Weaning on baby cereal

[poppy101]

Help, which cereal is best for me to use with my baby, they mention rice cereal in books ? Which type ? It also mentions oatmeal cereal ? Can I just buy oatmeal cereal in shop or do I need to buy baby oatmeal cereal ? is so which one is best, I don't want any added products in it and would prefer organic. Does anyone know ?

How old is your baby?

Rice is often recommended as it is pretty bland and non allergenic. You shouldn't give oat or wheat based products until 6 months becasue of the gluten.

The main differences between baby cereal and normal ground oartmeal or rice is the baby ones don't need cooking you just add warm milk, the normal oatmeal/rice flakes need to be cooked in a pan.

Personally I would recceomend leaving weaning as late as possible and skipping the babyrice stage, you can give things loike mashed up carrot and pear as first foods.

wise words

I skipped the wallpaper paste/baby rice with ds2. If you want to put your baby on solids before six months then sweetpotato and pear are ideal

Have started baby on baby rice and puree fruit and veg. 5 months old. Following GF's book on weaning, where is mentions to introduce cereal for breakfast. Not sure about using shop bought packets, have got one packet of banana porridge by organix but not sure what else I can use that has not added sugars, salts, added extras. Does anyone have any idea of plain cereals that I can use at this age with my little one ?? I also want organic cereals that I can make up any idea ?

I used baby rice with a little mixed in fruit, or HIpp cereal or Organix.

Have looked at the Hipp in supermarket at the weekend but was upset to note that they had many added ingredients that I wasn't sure off.

I give baby rice and fruit at tea time according to GF book so want a varied difference for breakfast. Have got the organix porridge, what else can I give ?

If you're not sure keep it as simple as possible. The rice & fruit type thing. After all once you have weaned for a bit you will start moving on to things that have different ingredients and it won't be an issue any longer.

Don't worry it's not going to ruin their palettes for ever, or anything, if you don't do it exactly as GF says!! Even though she sounds like a bit of a dragon!

Sorry - crossed posts

No I know but we want to encourage our little one to have a preference for savoury items rather than sweet and we want organic products as much as possible. We are trying as best as we can, having home cooked food as well, but its not easy finding the products that haven't got add sugar, salt, maltodextrin etc. in and is organic.

I was exactly the same as you with dd1. The thing is, think forward to when they are bigger - are you going to do the cooked breakfast thing every morning before school? YOu will almost certainly end up doing cereal and toast and a piece of fruit. Sometimes if I have time we manage eggy bread which the girls love, but it tends to be a rare thing.

I know that I'm not actually being very helpful, but you will find it easier if you go with the flow. What your baby is eating now, will probably not be what she is eating in two months time, and from personal experience, this does not make an enormous difference to tastes, they develop their own anyway depending on what you eat as a family. I hope I'm not sounding as bossy as GF.

Ignore me if I am

I haven't tried it but Boots do an organic cereal range. After 6 months you can just use normal porridge oats and add your own fruit. I'm fairly sure that Ready Brek has wheat added to it (can't be bothered going to check but will if you want. Dd loves it)

I am not shopping in Boots anymore due to bad treatment from local branch. So will have to keep looking around, had a look at ReadyBrek and believe that I found that they had put salt in it, if I can remember.

Ready brek claim that there is 'no added sugar or salt, contains only trace levels of sodium that occur naturally in Oats'. Sodium level is

Yes, looked in Sainsburys on Sunday morning, not a very big store so didn't have a great choice. I went through all the packets of baby cereal but couldn't find anything different, and looked in the organic section, and all the cereal range. No hope, I don't know what I can do.

Thanks for your advice and help, I am logging out for the night, as I have to go and tidy up the house.

If you want to go the all natural route, why not look at the following book:

What should I feed my Baby by Susanah Olivier. It is a fabulous book that gives all info on all natural diets for babies avoiding processed foods and allergens. I used it in conjunction with Gina Ford with my first ds. However, I would just like to point out that although I followed both their advice and my son never even tasted sugar of any kind before he was a year old, he is now a 3.5 year old who would chose McDonalds and chocolate over all else. I am all for giving them a good start in life and am doing so with ds2, but don't kid yourself that it will last!

AS to cereals, Susanah Olivier suggests grains such as millet. I am currently using this with my ds2 (7 months old). You can get it at holland and barrat and it comes in flake form. I mix it with an organix baby cereal and expressed milk. I generally add fresh banana to it too. It has a strong taste on its own, but both my sons have eaten it. Also, quinoa is another very healthy grain.

There's no added salt in Ready Brek. I would recommend it.

What kind of organic baby cereal can you use ?

I use Baby Organix brand

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