Rice cereal in baby food

Baby Food for Thought: How Safe is Rice Cereal?

For generations, rice cereal has been a top choice for babies starting solid foods, but lately there’s growing concern about what’s in it besides the rice: arsenic. UR Medicine’s Dr. Ruth Lawrence, an internationally recognized expert on breastfeeding and infant nutritional needs, offers some information and advice for parents.

Arsenic occurs naturally in soil, air and water. Because rice is grown in water, any arsenic in the water supply binds to the rice as it grows. A known carcinogen, arsenic can influence risk of cardiovascular, immune and other diseases, and research has shown that even low levels can have a negative impact on babies’ neurodevelopment.

Both adults and infants are exposed to arsenic when eating rice, but it’s a bigger concern for babies. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says rice intake for infants, primarily through infant rice cereal, is about three times greater than for adults relative to body weight. In fact, people eat the most rice (relative to their weight) at approximately 8 months of age, a prime time for infant brain development.

The FDA recently proposed a limit of 100 parts per billion of inorganic arsenic in infant rice cereal. Their testing found that most infant rice cereals on the market either meet, or are close to, the proposed level. A JAMA Pediatrics study, published on the heels of the FDA’s recommendation, advises parents to keep an eye on the amount of cereal their babies eat. Researchers followed children for a number of years, noting the amount of rice products they ate and analyzing the arsenic levels in their urine. Babies who ate rice cereals had higher concentrations of arsenic than those who didn’t.

Here’s some advice for parents who are wondering if, why and when to consider feeding rice cereal to babies.

Follow the “six-month” rule. Don’t feed your baby rice cereal—or any other solid food—prior to six months of age. Babies should be exclusively breastfed or given formula (or a combination of breast milk and formula) for the first six months of life. Breast milk, and even formula, is much more nutritious for babies at this age than solid-food alternatives.
Note the benefits of rice cereal. There are reasons why rice cereal is so popular: it’s easy to digest, doesn’t trigger an allergic reaction as the gluten in wheat can, and is well tolerated by babies who are transitioning from breast milk or formula to solid food. In an appropriate quantity, it’s still a food you can include in your baby’s diet.
Watch your baby’s intake. The greatest brain development occurs in the first year of life and a baby’s diet has an impact on that development. When you feed your baby rice cereal, follow the American Academy of Pediatrics’ advice: Don’t feed rice cereal every day and don’t make it the only food in the meal.
Pick your brand of rice cereal wisely. Levels of inorganic arsenic can vary widely by brand in both baby foods and products for adults. (Check out Consumer Reports’ study of arsenic levels in a variety of products.)
Expand your baby’s diet. Add other grain cereals to your baby’s diet, including barley, quinoa, and oats. Choose single-grain cereals, rather than multigrain so you can see how your baby reacts to various grains and avoid any that seem to cause a problem. When it’s time to add vegetables and fruits, follow the same principle and introduce one new food at a time.
Choose iron-fortified cereals. These help ensure your baby gets the nutrients it needs for optimum brain development.
Don’t overlook other potential sources of arsenic. Arsenic can be found in other foods and other sources besides rice cereal—especially groundwater. If you have a well, be sure to have it checked periodically for arsenic as well as heavy metals such as lead, which also can be harmful to babies’ and adults’ health.

Ruth A. Lawrence, M.D., is a professor of Pediatrics and Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Rochester Medical Center, and medical director of the Ruth A. Lawrence Poison and Drug Information Center and of the Breastfeeding and Human Lactation Study Center. She is an internationally renowned expert in breastfeeding and author of Breastfeeding: A Guide for the Medical Profession, now in its eighth edition.

Is Rice Cereal for Babies Safe?

Rice cereal has played an essential role in introducing infants to solid foods for decades. But, after recent reports found high levels of heavy metals in baby food, you might wonder whether rice cereal for babies is safe. Let’s dive into the latest research and recommendations!

For many years, parents and pediatricians have considered rice cereal one of the best first foods for babies. The consistency is perfect for infants learning to mouth and swallow solid foods. In addition, it’s fortified with iron, easy to digest, and it has a low potential for allergic reactions.

Recently, baby cereal companies have been in the spotlight, and it’s not good publicity. A few years ago, Consumer Reports found high levels of arsenic in baby rice cereals.

Here’s what you need to know about rice cereal and some advice on keeping arsenic levels to a minimum.

What Are the Benefits of Baby Rice Cereal?

Single-grain cereals such as rice cereal are easy for a parent to modify the texture so baby can eat it, and it’s easy on the infant digestive system.

Unlike wheat cereals, rice cereal doesn’t contain the common food allergens, wheat and gluten. Gluten is a protein found in wheat products.

