This blog post is sponsored by Stonyfield Organic YoBaby Yogurt.  All opinions are my own and I only support brands I love and would feed to my own family.

Looking for an easy and nutritious food to offer your baby? Yogurt is one of the best options not only to introduce as one of your baby’s first foods.  The best part is that it comes in a safe and ready-to-eat form if you’re not quite ready to offer soft table foods.  

Offering yogurt to your baby in a variety of ways not only helps them try new textures and flavors but also helps them try other new foods too.  

It’s easy to get burnt out from offering your baby the same foods over and over again.  I have a simple trick that will 

In this post, I will discuss the benefits of yogurt for babies, what to look for in yogurt for babies, and seven different ways to offer it to your baby. 

If you’d like to get out of the what should I offer them for lunch today burnout, keep reading and I’ll give you seven simple ways to offer yogurt to your baby with things you likely already have in your pantry or fridge!

Benefits of Yogurt for Babies

Vitamins and minerals

There are so many benefits to feeding your baby yogurt.  Yogurt has calcium, which is important for developing bones when included as part of a balanced diet.  Yogurt also may include B vitamins, phosphorus, magnesium, and potassium. Each variety of yogurt may vary. 

Protein

Yogurt contains protein, which is essential for your body to build and repair muscles and tissues within the body.  Research has also shown that eating protein with meals and snacks helps keep you fuller longer. 

Vitamin D

Stonyfield Organic YoBaby yogurt has added vitamin D to ensure your baby gets an important Vitamin that may help promote healthy bones and build their immune system.

You’ve probably heard that you can get Vitamin D from the sun, but typically it’s not enough and babies really shouldn’t be in the sun, so we should find other ways to include Vitamin D into your baby’s diet, like YoBaby yogurt cups. See your child’s pediatric professional to learn what is best for your child.

Gut Health

Many yogurts contain some form of live and active cultures or probiotics, but now all are alike.  Stonyfield Organic YoBaby cups contain probiotics and their pouches have prebiotics.  

YoBaby® yogurt cups contain the probiotic Bifidobacterium animalis lactis BB‐12® which has been shown to have a digestive health benefit when consumed regularly as part of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle. 

Introducing a wide variety of healthy bacteria like pre and probiotics to your baby is important for helping them digest foods better so they get the most bang for every little bite they take. 

For one single food, yogurt may be a good choice for you and your baby.  Plus it’s a safe texture to offer for 6 months plus. 

Best Baby Yogurt – What to Look for.

Basically, your yogurt should have all of the nutrients listed above, plus be made with whole milk.  Surprisingly, not all yogurts are made the same and aren’t always made with your baby in mind.

When shopping for yogurt for your baby, make sure it contains the following things:

• Made with whole milk
• Live and active cultures
• Probiotics
• Vitamin D

Most yogurt will contain some vitamins, minerals, and protein, but not all are made equal beyond that. If you’d prefer not to spend an hour in the yogurt aisle at the grocery store, go straight for Stonyfield Organic YoBaby yogurt cups.  They have all the good stuff your baby needs. 

One last thing.  Added sugar is often a concern for parents and can be found in yogurt.  While zero added sugar is recommended, it’s not always ideal for every family and in every situation.  YoBaby yogurt cups come in both plain and flavored, with 6g added sugar per 4oz serving, so you can choose!

How to Offer Yogurt to Your Baby

Preloaded on a spoon 

One of the best ways you can support your baby at meal times is by letting them do it themselves!  Of course, there is a time and place where you may want to control the mess a little more, but more often than not, let them practice feeding themselves!

You can start by preloading a small amount of Stonyfield Organic YoBaby yogurt on an easy-to-hold utensil, place it in front of your baby and let them explore!

Plain with mashed fresh fruit 

Using fruit to naturally sweeten yogurt is a great way to add additional vitamins, minerals, fiber, and even texture to your baby’s yogurt. Try starting with plain yogurt for your baby, like Stonyfield Organic YoBaby plain yogurt cups, and add soft fruits like mashed berries, bananas, or applesauce.

When choosing the best yogurt for your baby, plain is ideal, but not always realistic for every family.  That’s why Stonyfield Organic has both YoBaby plain and flavored yogurt cups for you to choose from.

Mixed into oatmeal  

Yogurt alone is a great option for your baby and you could certainly stop at that, but yogurt is also a great option to add to other foods you offer your baby to make whatever it is more nutrient-dense.

Oatmeal is a common first food for babies because it contains iron, an important nutrient for your baby.  You can make it more nutrient-dense by adding YoBaby yogurt.

Banana dipped in yogurt 

Another popular first food for babies is bananas. To help introduce your baby to new flavors, textures, and foods in general, start with a familiar food (banana) and add something new (yogurt).

Try offering ⅓ to ½ of a whole banana, with one inch of the peel cut back so your baby can use the peel for an easier grip.  Then dip the banana in yogurt and place it in front of your baby for them to pick up and taste themselves.

Spread on toast 

You might not think that your baby can manage toast early on, but they can!  Avoid offering sliced bread untoasted because it’s considered a choking hazard and can easily gum up in your baby’s mouth, making it hard to chew. 

Toast a slice of bread, cut off the crust, and slice into one to two-inch wide stripes, roughly the width of two adult fingers and the length of your finger.  Thinly spread yogurt onto the toast, place the toast strip in front of your baby and watch them grab it and bring it up to their mouth.

Spread on a teething biscuit 

Teething biscuits don’t contain much valuable nutrition but are a great option to help your baby get used to different textures and managing solids. 

And because babies aren’t experts at using utensils, using something like toast or a teething biscuit can be a great way to help provide purees and promote self-feeding. Essentially you’re using the toast strip or teething biscuit as an easy-to-hold utensil.

On the go with a pouch

When you’re on the go with your baby, preloaded spoons and toast aren’t necessarily feasible.  That’s why having a quick on-the-go option like a Stonyfield Organic YoBaby Yogurt Pouches can be a convenient option.

Made with whole milk, oats, Vitamin D, you know your baby is still getting nutritional benefits while out and about.  If out, throw in a lunch bag or cooler with an ice pack or frozen water bottle to keep cool.

Conclusion 

Yogurt is one of the best foods you can feed your baby from the start of introducing solids.  I love using Stonyfield Organic YoBaby yogurt cups because they’re created with your baby’s needs in mind: whole milk, probiotics, live active cultures, protein, Vitamin D, and Calcium.  

Feeding your baby doesn’t have to be hard.  Take what you already have (yogurt) and add to it (fruit, oatmeal, toast, banana, teething biscuit) to make feeding your baby smarter, not harder.

The next time offer yogurt to your baby, try making one small change by spreading yogurt on a strip of toast, mixing it into oatmeal, or even letting them practice feeding themselves so you can have a moment to feed yourself too.

Not sure where to get Stonyfield Organic YoBaby yogurt?  Click here to find a store near you that stocks the best yogurt for babies in town.

BB‐12® is a registered trademark of Chr. Hansen