Homemade Baby & Toddler Food

[CW&M Mom]

oatmeal has fiber in it...rice doesn't so that helps the constipation.

oatmeal also just plain tastes better. rice cereal basically takes like white flour. blech.

[foggierbard9]

If you search online their is a site that has how to make all kinds of homemade baby foods. The site suggests using regular oatmeal(not quick cooking), but you just put it in the food processor/blender and purree it until it is of a powdery consistency that when reconstituted will be thin/small enough texture for your baby at whatever stage. Then make it just like the directions on the package. You may have to add more water to get it to the right consistency.

The site also has information on using different grains to make cereal also.

I prefer to make it for my daughter because all the extra iron in the Gerber or Beechnut really constipates her.

[lazy1608]

put oat meal (quick oats original works great) in a blender or a clean coffee grinder and make fine flour out of it,
then make a cereal with hot water or formula
my little one is constipated from rice (iron make this problem even worse), so oats work the best for us
and they don't eat that much ... for my DD 1 pack of beechnut was enough for 1.5 months (I started @ 5months).

My daughter goes through the cereal like crazy! We add it to everything to make it a thicker consistency. She is now 1 year and is still using it everyday at every meal.

Good luck on making your own cereal! you are so ambitious :)

[Nishu]

Quick oats and rolled oats are both cut and then lightly steamed. The only difference is how small the pieces are. Rolled oats are flattened, quick oats are chopped into bits so they cook faster. They're nutritionally identical so it doesn't matter whether you use one or the other. :)

[Dhunny318]

Most baby cereals have no added sugar. There is sugar natural in them but that wouldn't be any different than any other way you made them.

I figured that as well, but I have to disagree with you. When I looked at the ingredients on the organic cereals, most of them had no sugar, which tells me that making it would be better.

Thanks to all that gave input! After seeing what you all have to say, I don't see it as being so "ambitious" lol. With a stockpile of brown rice and oatmeal, I see it as a good idea just to make it. No need to wait for sales on baby cereal

[llamalluv]

Also products made for babies have the right amount of iron added to them. Babies do not get a good source iron if they are breast fed...and ususally by about 6 months...there really need that iron. *they are fine if they are formula fed though*

This is not completely true. Healthy, full-term, breastfed infants do not require iron supplements. Breastmilk contains iron in forms that are easily digested and absorbed by a breastfeeding infant.

Here's an article chock full of iron information:

kellymom.com :: Is Iron-Supplementation Necessary?

[momto8kiddos]

You could also try other types of rolled grains such as spelt, wheat, barley, even rye. You can get these forms of grain at your local health food store. Variety is the spice of life.

[MamaBird06]

it's not ambitious at all, it is super easy to make homemade baby foods, i never really made the cereal though, i got it free from wic and ds didn't like it much (most babies i know don't), but i did grind up oats one time for him and it wasn't any big deal. I used to make all the fruit and veggie purees for him, you can also freeze them in ice cube trays and then put them all in a baggie and then you don't have to make them all the time.

[MamaBird06]

Also products made for babies have the right amount of iron added to them. Babies do not get a good source iron if they are breast fed...and ususally by about 6 months...there really need that iron. *they are fine if they are formula fed though*

I don't want to high jack this thread, but last i checked, human milk is made for human babies, so i as long as the mother is getting adequate nutrition, the baby should be as well.

[Dhunny318]

You could also try other types of rolled grains such as spelt, wheat, barley, even rye. You can get these forms of grain at your local health food store. Variety is the spice of life.

Thanks!

A quick update: we tried grinding down the oats and she is in love with it! We mix it with the apple puree I made and she gobbles it up for breakfast. Thanks again for all the advice!