How to Use Leftover Infant Cereal

If your baby has recently progressed to finger foods, you may be wondering what to do with leftover infant cereal.

Infant cereal is a staple during the second half of your child's first year. It provides plenty of vitamins and minerals, especially protein and iron, and rice cereal is one of the least allergenic first foods available. Whether you've discovered your child doesn't like infant cereal, you're overstocked and it is about to expire or you're looking to clear out your pantry, there are ways to use it up easily.

Instructions

1. Pour some of the cereal into pureed baby food to thicken it. Stir it well. This technique turns the baby food into finger food.

2. Use baby food to stretch ground meat and chicken in recipes, such as meatballs, meatloaf and chicken burgers. If you normally use breadcrumbs or other grain-based foods, simply replace these with an equal amount of infant cereal.

3. Make baby teething biscuits or baby cookies out of the cereal.

4. Mix some of the cereal into egg yolk -- or egg yolk and whites, if both have been introduced -- and scramble it in a pan. Cool it completely before serving it to your baby.

5. Dip chunks of bananas into half a cup of honey thinned with a teaspoon of milk. Then dip them into a bowl of infant cereal. This is a healthy snack for babies over a year old and up through the preschool years.

Tips & Warnings

• If you run out of flour while baking, you can substitute up to half of it with an equal amount of infant cereal. This will change the texture slightly.

• Do not give honey to babies under 1 year of age.

References

• WholesomeBabyFood.com: Oatmeal in Baby Food Recipes
• The Stir: Six Ideas for Using Up Leftover Baby Cereal

Resources

• WholesomeBabyFood.com: Homemade Teething Biscuit Recipes for Baby