As parents, one of our top priorities is to support our babies’ growth and development in the healthiest way possible. While we often focus on the nutritional content of the foods we provide, how babies eat their food is just as important. Chewing plays a critical role in digestion, gut health, dental health, and even the proper development of facial muscles and bones. However, in today’s world of convenience, pre-packaged foods, especially those in squeezy packets, may compromise these benefits by bypassing the chewing process. Let’s look at why chewing is essential for babies.

Babies can begin chewing even before they have teeth by using their gums, which are surprisingly strong. Gums allow babies to mash and break down soft foods like steamed vegetables, bananas, or mashed avocado. This early chewing practice helps them develop the muscles they’ll need for more complex chewing as their teeth come in. Offering soft, chewable foods encourages babies to explore textures and improve their coordination, laying the foundation for healthy eating habits and proper oral and facial development, even without teeth.

1. Chewing and Digestion

The process of digestion begins in the mouth. When babies chew their food, they break it down into smaller, more manageable pieces, making it easier for the rest of the digestive system to do its job. Chewing also stimulates the production of saliva, which contains digestive enzymes like amylase. These enzymes begin the breakdown of carbohydrates in the mouth, jump-starting the digestive process before the food even reaches the stomach.

For babies, chewing helps them develop a strong connection between chewing and digestion. Encouraging them to chew their food thoroughly means that by the time the food reaches their stomach, it’s already partially broken down, which reduces the workload on the digestive system. This early digestive process can help minimize the risk of common issues like gas, bloating, and constipation, which are often related to incomplete digestion.

2. Chewing for Gut Health

Chewing not only supports digestion, but it also plays a crucial role in gut health. By promoting proper digestion, chewing helps ensure that nutrients are efficiently absorbed in the intestines. When food is adequately broken down, it passes through the digestive system more smoothly, reducing the likelihood of undigested food particles fermenting in the gut, which can lead to gut dysbiosis (an imbalance of gut bacteria).

Moreover, chewing promotes a balanced gut microbiome. Since food is more fully digested, the gut bacteria are less likely to become imbalanced by fermenting food particles that were improperly digested. A healthy microbiome is essential for overall health and well-being, as it influences not only digestion but also immune function and mood.

3. Dental Health and Chewing

Chewing also plays a vital role in dental health, even at a young age. When babies begin eating solid foods, chewing stimulates the development of their jawbones and teeth. The act of chewing helps keep teeth clean by mechanically scrubbing them and increasing saliva production, which has a cleansing effect on the mouth by neutralizing harmful acids.

Babies who chew solid foods also naturally strengthen their gums, which is important for the proper eruption of teeth. The action of biting and chewing strengthens the muscles around the jaw and mouth, helping ensure the baby’s oral cavity develops properly to support future teeth alignment and overall dental health.

4. Facial Development and Chewing

Chewing plays a key role in the development of the facial muscles and bones. During infancy and early childhood, the bones in the face are still growing and changing shape. The act of chewing helps build and strengthen the muscles that support the jaw, cheeks, and face. Over time, this helps shape the child’s face, ensuring that the jaws grow in alignment and that the airways develop properly.

Proper facial development has long-term benefits. It can impact how the teeth align, prevent issues such as crowded teeth or bite problems, and even support better breathing. In fact, children who chew regularly on solid foods tend to develop wider palates, which can reduce the risk of airway issues like sleep apnoea later in life.

5. Foods to Avoid: The Downside of Squeezy Packets and Pre-Mashed Foods

In today’s busy world, convenience foods such as purees in squeezy packets are becoming increasingly popular with parents. While these foods are undeniably convenient, they can prevent babies from learning to chew, which is crucial for their development.

When babies consume foods from a squeeze pouch, they miss out on the important action of chewing. While pureed food may provide calories and nutrition, it bypasses the muscle-building, saliva-stimulating, and digestion-boosting benefits of chewing. Over time, over-reliance on purees can delay a child’s progression to eating more solid textures, which can lead to picky eating, dental issues, or delayed speech development (as facial muscles used in chewing are also engaged in speaking).

Additionally, many pre-packaged baby foods can be highly processed, often containing additives or hidden sugars, which can further impact gut health and dental health.

6. Encouraging Healthy Chewing Habits

To ensure your baby develops proper chewing skills, it’s important to introduce a variety of textures at appropriate stages. Here are some tips for encouraging healthy chewing:

– Start Early with Soft Solids: Once your baby is ready for solids (usually around 6 months of age), begin with soft, mashable foods like steamed vegetables, mashed avocado, or soft fruits. These foods can easily be broken down but still encourage chewing.

– Move Toward Finger Foods: As your baby grows and gains more control, introduce finger foods like soft-cooked veggies, small pieces of fruit, or well-cooked pasta. These foods encourage babies to pick up and chew, promoting hand-eye coordination and chewing skills.

– Include a Variety of Textures: Offer a wide range of textures as your baby progresses to more solid foods, from soft meats to scrambled eggs to whole grain toast. The more variety, the better for developing their chewing skills.

– Limit Pre-Packaged Purees: If you use squeezy pouches or jarred purees for convenience, make sure they are only a small part of your baby’s diet. Transition away from these as soon as possible to avoid reliance on foods that don’t require chewing.

Chewing is a fundamental part of healthy development for babies, contributing to proper digestion, gut health, dental health, and even facial development. By encouraging babies to chew their food from an early age, you are setting them up for long-term health and well-being. While convenient foods like purees in squeeze pouches can be helpful in moderation, it’s important to prioritize whole, solid foods that require chewing for your baby’s optimal growth and development.

Jean Jarrett is a nutritionist and naturopath based on Sydney’s North Shore, specializing in supporting the health and well-being of children from infancy to adolescence. She founded Healthy Kids Naturally to provide busy parents with practical and reliable resources for nurturing their children’s health naturally.

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