Great Grains

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The more moms I talk to, the more I realize that the most common first food is rice cereal.  Dylan's first taste of "solid" food was Gerber Brand baby rice cereal.  To be honest, at the time, I never even realized that making rice cereal was an option, I just assumed that it had to come from a box!  The more I read, and the more I studied natural solutions for baby food, I quickly learned that baby grains didn't have to come from a box and it was just as easy as making yourself a bowl of whole oats.

Instant baby cereals are processed, precooked and then dehydrated.  They are often made from grain that has been processed and then milled into a flour.  Although commercial baby cereal is definitely more convenient then making it from scratch, the cooking and processing leaches the nutritional value from the grains. 

You can make your own single gain cereals.  Try 1 cup brown rice, oatmeal, or barley pulverized in the food processor or coffee grinder.  When preparing oatmeal do not use instant or quick oats.  Add one cup boiling water and stir continuously for 5-10 minutes.  Add breast milk or formula until you reach the consistency you like.  Never boil breast milk or heat breast milk in the microwave.  Boiling or microwaving will damage the valuable vitamins, minerals, and antibodies in the milk.

Great 1st Grains:

• Brown Rice 
• Barley
• Wheat
• Oats

Now that Dylan's eating finger foods, I have also introduced Quinoa (pronounced /ˈkiːnoʊ.ə/ or /kwɨˈnoʊ.ə/).
Quinoa contains a balanced set of essential amino acids, making it an unusually complete protein source among plant foods. It is a good source of dietary fiber and phosphorus and is high in magnesium and iron. Quinoa is gluten-free and considered easy to digest. Quinoa has a light, fluffy texture, and has a mild, nutty flavor.

Preparation: You will need to rinse and soak the Quinoa grains.  I soak them overnight.  I cook it in the rice cooker, but you can cook it on the stove.  Bring 2 cups of water to a boil and add one cup of Quinoa, cover and let simmer for about 15 minutes.  I have also substituted water for vegetable stock...gives it extra flavor! add cheese, veggies, and/or seasoning and you have a great option for lunch or dinner!

Baby rice cereal doesn't have to be baby's first food.  Read the link below:
http://www.pediatricnews.com/article/S0031-398X%2809%2970296-6/fulltext