To ask what's the problem with baby rice?

[Teachtolive]

Keep seeing references on here and other sites about how bad baby rice is but no reasons given as to why it's the baby food devil. I gave little bits of it to dc1 for first intro to solid food or alongside veg puree. Why is it now considered so bad?

Isn't it because it fills them up but offers no nutritional value? I'm not sure. I never used it because it seemed pointless

Because it's tasteless gloop, mainly.

I think the question you should be asking is 'what benefit does this give babies'

Nothing. My DS had it at 19 weeks but we moved to purée within a week with some baby porridge for breakfast. He is a fabulous eater. Though this might have to do with us all eatin the same dinner from when he was 1.

I think because it's nutritionally not got much in it so if they're eating they may as well eat something with a higher nutritional value. For me the biggest concern though is arsenic in rice- I didn't know anything about this with my first but came across some research with my second which talked about the high level of arsenic in rice and that many children will be taking in a lot from baby rice , baby rice cakes, rice crispies etc. If I can find the articles I'll post a link x

I don't think there's anything intrinsically wrong with it. It's just, why would anyone choose to feed their baby something with the taste and texture of wallpaper paste when there are so many other things to give with the same or better nutritional value. It's just a bit pointless.

I know rice goes off quickly but I assume you mean pre- prepared stuff in jars or packets? If so I’ve no idea, probably just middle class virtue signalling as all of their babies are scoffing hummus and quinoa.

Imo baby rice is polyfilla not babyfiller.

Some of the issues with it are linked to people giving it early, before recommend weaning as they want to 'fill baby up so they sleep better'.

As a weaning food it is annoying, difficult to make (at least I found I a big faff) and not nutritionally useful or tasty.

The arsenic content would be my main worry. You're not supposed to give rice milk to under 4s for this reason, so making rice a big part of a babies food intake would not be a good idea.

It's one of the reasons (apart from the obvious sugar etc!) I don't allow my 10 year old to eat rice kirspies or coco pops every day as they would like to.

I personally avoided it / any rice products because concerns over arsenic (this research came out just as I was weaning my pfb)
"Almost three-quarters of rice cakes and other rice-based foods aimed at babies and young children contain dangerously high levels of arsenic, which has been linked to health problems including cancer."

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/may/04/inorganic-arsenic-rice-cakes-babies-queens-university-belfast

The reason as I understand it is because it doesn't really taste of anything or have any nutritional value!

• no nutritional value
• arsenic levels
• marketed to be for 4m+ when weaning before 6m should only be advised under a paediatrician or dietician

Has zero nutritional value.

Lots of data to show babies need nothing but breastmilk until 6 months.

Then once they're 6 months there's no need for baby rice, they can just have normal foods.

Plus just causes awful constipation IME

It’s the arsenic in it. Very high levels in people in Asia.

Exactly what mrspreston said...

Baby rice is an over processed, high sugar very bland food there are better first choices. www.analyticalarmadillo.co.uk/2011/12/nine-good-reasons-not-to-use-baby-rice.html

Ok that makes plenty of sense! Thank you lovely posters. I had read the arsenic research alright but only long after dc1 was on solids. It's a shame because there are some lovely baby risotto recipes (using actual arborio rice, not baby rice obviously!!)

@Teachtolive I think if you soak the rice and rinse it really really really well it should wash the arsenic out. I may not be correct on that - so check! But I recall reading that it was mainly a problem in processed rice products because the rice wasn't being rinsed sufficiently and then its stuck in the processed food iyswim.

@thiskittenbarks I think you're right! I read something similar in the BBC report on it. But it still cautioned against giving children rice to eat except once in a blue moon

There are particularly high levels of arsenic in rice milk because of the way it is made. Not particularly high levels of arsenic in baby rice. And the occasional bowl of rice crispies for a ten year old will do no harm at all. The CDC has a good report on arsenic from rice in children’s diet - they recommend avoiding rice milk, but you’re ok with other rice products.

In terms of it being “high in sugar” - it’s ground rice. If you mix it with sugar, yes it will be sugary. If you mix it with expressed milk or formula, it won’t be.

I found it handy in the first few weeks of weaning - DS just stuck his hands in all the other foods I offered, but he swallowed baby rice straight away, presumably because it tasted of milk. Once he got the hang of that (after about two weeks), I moved onto normal food. It was a useful bridge. Polenta will do the same job if you’re too posh to have chavvy stuff like baby rice in the house. I imagine quinoa would be a choking hazard.

How patronising . My dairy allergic DS if asked would choose a rice based cereal with rice milk to eat every day if I let him choose. I’m aware that ocassional consumption would do him no harm, and he gets it on weekends and holidays. Daily consumption is what I was worried about.

*Occasional

Apparently, basmati rice has the lowest arsenic levels, brown the highest. Rinse before cooking, and cook in plenty of water (6:1, so not your classic risotto recipe).

Most of the negative points listed for baby rice are the reason it's used as a first food. Bland, easily digested, hypoallergenic, tastes like milk, etc. It's to help introduce the baby to something other than milk, without causing choking, etc.
Sadly, it won't look as impressive as a quinoa and avocado smoothie bowl on your instagram feed, but, you know #babynotchoking