Rice Cereal

kellyrn9956 · June 2013

So I know rice cereal doesn't have much if any nutritional value. But don't you use it as a mild food to get babys digestive tract used to solids? I was planning on adding small amounts when he turns 4 months to the same amount of formula he always takes. So adding rather than replacing. Thoughts?

ASmallWonder · June 2013

Rice cereal yes, is bland but whether or not that works in your favor depends on the baby. It's also a low allergen food which is why it was typically offered as a first food but you certainly don't have to. What I really want to point out is that, regardless of what foods you choose to give, they should ALWAYS be giving in addition to the regular amount of formula. Formula intake shouldn't be decreased until after a year or if the baby naturally starts to decrease, which sometimes happens. The calories and nutritional benefit of formula/breastmilk exceed what the baby can get from solids because they take in so little at first.

nanabanana06 · June 2013

We skip cereal since it haze zero nutritional value. It also isn't all that great for babies and constipating. Also, it's best to wait until 6 months to start solids. Their gut is more mature then. Also, if your doing puree it's better to start with real food, not just mushy bland rice. Most start with fruits and veggies. We don't do purees and we do BLW since it's way easier and personally I find it slightly more fun than shoving a spoon in my sons mouth.

lkm2006 · June 2013

Nana_Osaki06:
We skip cereal since it haze zero nutritional value. It also isn't all that great for babies and constipating. Also, it's best to wait until 6 months to start solids. Their gut is more mature then. Also, if your doing puree it's better to start with real food, not just mushy bland rice. Most start with fruits and veggies. We don't do purees and we do BLW since it's way easier and personally I find it slightly more fun than shoving a spoon in my sons mouth.

Please let's not start the when to start solids debate. She didn't ask for that information so let's treat her as an educated parent who chooses to start feeding before 6 months, which is perfectly fine [given its when the baby is ready and between 4 to 6 months] Really, your whole post just came off as judgy but that might just have been how I took it.

OP, we didn't do rice cereal so I'm not to sure of any benefits but I think it might be a good source of iron. Of course, most solids should cover that anyway so I don't think it's too necessary. I think most people these days start with a veggie. [I did apples with DS1].

ETA clearly talk to your pedi before starting. Some want you to wait for certain reasons so I would always discuss starting solids with them.

kellyrn9956 · June 2013

Thanks ladies. I've heard the 4 vs 6 month debate many times and we've chosen 4 months as long as his ped okays that at his 4 month appointment. His ped may very well say to wait, and we will do so. But I do value everyone's advice and opinions!

Cellis · June 2013

We just started with avocado yesterday. It's pretty bland and easy to mush up, plus DS liked playing with it using his fingers. Like others said, there isn't really anything rice cereal offers as far as nutrition goes. Yes, there is iron, but it's added in. We're a weirdo Paleo family, so we prefer to get our nutrition from natural sources instead of ones that have it added into them, but really to each their own. So if you want to start with rice cereal, then you should go for it! Like a PP said, formula is the most important source of nutrients for your baby so definitely don't decrease that.

MrsWindyCity · June 2013

There's really no reason to make a bland food baby's first food and like you mentioned, rice cereal has no nutritional value. We started with fruits and veggies with DS1 and will do the same with DS2. We did eventually add oatmeal, but we never did rice cereal.

DCKate · June 2013

We started at five months with oatmeal. Your baby will let you know when she's ready, as ours was showing interest in what we were eating, sitting up with help, etc. she's done we'll with oatmeal and the pured foods we have introduced. Feeding her is enjoyable for both of us. I certainly don't feel like I'm shoving a spoon in her mouth, but to each her own. Good luck!

Wild_flower25 · June 2013

I don't understand the point of rice cereal at 4 months when it's watery like formula. You aren't teaching them anything because it's not substancial enough to even change the flavor or consistency of formula if you add it. It's pointless really.

I started with bananas and sweet potatoes at 5 months. I even added cinnamon to the sweet potatoes for some spice. I think it's better to give them tons of flavor! Give them a broader palette now so that maybe they won't be picky toddlers who only want bland food. Spices are not hard on their stomachs, but of course like all new foods, try them for a few days to test for reactions before moving to the next.

hmontty · June 2013

"adding rather than replacing..."

When you start solids, you aren't "replacing." You do not reduce the amount of milk or formula your child eats, you just also add some solids in as well.

I would not personally mix with his formula. The idea is that your child gets used to handling solids in the mouth. Start with a very watery mixture and then increase its thickness (add less water or formula to the rice powder) as he gets better at moving the food in his mouth and swallowing.

I use a whole grain rice as well as a whole grain oatmeal, so yes, they have nutritional value as well. But that's not really the point at this stage because they are consuming all the nutrients they need in their formula, which, again, you are not decreasing. The point is really learning how to eat solids.

Once you get to about 9 or 10 months and start giving "normal" food (not pureed or blended but actual pieces of "adult" food), your child might start to wean the formula a little bit on his own. By the time he gets to a year, he should be getting much of his nutrients from regular food and should be ready to switch to drinking cow's milk.

I know there are other methods of feeding, but this is sort of the classical way, and it worked well for my DD. At 12 months, she was off baby food. I did sometimes give her a puree pouch of veggies for the extra veggie intake until maybe 16 months, but otherwise, she was good to go with adult food.

PrimRoseMama · June 2013

We did flax cereal instead. It has great fiber and DD preferred the taste. We used it to thicken her purees.

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