for a child that is experienced in eating more adult foods. I would not give this to your child if he a) has not already exhibited that he can chew more complex, non-baby foods, well, and b) does not already have most of his teeth.
I do think with a toddler around my daughter's age and older, and with careful supervision, this food is fine.
Ok, but is it tasty?
From my personal, adult perspective, no. Yeah, I tried them. They're bland, very dry, and have a strange powdery coating and crunchy texture. They're like a crunchier, less flavorful puffed cheese snack sans the cheese coating. However, whether or not I like it is inconsequential.
My daughter on the other hand, loves this snack. She often says "Wheel! Wheel!" begging for them at sporadic times and during meal times. She is a particular fan of crunchy foods, and I suspect that is one of its allures. She loves these so much that I sometimes feel like a bartender cutting off a drunk at a bar. I sometimes say, "Sweet Pea, you've had four today already. You have enough for a car. We're not going for an 18-wheeler here!"
Since they provide little to no nutritional value, I try to stick to only one serving (or a little more than one) in a day.
In Conclusion...
Due to my daughter's extreme, almost fanatical love for her Wagon Wheels, I have since bought many canisters since my mom picked the first one up. I get them at my local supermarket for $2.19. Since there are only about six servings per can, I tend to buy two at a time. They're not nutritiously great, but they're not terrible either. I would rate them higher if they had a little more nutritional punch.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
tracmd
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Member: Tracy
Location: New Jersey
Reviews written: 81
Trusted by: 8 members
About Me:
I am a happily married mother of a precious daughter and furry baby (a cat).
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