porridge/baby porridge?

[Pavlov]

What is the difference?

I have a mill on my new food processor (thanks kenwood/mn!) and thought I would just powder up the porridge i already have, can i just do this? And if so, how do i cook it? Or can I just mix it in with other food?

Yes you could do this. But the thing I found useful/reassuring about baby porridge is that it is fortified with iron and breast milk loses iron after around 6 months. Your porridge may also be fortified of course? Obviously not so much of an issue if formula fed, or if you think you can get iron down them in other ways. After a while I just gave her weetabix (which is also fortified) for breakfast.

Normal porridge is just fine.

Iron milk stores only start to deplete after 6 months and if you're starting to offer a normal varied diet, there's no reason to worry about extra iron, supplements or fortification.

Many things might be fortified with iron but it's actually unlikely that a baby is able to absorb that much iron that way. The iron in bmilk is v easily absorbed.

Anyway, normal porridge is fine. And cheaper.

Besom - oh yes, i did not think about the whole iron fortifying thing, I was more interested in using my new mill and saving a bit of money (tighfisted emoticon). He is breastfed.

Once he is a bit older I will give him the same breakfast as we all eat. DD loved weetabix, still does. Although she prefers eggs benedict (having that when DH eventually hauls his backside out of bed).

showofhands so do i need to cook it? or can I just mix a bit in with say apple puree? It is so much cheaper. I already have porridge, tons of the stuff as it was on offer a while ago and I love it, so whizzing up a bit will cost nothing, compared to a few quid or whatever for the same amount by Heinz or whoever.

I don't know about having it raw. DD just ate the same as us from the point of weaning so I made ordinary porridge for her (and had a healthy helping myself).

I soaked it in milk. I figured that it is the same as the summer porridge I have, i soak it in milk overnight and then mix yoghurt/fruit into it, so it did that, minus the yoghurt, and not overnight. Then i mixed puree into it, and he loved it.

It seems silly to cook it up right now as only doing a couple of teaspoons of it. Can I freeze it once mixed with milk/cooked do you think? If so I could make some cubes of it.

I don't think porridge would freeze well - as in, it would be quite revolting when defrosted. You could try it but I don't fancy your chances with it.

i think you are are right. A bit like cauliflower cheese [bleugh]

I don't understand, why not just make ordinary porridge in the microwave? Or Ready Brek which is also powdered already and you just have to heat the milk and stir in.

I always thought the main difference was that 'baby' porridge comes in highly packaged, in tiny quantities for extortionate prices, whereas normal porridge oats come in cheap sackfuls

seth reddy brek has sugar (and salt?) in, and he is too young imo for sugar. Also, don't have a microwave, so not as simple as that.

apassionatewoman my thoughts exactly and I can't see that I am going to use enough of it to justify it when I have all the things here to do it myself. He will be eating the same brekky as the rest of us soon enough. Well, in fact he had it for lunch today as only on one meal a day, but he does not know its lunch time does he

And also, most importantly, I want to use my mill attachment

just wanted to say that ordinary ready brek has no added salt and sugar

oh doesn't it? so whats the difference between that and porridge? is it loaded with vitamins?

Ready Brek has no added salt and sugar and is actually a lot healthier than most other cereals. It is commonly assumed to be full of rubbish when in fact it's quite healthy. Never tasted it though.

Ready Brek is oats, oat flour and a load of vitamin type stuff iirc.

So, in theory, no problem other than it means not using my mill attachment then? I don't think it is that expensive is it?

Hi all!

very interested in this post - we get creamy porridge, satge one, for our DS (13 month's but still likes smooth porridge, but then who really likes lumpy porridge!!).

We get the HIPP one but he goes through it like a rate of knots! So in keeping with the smooth porridge idea - is it really alright to feed him readybrek???

This would be sooooo much cheaper if we could, I make his porridge with full fat milk anyway - heat in the micro and stir in the powder afterwards getting rid of any hot spots!!

Can we confirm Ready Brek is ok for a one year old?? (yippee if yes!!)

TIA

original ready brek is ok from 6 months. It has no added salt/sugar and is fortified with vitamins and iron

ahhhh thats like music to my ears!!! horrah!

Now all I have to worry about is if he likes it as much as his HIPP one! hee hee!

boo hoo, he hates Ready brek! typical! oh well well give it another try a little way down the line!

Breastmilk doesn't lose iron, or anything else, at 6 mths, or any other time, come to that

Babies start to need a bit more iron around this time, but breastmilk has the same iron as it always had.

try adding mashed fruit/fruit puree to make it taste nicer (or jam or honey as he is over 1 year!)

My LO has readybrek quite often, but it tastes foul without added fruit puree or (after 12 months) honey, or just some grated apple. Also, for those even more tightfisted, Tesco own brand version is identical and cheaper still