There’s nothing wrong with gluten if you don’t have a gluten allergy. But when you’re starting a baby on solids, you want to start with foods that aren’t likely to cause an allergic response or intolerance.

Baby rice cereal is a flake and you mix in breastmilk or formula to “reconstitute” it. It’s an easy first food.

Lumps are minimal when you mix the cereal to a pudding-like consistency, making it a low risk for choking. Babies can mouth the cereal and easily swallow a spoonful.

Rice cereal is also a source of iron for babies, which is important for baby brain development. In fact, studies show that iron-fortified rice cereal (and other fortified grain-based cereals) prevent the occurrence of iron deficiency and anemia in babies.

[Listen to the podcast]: World-renowned iron researcher, Dr. Michael Georgieff, on iron in children.

Also, rice cereal may help ease tummy discomfort. It’s often one of the go-to foods for a child with diarrhea.

What Are the Dangers of Rice Cereal for Babies?

In 2012 and 2014, Consumer Reports found high levels of heavy metals in baby food such as arsenic, lead, mercury and cadmium. For example, rice cereal contains as much as 6 times more arsenic than other baby cereals.

Arsenic is a naturally occurring heavy metal found in soil and the environment. Many foods have trace amounts of arsenic. However, rice has higher levels of inorganic arsenic than other foods because it absorbs more arsenic from the soil as the rice plant grows.

This toxin can build up in the body, which is especially dangerous to babies and small children. Frequent exposure to arsenic at an early age is associated with ADHD, lower IQ, and increased risk of some cancers.

Since Consumer Reports first made the public aware of heavy metals in baby food, very little has changed.

In 2016, the FDA issued guidance to cereal makers and put pressure on companies to lower arsenic levels in their foods. But the FDA hasn’t set a limit for arsenic in rice cereal.

Healthy Babies Bright Futures tested 42 containers of infant cereals according to a report published in 2017. While cereal makers have taken some steps to reduce arsenic levels since 2014, rice cereal still contains too much arsenic.

According to a recent Consumer Reports article, arsenic levels in baby food are still too high. And a 2021 congressional report found that cereal makers under-report the high levels of toxins in baby food and continue to keep these cereals on the market.

So what can you do to lower your baby’s exposure to arsenic?

The best advice I can give is to stay informed and offer your baby alternatives to baby rice cereal.

What Are the Alternatives to Baby Rice Cereal?

While Consumer Reports found that Gerber and Earth’s Best have lower arsenic levels than other brands, the arsenic levels are still concerning.

Providing a variety of cereal grains to your infant can help lower arsenic levels in your child’s diet. Here are some grains that are good alternatives to baby rice cereal.

Baby oatmeal (whole grain and single grain)
Multi-grain
Quinoa
Barley
Whole wheat
Amaranth
Millet
Sorghum
Flax
Buckwheat
Rye

Best Baby Cereals

Forbes Health put together a panel of experts, including a pediatrician and registered dietitian. Here are the highest-rated non-rice cereals.

Earth’s Best Organic Whole Grain Oatmeal Infant Cereal
Gerber Single-Grain Oatmeal Baby Cereal
Earth’s Best Organic Multi-Grain Infant Cereal
Gerber Whole Wheat Baby Cereal
Happy Baby Organics Clearly Crafted Oatmeal Baby Cereal
Happy Baby Organics Clearly Crafted Oats & Quinoa Baby Cereal

Tips to Reduce Arsenic Exposure from Baby Rice Cereal

Provide a variety of single-grain cereals, including rice, baby oatmeal, and barley.
Wait until six months old to start your infant on solids. While introducing solids at 4 to 6 months is commonly recommended, waiting until 6 months to start solids will help lower the accumulation of toxic heavy metals in very young infants.
Choose rice cereal brands with the lowest amount of arsenic such as Earth’s Best and Gerber.

Look for baby cereals fortified with iron. Iron is vital for brain development. Infants get all of their nutrients from formula or breast milk and first foods like cereals.
Try making your own baby food. One benefit of store-bought baby food is that it’s fortified with key nutrients such as iron. If you give homemade baby food a try, be sure your baby gets enough iron for healthy growth and development.

Final Thoughts About the Safety of Rice Cereal for Baby

Rice cereal was known as the safest and best first food for babies for many parents. So it may be surprising and upsetting to learn that baby cereals on the market contain high levels of toxic heavy metals.

As a children’s nutrition expert, I advise limiting how much rice cereal and rice products you offer your baby. Variety in the diet is the key to protecting your baby from over-exposure to toxins in food.

