How to Choose the Best Cereal for Your Baby

By eHow Parenting Editor

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Baby almost ready for solids? Confused by the array of cereals in the baby-food aisle? Here's how to choose the best cereal for your new eater.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Reading Glasses
Bottled Water
Baby Spoons
Small Bowls
whole grain, organic, baby food

Step1

Choose iron-fortified infant cereal.

Step2

Read labels to find a whole-grain cereal. Whole grains have more naturally occurring minerals like copper, zinc and magnesium.

Step3

Select brown rice, barley or oat cereal first.

Step4

Pick a cereal made with organic grains. Pesticide residues could be especially harmful to babies since they are growing and developing so quickly.

Tips & Warnings

For your baby's first feeding, mix about 1 tablespoon of cereal with 3 to 4 tablespoons of breast milk, formula or water.
It is not necessary to use an infant cereal that is made with formula ingredients.
Wait to introduce mixed grain cereals until your baby has tried each grain in the mix individually.
Wait until baby is at least 4 months old before starting cereal.
Unless your pediatrician advises you to do it, avoid putting cereal in baby's bottle. Contrary to popular opinion, cereal does not keep babies full so they sleep longer.
Iron-fortified infant cereals help prevent iron deficiency. Regular 'adult' cereals are too low in iron for babies.

Comments

jeneensDaisy said

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on 7/5/2007 Rice Cereal

1/4 c. rice powder (brown rice ground in blender or food processor)
1 cup water

1. Bring liquid to boil in saucepan. Add the rice powder while stirring constantly.
3. Simmer for 10 minutes, whisking constantly, mix in formula or breast milk and fruits if desired
3. Serve warm.

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