Can I give my 6 month old ready brek instead of expensive baby porridge...?

[Flingmoo]

We're not exactly broke, but I object to spending £2.50 on a box of Aptamil baby porridge which is 200g, that's only about 4/5 servings now he's suddenly turned into a big piggy with a huge appetite... Although I must admit, the baby porridge does smell and taste so yummy.

Can I give him ready brek instead? I paid £1.50 for a 450g box which is obviously a lot better value! I can always add dollops of fruit puree to give it a yummy flavour.

Know of any good reason why I shouldn't? Also, formula or cows milk to make it?

TIA

[Figster]

Baby porridge is crap I'm sure my lo had normal porridge oats from early on but with formula no dairy until 12mo

[GritStrength]

It's fine although very bland.

[SophieBarringtonWard]

Why not use ordinary porridge?

[reddaisy]

Yes! I love Ready Brek and cow's milk to make it is fine.

[Swex]

Yes. Why bother with baby porridge?

[Swex]

Yes. Why bother with baby porridge?

[MistAndAWeepingRain]

I can't read all the nutritional info on your ouc but Ready Brek certainly used to be quite salty.

If your baby is 7 months, why not just use porridge oats to make his breakfast?

[Familyguyfan]

I used ready brek with homemade fruit puree in it and both my dc seem okay. I'm not a big fan of proper porridge, much prefer ready brek myself so never thought twice about it with them. I'm sure there was something said once about the salt content of it being higher than baby porridge but I imagine in a balanced diet that it isn't a problem.

[Artandco]

Yes ready brek is fine. I personally hate the taste so just used regular porridge and made enough for everyone. Ds's like with cinnamon.

[callamia]

Just use regular porridge. You can use a coffee grinder or a blender to make it small so it's not lumpy. Make it with milk or formula as you wish. We did this, and it was easy and cheap.

[DoesntLeftoverTurkeySoupDragOn]

I agree with others - just use ordinary porridge oats. No need to grind them down at all really. Mine used to love blueberry and banana porridge.

[DoesntLeftoverTurkeySoupDragOn]

The ingredients list for Ready Brek doesn't have any salt in it and the amount of salt in the nutritional information is negligible.

[fingersandthumbs]

Please be careful. You must look at the salt content. If you are in any doubt as to why please do an internet search on Leroy Elders who died from salt poisoning after his parents swapped from baby rice to Ready Brek

[ThinkIveBeenHacked]

Yep, no problem. I also used Oats So Simple sachets.

[SpaghettiMeatballs]

There is no salt in Ready Brek anymore. I've given it to both my DCs from 6 months.

[Flingmoo]

Thanks! Well, I chose ready brek over normal porridge because I thought it might be easier for both of us - easier to make (can just add hot milk, whereas normal porridge oats need actual cooking don't they?) and easier for him to eat in the morning without too much chewiness (he does get plenty of chewing practice from other things - toast, rice cakes, lumpy lunches and dinners etc).

The baby porridge is good IMHO, only if it wasn't so expensive though - the Aptamil one is so easy as you can just add water, it's got all the vits and minerals you'd get in formula, plus it isn't just oats, it's multigrain, so wheat, rice and oats. Just a bit annoying that it's so expensive... Like all baby food seems to be.

I need to go back to making homemade dinners and lunches for him again, bit of a faff but a lot more economical!

[ThinkIveBeenHacked]

fingers that is a very misleading post.

Leroy Elders was three months old, well below the advised weaning age and well below tge OPs babys age. He was also fed all sorts of meals (instant mash, gravy, etc) that were blended adult meals.

To state that he died of salt poisoning because his parents swapped from baby porridge to ready brek is misinformative.

[ThinkIveBeenHacked]

And it happened 15 years ago, and so the ingredients may well be different now.

[blibblibs]

Baby porridge is awfully high in sugar - I remember when DC were little is was 40 something grams of sugar per 100g so I used Ready Brek.

[SassySugarCane]

No dairy till 12mo? What do you think is in formula Figster? It is fine to mix cows milk into cereal/porridge etc at 6mo, they just can't have it as a main drink till 12mo. :)

[5ChildrenAndIt]

don't use ready brek - use oats

[treaclesoda]

Plain Ready Brek appears to have less salt per 100g than Aptamil baby products, according to the ingredients list I have just compared.

My children always ate Ready Brek rather than baby products, I was happy enough from the ingredients list that it was really just finely ground porridge.

[jaggythistle]

You don't need to use formula. Cow's milk can be used in food from 6 months, just not as a main drink.

Ready brek is just finely milled oats and oat flour so makes a smoother porridge oats. It has some added vitamins as well I think.

[DoesntLeftoverTurkeySoupDragOn]

normal porridge oats need actual cooking don't they?

You can just stick the oats and milk in the microwave. IIRC there are instructions on the bag of oats. Check the temperature thoroughly though.

No need to worry about the lumps - if your porridge requires chewing, you've done something wrong!! :o

I used to make batches of banana and blueberry porridge and freeze it in portions.

[fingersandthumbs]

Apologies if the information is out of date. It was relevant when I was weaning my son. I think that the advice to be careful and look at salt content of any food given when weaning is important. I'm sorry if I have inadvertently scaremongered.