My baby won’t eat any cereal

[Laura9585]

We’re one month into weaning and my baby won’t eat weetabix, porridge or rusk. What else could I try her with for breakfast? She’s got a milk allergy and is on neocate and she doesn’t seem to like the cereals mixed with her milk (they do smell horrible to be honest). She’s great at lunch and dinner and will eat vegetables and fruits. I’m at a loss with what to give her for breakfast, I’m worried about choking with toast

Literally anything.

Toast
Eggs
Oatcakes
Pancakes
Veggies
Noodles
Banana

Try scambled egg. That was a winner for my son. Only needs a splash of milk
toast will go soggy and less likely to choke. Cut it into strips

Fruit, scrambled egg, pancakes, bread, baked beans, yoghurt.

I'd just feed her whatever you normally give at lunch - or try her on something like scrambled eggs if you really want to make it 'breakfast' specific. Or have you tried making porridge but with water instead of milk?

Food is food. It doesn't matter what the time of day is really. Forget about "breakfast" food and give her anything that she'd normally eat at lunch/dinner.

My DD has never liked cereal with milk (apart from porridge), but has always eaten it dry. Even now she is an adult!
She liked just eating the individual pieces as finger food - mini Weetabix, mini shredded wheat, Cheerios etc

But lots of other stuff you can give for breakfast as others have suggested. And toast will be fine.

Pasta
Soup
Leftover chicken
Omelette

You need to get over the mindset that breakfast = cereal.

Try something like eggs instead.

You need to give her toast and other things you're worried about her choking on eventually.

Try her with French toast so it's nice and soft if you like. Just whisk the eggs up without milk and do eggy toast.

Avocado and scrambled egg,
Porridge with oat milk,
My wee boy is crazy for haggis,
Pancakes made with oat milk and banana
Banana bread/muffins

Might she also be allergic to gluten? In which case be cautious about cereals.

Absolutely agree with this.
You don't NEED to eat cereal or toast just cause it's breakfast time
If she likes fruit and veg, give her fruit and veg.

They don’t need to eat cereal, just try other healthy foods.

Toast, hot cross buns, coconut or soy yoghurt with fruit, eggs?
Eldest used to strictly eat raspberries and banana for breakfast when she was little

I've got CMPA abs would never eat cereal with milk on as a child.

We like these berry pancakes made with Almond Milk. You could all have them at the weekend or you can freeze them in batches for her.

Another favourite here is mashed avocado on toast.

Babies usually like Banana-cado too

Try making the cereal with soya, almond, oat or whatever milk instead. She doesn’t need the formula in food.

Try not to worry about choking with toast. Sure, be aware of the risk but don’t avoid giving it to her for that reason alone. Do some first aid stuff so you know what to do but she will be fine. She might gag but gagging is not choking. Many many babies are weaned on mostly finger foods - look up baby led weaning. Your fear of choking could mean you end up with a toddler who only eats mush or puree which is not a battle you want.

Eggs are great for breakie in any form and will soften toast. My DD is coeliac so doesn’t eat normal cereal or toast. Scrambled egg with added onion, peppers and tomatoes is a fave. Or fruit and Greek yoghurt.

Is there none dairy milk that you can use in cooking?
We discovered during weaning DS had a milk allergy, so I carried on feeding (I'm pretty low dairy anyway) and used oatly for cooking. Check with someone for the advice now, but consider cooking with something you can all eat.

Otherwise - any of the great suggestions above, and definitely try toast.

Fruit and Greek yoghurt?

DS refused cereal and milk until well over 1. He was a full on spoon refuser and only wanted to eat with his hands and used to get so cross and frustrated with trying to pick up cereal or porridge! For breakfast he mostly had strips of toast with toppings, strips of omelette, fruit, homemade muffins or banana pancakes. Thank goodness he mastered spooning his own cereal at about 14 months as no way would I have time for these more elaborate breakfasts now I’m back at work!

If she's got CMPA that might not be the best advice

My DS also had prescribed formula. We used to make baby rice with his formula.

Aptimil and Cow & gate make baby rice that is 100% rice, (it doesn’t contain milk). You can also add some puréed fruit or veg.

Also, advice I wish I’d given myself - don’t stress about it. All babies eat in their own time and will go through phases of refusing everything. Keep offering different bits.

If you want to offer smooth food how about making Mango Rice Pudding with a milk alternative like Almond Milk.

Also agree with others about offering finger foods like toast. It's developmentally normal to be eating finger foods at this time and choking is rare, but can also happen with purées.

Have a look at what to do when a baby chokes, have a read of Safe Weaning on the NHS website and think about signing yourself up for a Paediatric First Aid Course. It can be scary when you first offer things like toast but the enjoyment they get from exploring new things is so with it

Sensible baby, cereals are not particularly healthy.

OK I'm an adult so this is different for me, I'm also type 2 diabetic so I low carb.

My breakfasts are generally egg.

Scrambled (you don't need milk, add a dash of water to make them lighter) poached, boiled, omelets, microwaved in a ramekin, occasionally fried, sometimes baked inside an avocado.

When I don't have eggs I often have ham and cheese, yoghurt, nuts occasionally bacon or sausages.

Very occasionally I have fish.

Sometimes I have hummus either with cheese or with veg to dip in.

Before the T2D I would also have fruit.

Sorry forgot to ask, if she has CMPA has she been referred to a Paediatric Dietician?

If not, I'd ask for a referral