Rice vs rice cereal

LoriMM

Is anyone feeding their LO rice or rice cereal?  I make my own baby food and I've been worried about using cooked rice.  Would it be too hard on baby's stomach?  And rice cereal bothers me because of all the arsenic talk.  Am I too worried? 

anmile

We skipped the rice all together and used organic oatmeal cereal. Our pedi also mentioned the rice cereal and arsenic and said if we didn't feel comfortable, just move on to oatmeal.

 

Cooperpritchett

So you just used plain oatmeal or instant oatmeal and cooked it and blend it up?

ASmallWonder

Actual rice has the same issues with arsenic as rice cereal.  It's fine in moderation but some people shy away from it in babies because they tend to eat it as meals often.  The oatmeal PP is talking to is still baby cereal.  It's finely milled oatmeal, the same general consistency as rice cereal.

fryrat

If you look at the actual report from consumer reports, the baby rice cereal has less arsenic than the regular rice. If you do want to make it yourself, I would grind it in something like a coffee grinder, uncooked.

LittleApple

Regular rice has arsenic too. If you are worried, use oatmeal or a mixed grain cereal.