Rice cereal. Traditionally it’s the first baby food have eaten for decades.
But just because it’s traditional, is it the best?
Here’s some good news for parents: there isn’t a single best first food. Rice cereal is a traditional recommendation because most babies typically tolerate it pretty well. And because rice cereal is bland, it’s an easy food to start with. Let’s face it: the flavor and texture transition from breast milk (or formula) to solids is pretty huge for your little babe.
Other alternatives
Rice cereal isn’t the only option, though. With the recent news that rice contains arsenic, you might prefer to try something else. Some parents complain that rice cereal causes constipation in their little eaters, so the single grain variety of infant oatmeal can be used. Start with a single grain so you can rule out any reactions if your baby has them. Likewise, serve the food three to four days before trying other cereals to rule out reactions.
Some parents choose to skip grains altogether until a baby nears his or her first birthday. Mashed bananas or mashed avocados make great first foods. (Whew! Wouldn’t those tantalize your baby’s taste buds!) After trying those foods, you can introduce apples and pears in the form of a puree (actually applesauce and pearsauce), mashed sweet potatoes and mashed butternut squash.
My family’s experience
I started my own babies on non-organic, iron-fortified infant rice cereal when they were six months old. As I was just starting my Accidentally Green journey when they were infants, I did this without a second thought. However, if I had more babies, I might start their solids with something different.
Because infant cereals include iron, they often constipate babies. I discovered that sometimes the cereal did cause constipation in my children. To remedy the situation, I made sure their diet had variety – for breakfast I would serve single-grain oatmeal, and for lunch I would serve single-grain rice cereal. Dinner was a toss-up between the two. Very quickly, I found that pairing the oatmeal and rice cereal each day worked wonderfully. Too much oatmeal, and they had diarrhea. Too much rice cereal, and they were constipated. But giving both cereals each day regulated their digestion.
I did use a lot more infant cereal with Big Brother. But once Little Sister came along, she preferred eating food – not cereal – with the rest of the family. It was easier to feed her mushy bananas and avocados. Was it messy? Oh my goodness, yes. But it also was a treat to watch her enjoy her first foods and feel like she was part of the family.
One more thing …
Be sure to skip infant cereals that include fruits. Stick to a single-grain cereal, and then add your own real fresh fruit or vegetable.
Talk back
What was your family’s experience with infant cereals? What did you start with, and why?
More about first foods
Looking for a little direction as you start feeding your child solid foods? Check out my eBook, First Bites: How to instill healthy eating habits during your baby’s first year.
Today, I’m linking up with:
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