Can Babies Eat and Play with Jello?
I think most of us have memories of making Jello as a kid and squishing it between our fingers right before we popped in our mouth. My mom had a jelly bean Jello mold that would make bite-sized Jello pieces. I loved tasting all the different flavors and squishing the Jello between my teeth!
Even though Jello is a fun finger food for kids, it does have a high sugar content and a considerable amount of sodium. It’s best to limit added sugars and salt until closer to age 2. That being said, Jello offers a great way to work on fine motor skills for toddlers and kids over age 2 due to its slippery and jiggly properties.
Other reasons you may want to wait to serve Jello as a new food to your baby are explained below.
What is Jello?
When you look at the ingredients list of regular Jello you will find sugar is the first and main ingredient. Ingredients on the back of a food label are listed in order of descending weight. Following sugar, Jello contains gelatin, adipic acid (for tartness), artificial flavors, disodium phosphate (preservative), sodium citrate (pH buffer), fumaric acid (for stability and tartness), and artificial colors.
Nutrition content of Jello
Jello contains 19 grams of sugar per 1/2 cup. This is over one third of the recommended amount of sugar adults should be consuming per day. Jello contains a high sugar content, a small amount of protein, and no fat. Jello provides little nutritional value for a baby.
Of course for kids an occasional treat is perfectly fine! However, babies need higher amounts of certain nutrients and can only take in so much volume of food at a time. Nutrient-dense foods high in fat and vitamins and minerals should be prioritized during the baby stage.
Your baby has a tiny belly so we want to maximize the nutritional benefits of each bite to foster your baby’s growth. This can be done by focusing on nutritious foods that are high in fatty acids (ie. meats, fish, ground nuts and thinly spread nut butters, seeds, oils, eggs, full-fat dairy) and vitamins and minerals (ie. fruits, vegetables, whole grains).
When can babies eat solid foods?
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommend that babies are fed only breast milk or formula for the first 6 months of age. In addition to being 6 months of age, babies should be able to sit up with minimal support, have good head control, and be reaching and grasping toys and bringing them to the mouth. It is super important that your baby is meeting these milestones before starting solids to reduce the risk of your baby choking on solid foods. Read up on these signs of readiness that your baby should be showing before starting solids.
When can babies eat Jello?
Jello is not recommended to be served to babies due to its high sugar and sodium content. Do your best to avoid added sugar and salt until closer to age 2. Toddlers over the age of 2 can enjoy Jello as an occasional treat!
Is Jello good for kids?
Jello is high in added sugar and contains added sodium, both of which should be avoided until age 2. After 2 years of age, Jello can be a tasty treat and a fun sensory experience for kids that can be offered in moderation.
Problems with feeding babies Jello
Even though Jello is a fine treat for young children, it does pose problems for babies including:
- Added sugar
- Added salt
- Food coloring
- Artificial sweeteners
- Choking hazard
Can my baby have sugar?
The AAP and the CDC recommend avoiding added sugars until your baby is 2 years old.
It is beneficial to hold off giving your baby foods with added sugar for the first time until your baby is 2 years of age. Excess sugar and sweeteners can increase your baby’s preference for sweeter foods and decrease their interest in other foods. Too much sugar can increase the risk of developing obesity, type 2 diabetes, tooth decay, and possibly impact cardiovascular health.
Is Jello a choking hazard for babies?
Depending on your baby’s age and how the Jello is cut, Jello could be a choking hazard. Jello has a squishy texture which could expand in a baby’s throat if a large piece is swallowed. If you are serving Jello, be sure to mash the Jello into a pudding-like consistency if your baby has the palmar grasp (6-9 months) and either serve on a preloaded spoon or allow your baby to scoop it up with their hands.
If your baby has a pincer grasp (10 months +), serve chickpea-sized pieces of Jello that your baby can easily grasp with their thumb and forefinger.
Common choking hazards for babies starting solids
Common choking hazards for babies starting solids include:
- Hot dogs
- Popcorn
- Whole grapes and cherry tomatoes
- Raw, hard vegetables and fruit (raw apples, carrots)
- Globs of nut butter
- Marshmallows
- Hard snack foods (pretzels, chips)
- Hard and gummy candies
- Dried fruit
- Whole nuts
Other foods to avoid during your baby’s first year and beyond include:
- Raw honey
- Uncooked or lightly cooked seafood
- Added sugars
- Added salt
Can my baby have food coloring?
Some food coloring will not harm your baby, but in general it’s best to focus on whole, healthy foods when starting solids that do not contain additives. Food colors will be in processed foods like store bought Jello. If you’d like to make Jello but avoid the artificial food dyes, try making your own Jello made from unflavored gelatin and fruit juice like the recipe above.
Can my baby have artificial sweeteners?
Sugar-free Jello contains artificial sweeteners. It is best to avoid artificial sweeteners until after your baby is 2 years old. This is because any sweetener (natural sugar or artificial sweeteners) can increase your baby’s risk of preferring sweeter foods and decreasing their interest in other foods. Additionally, there is limited information on the safety of artificial sweeteners for babies.
Is Jello a common allergen?
No, Jello is not a common allergen. However, it is possible that your baby could react to the food dye or other additives in Jello. If you do serve your baby Jello, start by offering a small quantity of Jello on its own for the first couple servings and monitor for signs of allergic reactions.
Can my baby play with Jello?
As I’m sure you know, babies put everything in their mouth. While Jello would be fine for your baby to play with, it is likely your baby will consume the Jello while playing with it. This wouldn’t be ideal due to the reasons to avoid Jello listed above. If you’d like to let your baby play with Jello, try making a homemade version of Jello using only unflavored gelatin and 100% fruit juice.
How to make healthy homemade Jello
This recipe from Super Healthy Kids uses 100% juice and unflavored gelatin. The recipe is super easy!
- Pour 2 cups of the juice into a bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over the juice and let sit for 5 minutes to soften.
- Heat the remaining 2 cups of juice until it comes to a boil.
- Pour the hot juice into the bowl and stir to combine and to dissolve the gelatin.
- Pour into a 9×12 baking pan. Refrigerate until firm, at least several hours.
- Slice into cubes, or cut with a cookie cutter to make jello jigglers! Store in the refrigerator.
Looking for more recommended baby-led weaning supplies? I have it all laid out for you in thisĀ baby-led weaning supply guide. Follow our baby-led weaning journey on instagramĀ @mydietitian.friend!
