Hard Munchables in Weaning: Supporting Oral Development

When we think about weaning, we often focus on introducing new tastes and nutrients. But alongside what babies eat,  and how they eat plays a vital role in their development. One often overlooked but highly effective tool in early feeding is hard munchables or natural food teethers, firm foods designed for babies to gnaw on safely during their weaning journey.

Used alongside a mouth muscle gym like Dotty the Dinosaur, they can accelerate the safe handling of foods and even minimise picky eating.

What Are Hard Munchables?

Hard munchables are firm pieces of food, too hard for babies to break down and swallow. Examples include mango pits, corn on the cob, ribs etc. They are not intended to be eaten, but rather to provide safe opportunities for babies to chew, mouth, and explore.

These foods allow babies to practise essential oral skills while being introduced to new flavours and smells in a safe, developmentally supportive way.

Why They Matter in Weaning

Introducing hard munchables isn’t just about keeping little ones entertained at the table. They actively contribute to oral motor development – the foundation for confident eating and even clear speech later in life.

Hard munchables help babies to:

• Strengthen oral muscles: Chewing against firm resistance develops the jaw, cheeks, and tongue muscles.
  

• Establish safe chewing patterns: Babies learn how to move food side to side in their mouths, preparing them for softer solids.
  

• Increase sensory awareness: Exposure to new tastes, textures, and temperatures supports sensory acceptance of foods.

• Move the gag reflex: Hard, munchable foods can also help move the gag reflex further back, important for safe swallowing

This early practice develops the mechanics needed for safe chewing, swallowing, and a positive feeding experience as your baby progresses.

How They Complement Dotty The Dinosaur

Many parents are already familiar with teethers, which can provide comfort and chewing practice during teething, but many teethers are one-dimensional. Bibado’s Dotty the Dinosaur is more than ‘just a teether’ and has been designed with multiple features and textures to actively stimulate the teeth, lips, jaw and mouth muscles to nurture safe, independent eating. You can read more about the wonder weaning tool developed with the support of experts and dentists here. 

Hard munchables build on Dotty’s features by linking chewing to eating. They provide functional oral exercise while exposing babies to food's sensory properties.

Together, Dotty and hard munchables create a complete system for developing oral strength, coordination, and feeding readiness.

Practical Tips for Parents

We consulted The Children’s Dietitian, Lucy Upton, for her top tips on how to safely introduce hard munchables. Here’s what she had to say*

• Your baby must be able to handle them independently

• Always supervise your baby when offering hard munchables.

• Choose pieces large enough for your baby to hold securely but too big to fit fully into their mouth. Most of the food should remain outside their mouth. 

• They shouldn’t break apart, and large pieces are unlikely to detach or be snapped off.
  

• Start with naturally firm foods such as large, whole, peeled raw carrots, mango pits with most of the flesh removed, chunky ends of celery sticks and meat bones such as ribs.
  

• Remember: these are tools primarily for chewing and practising skills, not foods for swallowing.

Taken from The Ultimate Guide to Children’s Nutrition, Lucy Upton MNutr

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Supporting Confident Eaters

At Bibado, we believe that feeding is about more than nutrition – it’s about building the skills and confidence that set the stage for a lifetime of positive mealtimes. Hard munchables, when used alongside a mouth-muscle teether, provide an invaluable opportunity to strengthen mouth muscles, encourage sensory exploration, and prepare your little one for the exciting world of weaning and family mealtimes.