Breakfast Ideas for Babies

Feed your baby a similar breakfast to the rest of the family.

As more people realize the cost and health benefits of making their own baby foods, they want to experiment with giving their little ones different flavored foods. Commercial baby food producers gave babies one or two types of breakfast cereal, and just a few fruits. Parents can do better than that by chopping or grinding almost everything the rest of the family would like to eat in the morning.

Oatmeal Flavorings

Skip the commercial varieties of baby oatmeal and give your little one a bowl along with the rest of the family. Sweeten the cereal with a bit of brown sugar or applesauce for a smooth texture. If your baby is a little older and likes to chew some lumps, add chopped canned fruit like pears or peaches, chopped raisins or dates or dried apricots. Don't ever sweeten anything for a baby with honey, however. Honey has microorganisms that can be dangerous to babies, as their digestive systems can't safely deal with them.

Eggs

Many babies have egg allergies when they are less than 1 year old, but they tolerate eggs just fine after that. When your baby has begun to eat eggs, give her a treat by feeding her a similar plate to the rest of the family. Make soft scrambled eggs and serve them with toast cut into small squares, applesauce or cut fruit and yogurt.

Baby Parfait

Give your baby a fancy treat and make a quick parfait with all his favorite ingredients. Layer vanilla yogurt, cheerios and applesauce in a bowl and top with some chopped bits of cherry or peach. Give your baby spoonfuls with multiple ingredients to vary the flavor.

Alternative Breakfast

Just because it's morning, it doesn't mean you have to serve traditional breakfast foods to your little one. Experiment with different morning foods to find some that she likes. Try grilled cheese sandwiches, mashed pinto beans in a tortilla, apple slices dipped in yogurt, hummus and pita bread triangles or any new foods she may enjoy. Switch around your child's food to give her the greatest amount of nutrients in a week.

Smoothies

Try a fruity breakfast smoothie for your baby. She'll think she's getting a treat for breakfast. Mix together frozen fruit pieces, yogurt and juice in the blender. Add more frozen fruit if the smoothie is too thin, and more juice if it turns out too thick. Pour the smoothie into a sippy cup or an adult's takeout coffee cup with a straw.

References

• Homemade Baby Food Recipes: 15 Breakfast Ideas for Baby