Rice cereal for babies is a common first food choice in several cultures worldwide. Rice is a grain that can offer a baby several nutrients, such as B vitamins and minerals. You can prepare rice cereal for babies using simple ingredients such as whole milk and jaggery. However, before feeding rice to babies, knowing the right age and age-appropriate ways to introduce it is essential to help babies reap its benefits fully. Read on as we tell you the right age and age-appropriate ways to feed rice to babies, its possible health benefits, and side effects for the baby.
When Can Babies Have Rice Cereal?
Infants can have rice cereal after they are six months old, which is also the recommended age for starting solid foods (1). Rice cereals are excellent first food for the baby as it is less likely to trigger an allergic reaction when compared to other grains (2). There are some health advantages of starting the baby’s solid food diet with rice cereal.
What Are The Health Benefits Of Rice Cereal?
A baby can reap the following benefits from rice: Next, we list down the nutrients and the overall nutritional value of a bowl of rice cereal.
Nutritional Value Of 100 g Of Fortified Dry Rice Cereal For Babies:
Source: United States Department of Agriculture (5)
How To Make Rice Cereal For Baby?
It is easy to prepare infant rice cereal at home. But before you do, you must know how to select the right type of rice cereal. Read on to know how to choose and prepare the right kind of rice cereal for the baby. Once the cereal and milk are thoroughly mixed, you can feed it to the baby. However, rice cereal is bland and may not be liked by the baby immediately. So how do you get the baby to eat it?
How To Introduce Rice Cereal To The Baby?
Here are a few tricks to get the baby used to the taste of rice cereal. As your baby grows older, you can also increase the number of tablespoons of rice cereal you serve them. Rice cereal has several benefits for infants and toddlers. But parents could still have thoughts lurking in their mind about any possible risks.
Can Babies Be Allergic To Rice Cereal?
Yes. Just like any other food, rice cereal has the potential to trigger an allergy. An example is food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES), which is a rare food allergy affecting the gastrointestinal tract (6). Rice is among the common triggers for the condition. Below are the symptoms of FPIES:
Vomiting that happens a couple of hours after eating rice Diarrhea that usually occurs after vomiting Fever Lethargy and irritation Dehydration, due to continuous diarrhea and vomiting
Eliminating rice from the baby’s diet brings down the symptoms of rice-induced food allergy. If your baby is severely dehydrated, then consult a doctor. Overall, the chances of rice allergy are less due to the absence of gluten in it. The incidence of rice allergy also varies by region, with fewer cases in Europe and the Americas than in Asia (7). Rice can be safely eaten by infants with a wheat allergy and immune disorders of the gastrointestinal tract, such as celiac disease (8). It is still best to consult a doctor before feeding rice cereal in case the baby has other allergies. In the next section, we answer some commonly asked questions about rice cereal for babies. Follow the golden rule of never eating the same thing frequently. Variety is the key, this helps avoid exposure to heavy metals and introduces variety in a baby’s diet and helps those taste buds. There are several attributes about rice cereal that make it the first choice of solid food for a little one. The rice grain does not contain gluten and is readily accepted by the baby’s digestive system, which is new to solid food. Remember to strike a balance between rice and other grains. Making rice cereal a part of the baby’s balanced solid food diet is the best way to reap its maximum benefit.
