Resistive Food Teethers-Why We Love Them!

Also known as "hard muchables" we love introducing these to babies as they are starting solids!

What are they?

Resistive food teethers are very hard foods that can be offered to bub to help build skills and strength to support independent eating. A of people think that babies should start with purees and are nervous about offering finger foods (baby led weaning style). For these families in particular, resistive food teethers are a great way to get some of the benefits of finger foods but without the risk of choking.

Why do we love them? They are:

• a great way to help bub learn chewing skills
• support them to map their mouth/build oral sensory awareness
• build confidences with food
• strengthen jaw muscles
• reduce gag reflux
• build independence with eating
• are very unlikely to be a choking hazard because they can't have bits broken/bitten off
• can be a great tool to support babies that are a little slower to get into solids or that are struggling to move past purees

What foods are resistive food teethers?

The below list of foods are ones that are very hard, so it is unlikely that pieces will be bitten off. These resistive food teethers are great for any age and include thing like:

• Mango pip- with most of the flesh removed (great one to pop into the fridge and offer a teething baby!)
• Pineapple core
• Lamb shank, lamb cutlet, short rib or chicken drumstick bone with meat/joints removed
• Corn cob with kernels removed
• Watermelon rind with most of the flesh removed

There are some other great resistive foods you can offer too. The ones below are not as hard though and once bub is around 8 months of age (or as soon as they are biting/pulling bits of food apart) we suggest you stop offering these. Other good resistive foods include:

• Cucumber spears
• Carrot stick
• Green beans
• Asparagus spears
• Celery

These are great dipped hummus, yoghurt or purees!

When to offer them?

Although they are foods- bub won't actually consume any or much nutrients from resistive teethers. We suggest that you offer them alongside a main meal or with a puree you can dip the teether into.

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