It’s best to provide a variety of cereal grains to keep arsenic levels in the diet as low as possible.

Need more help navigating your baby’s first foods?

Get my book, The Smart Mom’s Guide to Starting Solids! It’ll take you through my step-by-step approach to starting solids – including everything you need to know!

You may also want to read The Baby Formula Shortage: What’s A Parent to Do? Or, The Ultimate Guide to Baby’s Nutrition in the First Year.

how to cook rice for feeding

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Rice porridge for infants

First baby food with rice porridge

Dietary Guidelines

How to cook rice porridge for babies

One of the first "adult" dishes on the baby's table is rice. This cereal has earned the trust of nutritionists, pediatricians and parents around the world. Rice is a gluten-free, low-allergenic cereal with a high content of "healthy" carbohydrates (up to 85%), which are perfectly digested in the baby's sensitive digestive tract. Rice is also traditionally used in the therapeutic diets of people with diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, obesity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome and intestinal infections.

Main useful properties

The main properties of rice porridge are its low calorie content (44 kcal per 100 g of product) and the optimal ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Rice has a low glycemic index, which contributes to a more efficient supply of glucose to the brain. Protein in rice contains a small amount, but due to its structure, it is perfectly absorbed by the human body (up to 98%). In the fat component of rice, 1/5 part (21%) belongs to fatty acids important for the child's body: oleic (37%), linoleic (41%) and linolenic. The low fat content in rice groats (0.7–1 g/100 g of groats), the optimal ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates (7 g/1 g/74 g) create a long-lasting feeling of fullness when eating ready-made rice dishes. Since rice does not contain coarse dietary fiber, it can be used in the diet of people with diseases of the digestive system, accompanied by excessive motility and gas formation. The vitamin and mineral composition of rice cereal is not as rich as compared to buckwheat or oatmeal. However, rice grains contain a large amount of B vitamins, of which the most are pyridoxine (vitamin B6) and tocopherol (vitamin E).

Rice dishes occupy one of the leading positions in the world gastronomic culture. About 5000 recipes based on this cereal are known. Therefore, in baby food, rice porridge does not lose its popularity.

For breakfast in Russia, porridge is traditionally prepared for children, because the first meal should be high-calorie, satisfying and tasty. The main components of a healthy breakfast should be complex carbohydrates, proteins and fats of animal origin, which take longer to be processed by digestive enzymes. Therefore, the choice of parents in favor of porridge as the main dish in the morning is quite justified.

Rice porridge for feeding children in the first year of life

Children's rice porridge is one of the most popular products in the Baby Premium line. Small gourmets can choose from dairy-free and milky rice porridges, with fruit additives. All cereals of the Baby Premium line have a high safety profile, are enriched with essential vitamins and minerals, which increases their nutritional value.

The use of fortified baby foods is an important part of nutrition in the first year of life. During the transition of a child from exclusive breastfeeding to the stage of introduction of complementary foods, short-term deficiency states for individual microelements may occur.

Lack of proper eating habits in the family, encouragement of the child's independent choice of foods, selectivity in nutrition, restrictive diets are factors that lead to a deficiency of vitamins and minerals in the baby's diet.

In this regard, health professionals have developed a global strategy to reduce the risk of developing vitamin and mineral deficiencies - the mandatory fortification of daily food, especially regarding the children's menu.

Thus, it has been proven that no additional non-fortified food can provide the infant with an adequate level of zinc, the deficiency of which causes a decrease in growth rate, intestinal diseases and a decrease in immune tolerance. Accordingly, the child should receive additional zinc with enriched complementary foods.

The same risk factors include a high prevalence of iron deficiency in children of the 1st year of life due to poor control of maternal nutrition during pregnancy and lactation, obsession with diets, premature birth and the development of digestive disorders in the infant in the first months of life. Iron deficiency can cause delayed psychomotor development and other health problems in the baby. With the right balance of trace elements in the diet of both the mother and the baby, this condition can be avoided.

Baby Premium baby cereals contain all the necessary vitamins and minerals, but the content of such elements as iron, iodine, zinc, B, A, C vitamins is especially high, which cover up to 10% of the daily requirement for these substances.

The first complementary foods with rice porridge for children

Each parent can offer children's rice porridge for breakfast. For healthy babies, complementary foods at 4-6 months can be started with safe, low-allergenic Baby Premium rice porridge and gradually move to milk-based rice porridge, which has a high nutritional value due to the ideal combination of animal proteins and cereals, as well as the additional introduction of vitamins and minerals . In terms of calories, milk porridges are comparable to breast milk (90 kcal and 70 kcal, respectively), in this regard, they perfectly maintain a long-term feeling of satiety and give a stable supply of energy to the little hero.

