First baby cereal

grounded in nutritious living

8 June 2009 3 Comments

earthsbest.com

Starting solids is an exciting milestone for parents. The anticipation of that first spoon of food along with baby’s reaction can get any mom planning for that Kodak moment. Have fun picking out the first spoon and bowl! When doing so, look for BPA free products.

Now it’s time to choose the first food for your baby. In the U.S., the common first food that is gentle on the stomach is baby cereal made of rice. I started my baby on organic cereal made of oatmeal by Earth’s Best. It’s a fantastic cereal that comes in a good size box for a good price. In general, I recommend oatmeal and brown rice cereal over the standard white rice cereal due to a stronger nutritional profile.

After a few months of baby eating solids, I came across a new cereal product, HappyBellies, which is the only organic immunity boosting probiotic dry cereal with DHA on the market. Probiotics are “friendly bacteria” that live in our intestines and help the immune system by discouraging the growth of harmful disease-causing bacteria. The DHA supports brain and eye development.

happybabyfood.com

HappyBellies, comes in a round container and with a price hike compared to the other cereals. The consistency is very creamy and my baby showed a preference immediately. The container is never full when I first open it and when I contacted HappyBaby, they explained that the weight of cereal causes it to settle but to be assured it’s all there. They carry three variations of cereal: oatmeal, multi-grain, and brown rice. For babies first starting on solids, you can try oatmeal and brown rice, but it’s recommended to wait before introducing multi-grain due to potential allergies.

Overall, the added nutritional benefit of Probiotics and DHA, in addition to high quality base nutrients they already have, made me a loyal fan. Not to mention that my baby loves it! He’s almost 15 months now and still has cereal for breakfast mixed with other goodies.