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Home > Commercial Baby And Infant Cereals Are They Necessary?
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Commercial Baby and Infant Cereals - Are They Necessary? by Margaret Meade
Did you know that baby's first food does not have to be a commercial infant rice cereal? You may wish to make your own Homemade Baby Cereals and skip the boxed cereals or skip the baby cereals altogether. Many pediatric resources are acknowledging the fact that avocado, banana and sweet potato make great first foods for baby! Many sources now recommend beginning a baby with fruits such as avocado or banana and/or vegetables such as sweet potato or winter squash as first food(s). Studies are now revealing that grains may not be good starter foods for babies due to digestion and lack of flavor. Starting with a fruit like avocado or banana or a vegetable like sweet potato is a great alternative to cereal(s)!
Starting a baby on rice cereal as a first food is not an absolute must. Today, it is more of a recommendation that is based on years of following the same old guidelines and traditions. There is no medical need to start baby out with commercial infant cereals; your baby will not grow less or become ill if you skip the commercial baby cereals. However, your baby may need extra iron due to less than optimal nutritional health or due to being pre-term. In this instance, you should consult with your pediatrician on the best foods to offer as "first" foods.
What are commercial baby cereals made from?
Commercial single grain infant cereals are made from grains such as rice, barley and oat. These are refined grains and thus, these cereals are not as nutrient dense and do not contain the total nutrition that parents might think. You may see this when you open the box and out comes flakes of white. The process of refining takes out the Bran and the Germ (the most nutritious parts), leaving the Endosperm. You see, removing the germ and the bran allow grain products to stay on the grocer's shelf longer! That's not really a comforting thought when you realise that the box of baby cereal you may purchase might have been on the shelf before your baby was even born!
While the refining process does strip away many nutrients, these nutrients are added back in after the milling of the grain. Even with the addition of the nutrients that were taken out, it has long been know that nutrients that are naturally occurring are more bio-available and easily utilized by the human body than those that are added back in. Homemade Baby Cereals will contain the iron that is naturally occurring in the grain itself.
If you decide to make cereal a first food, why not make your own?
Commercial baby cereals are refined, precooked and dehydrated. This is best exemplified when you mix up some commercial cereal and find a pasty substance in the bowl. Some brands of commercial baby cereals are whole grain and may be made with whole grain flour, however there is nothing more natural and whole than buying some whole grains and making them into baby cereal - 100% pure whole grain goodness!
The easiest way to make your own cereals is to grind up the grains on your own. You may take Rice, Oatmeal, Barley etc and use a blender or food processor (or even a clean coffee grinder) to grind the grains into a powder. This powder then becomes your baby cereal. Cook this powder for 15 minutes until a appropriate consistency is achieved for your baby.
The type of brown rice that you would want to use for cereals would ideally be a short-grain brown rice. Short-grain rice cooks up more soft than does long or medium grain rice. The only caveat is that it may become sticky and "pasty" when pureed so keep an watch over the rice when cooking and pureeing/blending it. You may use a blend of any type of rice that you like; ensure that it is whole grain however. Brown jasmine rice and plain brown rice make a nice blend for cereals as do basmati and plain brown rice. If you find that your baby does not like this blend, then consider switching to the plain brown rice type until the palate has become used to the tastes and textures of solid foods!
Organic Homemade Baby Rice Cereal Recipe Ingredients:
1/4 c. rice powder (Organic brown rice ground in blender or food processor) 1 cup water
Directions:1. Bring liquid to boil in saucepan. Add the rice powder while stirring constantly. 2. Simmer for 10 minutes, whisking constantly; mix in formula and/or breast milk and fruits if desired3. Serve warm.
**Please note: The current recommendations for starting an infant on solid foods/weaning foods is 6 months of age. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) acknowledges that there are no "strict" age guidelines on introducing solid foods to your baby. However, the AAP, along with the CDC and the WHO do recommend that you offer nothing but breast milk and/or formula until you baby is at least 6 months old. Contrary to some suggestions, breast milk and/or formula provide for your baby's nutrition and solids are compliments, not replacements, until around 9 months of age.
About the Author
**Please note: The current recommendations for starting an infant on solid foods/weaning foods is 6 months of age. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP (http://www,aap.org/)) acknowledges that there are no "strict" age guidelines on introducing solid foods to your baby. However, the AAP, along with the CDC and the WHO do recommend that you offer nothing but breast milk and/or formula until you baby is at least 6 months old. Contrary to some suggestions, breast milk and/or formula provide for your baby's nutrition and solids are compliments, not replacements, until around 9 months of age.
Margaret Meade is a WAHM and is the mother of 3 boys. Currently the Editor/Owner of WholesomeBabyFood.com and WholesomeToddlerFood.com, she enjoys the opportunity to help parents and caregivers start their children on good healthy eating habits! Nutrition, journalism and IT are her very diverse backgrounds; enabling the ease of writing infant and toddler nutrition articles and websites. Here's to happy and healthy eating!
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