The salted pretzel multipacks described here are not suitable finger food for a baby who is starting solids: the Healthy Start in Life network recommends avoiding added salt in food for babies. Individual bags can be handy for older children and adults to share or pack in a lunchbox. If your baby is joining in, choose age-appropriate finger food prepared without added salt instead.
You’re looking for finger food your baby can join in with. What matters isn’t the size of the bag, but offering age-appropriate food without added salt. The Healthy Start in Life network also points out that, with baby-led weaning, a baby’s nutrient intake depends on both what’s offered and what they actually choose to eat.
Individual bags are easy to hand out for trips or pack in lunchboxes. REWE sells Lorenz Saltletts Mini Brezel in a 3 × 40 g multipack, while HUOBER BREZEL describes a box containing 20 bags of 40 g each. However, the portion size says nothing about whether the snack is suitable for a baby.
You can choose pretzels as a snack to share, comparing pack sizes, ingredients and allergen information. A snack chosen for older family members isn’t automatically suitable for a baby who is starting solids.
If your baby will be joining in, first check whether the food is suitable for a baby who is starting solids. The number of bags and portion size only matter when choosing a snack for the rest of the family.
| What matters | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Suitability for babies starting solids | Check the ingredients for added salt; choose age-appropriate finger food for your baby. | If my baby is joining in, I need something suitable for a baby who is starting solids, not a salty snack. Around 50% of consumers considering a pretzel multipack in connection with baby-led weaning put this question first. |
| Separate portions | Check the number and weight of the individual bags against how you plan to use them for trips or lunchboxes. | I want to be able to pack individual bags in lunchboxes for older family members. This kind of portioning is the main consideration for around 30% of consumers. |
| A snack for older family members | Read the ingredients and allergen information for the specific pack; choose the snack separately from food for your baby. | If older children or adults are sharing the pretzels, I care about the ingredients and whether they’re suitable for the people eating them. Around 20% of consumers put a snack to share first. |
A multipack makes snacks easier to hand out, but it doesn’t change the ingredients or nutritional values. The portion sizes described by REWE and HUOBER BREZEL therefore aren’t a reason to choose salted mini pretzels as food for a baby who is starting solids.
Check the ingredients and salt information on the pack. Choose food for your baby based on what’s suitable, not on how convenient the packaging is.
Ditsch’s Laugen-Mini-Mix comes with coarse salt in a separate sachet, but the product information also lists salt as an ingredient. Leaving out the sachet therefore doesn’t make the pretzel dough salt-free food for a baby who is starting solids.
Read the full ingredients and nutritional information for the specific product rather than judging it by the salt sprinkled on top.
According to the Healthy Start in Life network, a baby’s nutrient intake with baby-led weaning depends on the food offered and what the baby actually chooses to eat. Pretzels for older family members are no substitute for a suitably planned range of foods for a baby who is starting solids.
Plan age-appropriate food for your baby. If your baby is having only solid foods, the Healthy Start in Life network recommends seeking individual advice from your paediatric practice.
The pretzel varieties described contain wheat. If you’re sharing a supply, it’s important to know who each bag is intended for.
If you have a known allergy, check the ingredients and allergen information on the specific pack, and follow any individual medical advice.
REWE sells the Mini Brezel in a multipack containing three separate 40 g bags.
HUOBER BREZEL describes organic mini pretzels in a box containing 20 individual 40 g bags.
The Laugen-Mini-Mix contains pre-proofed dough pieces to bake at home, with a separate sachet of salt.
The salted mini pretzels described here aren’t a suitable finger food choice for a baby who is starting solids. The Healthy Start in Life network recommends avoiding added salt in food for babies; smaller individual bags don’t change the ingredients.
kindergesundheit-info.de says that the first purée should be introduced no earlier than the beginning of the fifth month and no later than the beginning of the seventh. Don’t assume your baby is ready for solid finger food based on their age or a snack’s packaging alone.
No. Salt is already listed in the ingredients for Ditsch Laugen-Mini-Mix. The separate sachet isn’t the only source of salt; the dough pieces also need to be thawed and baked before eating.
You could pack soft, age-appropriate finger food prepared without added salt for your baby, while older family members take their pretzels separately. If your baby is having only solid foods, the Healthy Start in Life network recommends seeking individual advice from your paediatric practice.