Browsing the cereal aisle yesterday, I rediscovered Cream of Rice. My little ones have always had an affinity for Cream of Wheat cereal (the cooking kind not the instant) and I thought they might enjoy the Cream of Rice cereal too. I picked up the box and what stood out was the phrase “Perfect for Infants too!”. Hmm……now why had I never thought of THAT?
I know many of our visitors are leary of making their own rice cereals for one reason of another. Some parents are afraid to make their own rice baby cereals because they are afraid the homemade baby cereal won’t offer enough Iron, some fear that they won’t be able to make it “right” and some parents are simply unsure about selecting, storing, milling and processing their own rice grains. While some of our visitors express these concerns, they also express the distaste they have for purchasing a box of commercial baby cereal that has a shelf life longer than their babies will be in diapers and that the cereals are like wallpaper paste.
I think we may have found a great alternative for you!
Cream of Rice cereal is a great alternative to commercial baby cereals. It’s less processed and it also is cheaper! Cream of Rice contains Rice that is granulated, Vitamins And Minerals such as Ferric Phosphate (iron), Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate (Vitamin B1) and Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)
Here are the ingredients in Gerber Rice Cereal – Rice Flour, Soy Oil-Lecithin, Tri- and Dicalcium Phosphate, Tocopherols Vitamin E etc..
At first blush, it appears that the Gerber cereal is more nutirious due to the ingredients in it. Peering further, you find the rice is actually a rice flour and that there is soy in the cereal! Hmm……
If you dont want to make your own rice baby cereal and you don’t want to use a traditional commercial boxed baby cereal, give a cream of rice cereal a try. You can make it as runny or as thick as your baby prefers!
Cream of Rice with Peaches
Prepare rice according to package directions
Add pureed peaches to the pot of cooked cereal and stir to blend
Cream of Rice with Apples (probably not a good thing to serve often to babies prone to constipation!)
Prepare rice according to package directions and add 1 medium apple (peeled, cored and diced thinly and tiny!) to the pot as the cereal cooks. Pinch of cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, nutmeg or whatever your baby enjoys.
Cheesy Cream of Rice with Egg Yolks – rich in iron and protein!
Prepare rice according to package directions. Mash in 1 or 2 hard-boiled egg yolks to the pot of cooked cereal and stir to blend. Sprinkle with shredded cheese or fold in some cottage cheese. Suitable for babies 8 months+ due to egg yolks and cheese.
Try the Bob’s Red Mill Creamy Brown Rice Cereal, or the Erewhon Creamy Brown Rice Cereal brand.