Fortified no-added-sugar breakfast cereal suitable for BLW

[WutheringTights]

Basically, is there one? I like the idea of cheerios etc as they're fortified with vitamins and iron but I'm horrified by the added sugar. We've so far been sticking to toast, porridge fingers and mini shredded wheat with fruit for breakfast but I'd like to try something different and, ideally, something with added vitamins. I think I've examined every breakfast cereal packet in our local Tesco. Any suggestions gratefully received. Thanks.

[pumpkinsweetie]

I fed my babies weetabix with warmed milk, they loved it

[MoaningMingeWhingesAgain]

ready brek?
weetabix is good. Not sugar free but low sugar

[WutheringTights]

Thanks. We tried weetabix but he wants to feed himself and the carnage that ensued put me off, at least until he's a bit better with a spoon. It was the "sets like cement" attribute that caused the problem - he had to have a bath and it took me ages to chip it off the highchair, floor, my chair, my clothes... Who would have though one single weetabix could coat so much of the kitchen! Might try try baby food aisle for ideas.

[noblegiraffe]

Is your baby ff? If they are getting 500ml+ of formula a day, they're getting vitamins from that as formula has added vitamins.

If you are bfing, or baby gets less than 500ml formula then you should be giving a vitamin supplement (department of health recommendation for babies from 6 months to 5 years).

Wellkid baby vitamin drops also have iron in them, if you are worried about vitamins and iron.

[Gingersnap88]

If you are breast feeding and you have a normal healthy diet then you don't need any added vitamins for baby or in the food.

Have you tried cornflakes? My DD loves them and very low in sugar. Lots of the organic or free-from cereals are lower in sugar too

[laeiou]

I second cornflakes and also rice crispies- sainsbury own band have less sugar and salt than the big brands. Some muesli-type cereals can be ok too.

[WutheringTights]

He's BF (I wish he would take formula!) and he has the NHS healthy start vitamins, which only contain A, C and D. I wanted to try something other than shredded wheat mainly because that only contains wheat and I'm trying to make sure that he doesn't have too much wheat-based food as he doesn't need that much fibre. I'm also conscious that he has fewer than the recommended portions of fish and meat each week, and that's with us making a massive effort to eat more fish and meat, so I thought a fortified cereal might help here.

I came up blank in the baby food aisle but I did manage to find a tesco own brand fortified ready brek style cereal with no added sugar. Hopefully that will work well as porridge fingers. But I'm appalled at how much added sugar and salt (not to mention chocolate) there is in breakfast cereals. I had no idea it would be this difficult to find something. I mean, who needs chocolate for breakfast? I'm dreading DS being old enough to understand the marketing and actually ask for this stuff.

[FruitSaladIsNotPudding]

Raisin wheats are no added sugar I think. They're high in sugar though, because of the raisins! Depends if that bothers you. We make porridge pancake - oats, just enough milk to cover, some prunes cut up then microwave for 2 and a half mins. Cool, turn out and cut into wedges( don't attempt to cut while hot, it falls apart. Oh, and you need to use a flat bottomed bowl, tommee tippee weaning bowls work well).

[JiltedJohnsJulie]

Will second that if you are bfing you don't really need to worry about giving fortified cereals. Have a read of this. Is there something about your baby that makes you think they may be deficient in any mineral or vitamin?

If you don't think you offer meat often enough, are you giving other good quality protein?

Things that are bfing friendly, but not fortified, are savoury muffins, blueberry pancakes and nut butter on toast. White bread is usually fortified too

[BikeRunSki]

Health Food shops have sugar free versions of many cereals, but they are usually horrible.

[moondog]

Why do you need a breakfast cereal at all?
They're a total con.
Porridge is fine and Weetabix is too as nothing else in it.
My kids eat a lot of barley. They are older now but it would have made a great cereal.

[InMyShreddies]

My DS has porridge pretty much every single day for breakfast - he's 2 - and has done since BLW porridge fingers. He prefers it runny with a spoon now. He eats all sorts for lunch - cheese on toast, sandwiches, salads, noodles, pasta and so on, and a good variety of dinners, but breakfast = oats in this house. Or the occasional fry-up or pancakes with bacon, blueberries and maple syrup at weekends.

I think the need for variety in breakfast is over-rated - there is no better brekkie than a big bowl of oats! I do add fruit purée (1/3 sachet of Ella's) for flavour, or raisins and cinnamon sometimes as that's what DH has in his. I think it's the big cereal companies - Kellogg's, Nestlé et al - who want us constantly seeking the next thing. They only fortify their cereals because otherwise they're mostly like cardboard - albeit with sugar and salt added and in interesting shapes.

A good hearty Scottish breakfast, oats.

[moondog]

I agree with it being easy to get sucked into a feeling that we must have variety.
It's nonsense.
My kids get porridge, Weetabix or eggs on toast. Occasionally bran flakes as a treat. That's it.
Lunch much the same. Sandwich, yoghurt and fruit.

[TiredyCustards]

I'm sure I saw an Ella's Kitchen version of cheerios in Boots. I imagine they're massively overpriced, but I think it's what you're after!

[adagio]

I do shredded wheat bite size (as you do) or egg (boiled, cut into wedges) with oatcakes or toast, or banana pancakes and I always offer fruit to throw around too because I eat what she doesn't - peaches are nice at the moment.

I give her the Wellkid vitamins which include iron every couple of days (partly because my HV didn't offer anything so I didn't know the Healthystart ones existed.) She seems to be quite happy slurping it off the spoon.

Also broadly BLW and EBF, 8 and a bit months old. Oh and I am vitamining myself too when I remember which should maintain the breast milk quality (I figured that if I was 'running out' of fat soluble vitamins as some articles seem to indicate post 6 months BF then topping up can't hurt).

[goodjambadjar]

Ella's kitchen wakey wakey round ones were brilliant. They are very expensive cheerios! but as you only need a few in the early days, the pack lasts a while! Join the EK website, you might get a voucher, which could help. (I also occasionally gave her a few Shreddies for variety)

[ExBrightonBell]

Kallo make plain puffed rice with nothing added - my Sainsburys does it in the Free From aisle. It isn't fortified though.

[WutheringTights]

Maybe I am worrying about nothing. He gets one or two portions of meat or fish or cheese or egg a day so he's probably fine. And shreddies and moondog are right; variety for variety sake isn't necessary. Breakfast is usually one of mini shredded wheat, porridge fingers or toast plus fruit, which should be fine. I would sometimes give eggy bread for breakfast too, but that's my falback, there's nothing in the fridge/ I'm in a rush dinner . I will look into the Ella's kitchen website though. Thanks

[MyNameIsSuz]

Shreddies are good, take a little while to go soft though.