If it is necessary to make a more varied diet and introduce the child to new tastes in the Baby Premium line, you can choose milk rice porridge with fruits. Fruit additives in cereals are additional sources of dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, and also develop the taste buds of a little gourmet.

If a child has health problems in the form of food allergies, malabsorption syndrome, celiac disease, then he can be recommended for a long time low-allergenic rice porridge, which is also a full-fledged dairy-free cereal dish. The ratio of the main nutrients, the content of vitamins and minerals in it correspond to all physiological norms of consumption in early childhood. Dairy-free rice porridge is enriched with prebiotics in the form of inulin, which will favorably affect the formation of a healthy microbiota in the intestines.

The use of Baby Premium cereals in the daily diet of young children allows parents to be confident in the high level of technological, microbiological and chemical safety of the product, its usefulness and ease of preparation in a variety of conditions.

Dietary Recommendations

1. Start introducing a new food into the diet with a tiny amount. For the first acquaintance with rice, a quarter of a teaspoon of porridge will be enough for a crumb. Every day, you can increase the serving, gradually trying to reach the amount of one serving recommended by the pediatrician.

2. It is best to offer this high-carbohydrate product to babies in the morning.

3. Postpone rice foods for a while if your baby has bloating, intestinal colic, or problems with bowel movements (constipation).

4. Having decided how to cook rice porridge for feeding, over time you can enrich the taste of the main dish by adding mashed apple, pear or squash puree to it.

5. In the Bebi Premium line, along with classic rice porridge, there are options with fruit, vegetable, and cream components. They will introduce the baby to new facets of the taste of a product already known to him a few months after the introduction of the first complementary foods.

6. Take the time to teach your child about food etiquette from an early age. Wash your hands before and after eating. If the baby is already more than 10 months old, let him try to feed himself. To do this, put a beautiful bowl in front of him and offer a spoon that will be comfortable for him to hold.

How to cook rice porridge for babies

You can go in two ways - buy a package of regular rice or choose a special ready-made baby porridge from this cereal. Let's consider both options in more detail.

Rice groats

Several varieties of the product can be found on store shelves. These are parboiled, long-grain, round-grain and medium-grain rice. For the first feeding, the last option is best. Such a product absorbs a large amount of moisture during cooking and boils well. Before you cook rice porridge for the first feeding, you need to carefully prepare the grain.

Sort by hand to remove possible pebbles and other debris.
Rinse under water until the liquid is clear.
Soak rice in warm water, then rinse with cold water.

It is important to consider the following information:

it is not recommended to cook cereals for children under one year old with cow's milk;
proportions: for 20 g of rice - 50 ml of water and 100 breast milk or formula;
for babies, do not season porridge with salt, sugar.

Ready porridge

At the first feeding, the consistency of the food should be light and as homogeneous as possible. The presence of even small lumps in the baby can provoke regurgitation and rejection of food. Therefore, for the smallest, it is permissible to begin acquaintance with rice in the form of a ready-made powder for making porridge.

In this case, it is better to take the dairy-free version as the very first product. He leaves the mother the opportunity to prepare a dish with the addition of breast milk or a mixture - products with which the baby's body is already familiar. As a rule, a cooking recipe with exact proportions is indicated on the packaging of porridge.

When choosing ready-made baby porridge, pay attention to the composition. The presence of dyes, soy products and some other components can cause allergies and other undesirable reactions on the part of the child's body. Bebi Premium rice porridges for the first complementary foods are distinguished by a balanced composition and are additionally enriched with a complex of prebiotics, which contribute to the formation of the correct microflora of the baby's intestines.

Important! Whichever of the options for how to cook rice porridge for the first complementary foods you choose, only a freshly prepared dish should be offered to the baby. Do not refrigerate leftovers and do not use for subsequent feedings.

#First food #Nutrition for children up to a year

Rice porridge - Encyclopedia Baby food

(4) 6-7 months calories Lunch Cooked Recipes

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Rice porridge is one of the first to be introduced into complementary foods. Usually the choice is made between rice and buckwheat.

Easy, fresh and nutritious homemade porridge recipes - the child will be delighted!

It's easy to prepare a healthy and healthy whole grain breakfast for your baby.

The recommended age to start solid foods is generally 6 months of age, but many babies begin solid foods between 4 and 6 months of age. This recipe is suitable for this age group.

Rice is one of the first foods for a baby. It is best to use whole grains for the first feeding, ground into flour, than to buy ready-made rice porridge.

Rice porridge is suitable for 6-7 months of age as a first or second complementary food.

Introduced complementary foods: Rice, water.

Rice porridge

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