When it comes to feeding our babies, we want to make sure they are getting the best nutrition possible. At around 4-6 months of age, babies are often ready to have cereal added to their diet. It should not be fed to them by a bottle, a spoon is best. However, you should check with your pediatrician if you feel like you should start cereal sooner or if your baby struggles with spoon feedings. Since we are more informed about diets and ingredients, shopping for cereals can be a bit scary. I have compiled a list of the best cereals that my friends and I have fed our children and were pleased with. Knowing exactly what you think will be best for the baby is very helpful before heading down that grocery aisle.
Gerber Organic Baby Cereal
This one is hands down, our favorite. You can find this cereal available in three varieties; oatmeal, brown rice, and oatmeal with peach and apple. All three provide 45% iron for daily content in a serving, 2 grams of sugar, and up to 1% fat at each serving. Mixing with breastmilk is easy. If you are formula-feeding, the sugar intake will be a bit higher. Regardless, it seems that babies love this stuff. The brown rice is slightly sweeter than the oatmeal, and the oatmeal with peach and apple is the sweetest of them all.
NurturMe Organic Infant Cereals
This one is a bit pricier than the Gerber but well worth it if it fits your budget. It is a quinoa cereal, rather than the traditional oatmeal or rice, and is easy to digest. It is also iron-fortified and has natural probiotics to help build that immune system. All vitamins and minerals in this cereal are natural and plant-based. Do babies enjoy it? Yes! When discussing this brand with friends, all our babies loved this cereal. One thing to note, it can be hard to mix. We suggest slowing adding the breastmilk or formula and using a whisk to mix this one. While it is pricey, we also feel like this could be purchased and used once or twice a week to give your baby a bit of variety.
Earth’s Best Organic Cereal
A baby cereal list is not complete until this brand is added! Varieties include; oatmeal, brown rice (labeled as whole grain rice), whole grain, and oatmeal with banana. What is so amazing is that the brown rice variety is gluten-free. The others have trace amounts, and if your baby is showing digestion issues this early, it may be best to stick with the brown rice. These cereals contain 45% iron and up to 1 gram of fat, much like the Gerber cereal. However, Earth’s Best does not contain DHA or choline, which are needed for brain and eye development. As far as babies go, this is another one that they seem to love. And just like the Geber cereals, our babies certainly voiced their opinions on which one they liked better. If slapping a spoon away is voicing their opinion.
There are so many varieties of cereals, it can get too overwhelming. We encourage you to talk with your pediatrician and Mommy-friends about the cereal you think you might try and see what feedback you receive. Hearing testimonials can help boost your confidence in your choice.
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