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Rice cereal has long been considered the standard when it comes to the first solid foods for babies. However, more recent findings suggest that rice cereal may not be all it’s been cracked up to be for babies. It sounds daunting, but the good news is that there are plenty of alternatives you can try if you’re considering changing formulas.
Rice cereal has been a standard first food for babies for generations. This is because rice is easy for little tummies to digest, is naturally gluten-free and low risk for triggering an allergic reaction, and is generally very well tolerated as a first solid food. Rice has a neutral, bland flavor that isn’t offensive to most babies, encouraging solid food acceptance.
Plus, rice is an inexpensive food. Rice cereal has been specifically designed to contain vitamins and minerals that a growing baby needs as they transition from breast milk or formula to solids.
A closer look into baby foods, including rice cereal and rice-containing products like rusks and puffs, has encouraged many parents to choose alternative first foods for their baby.
The biggest reason is because rice naturally contains arsenic, due to the way that it’s grown. Arsenic is a naturally occurring heavy metal that’s widely present in the crust of the earth, which means it’s often found in the soil where rice is grown.
Why is arsenic problematic? It’s a known carcinogen or cancer-causing agent in humans, which can also negatively impact immunity and increase the risk for numerous diseases. Given the small physical size of babies, ingestion of arsenic can be more concerning if in large amounts. And some sources say that rice intake is about three times as high among infants compared to adults.
Of course, rice isn’t the only arsenic-containing food. Other fruits, vegetables, and plant foods are also exposed to arsenic, but rice is particularly susceptible to absorbing it. This is because rice is grown in a paddy, or a small flooded field, so any arsenic in the water supply binds to the rice as it grows and accumulates.
To complicate things more, the amount of arsenic present in different soil varies. Certain regions around the world have less arsenic in their soil than others. For instance, some reports suggest that white Basmati rice or sushi rice purchased from Pakistan, India, or California are less likely to have significant amounts of arsenic in them.
You can prepare grains of rice in ways that help reduce arsenic content before serving it, by rinsing before cooking, boiling it in more water than is needed (like you boil pasta), and draining the excess liquid. But unfortunately, there’s no way for parents to control how much arsenic is in rice-containing baby products like teething biscuits, puffs, and infant rice cereal.
Overall, rice-containing baby foods are considered to be a significant source of inorganic arsenic in the diet, according to the US Food and Drug Administration, and ingestion of them should be monitored.
Despite the concern over the arsenic content of rice, don’t let this be a cause of panic for you as you begin transitioning your baby to solid foods. If you’ve been offering rice cereal, or you’d like to incorporate it as a first food, the most important thing is that it’s not the only food you’re relying on. Being aware of how much rice your baby is ingesting is most important, as is keeping it to a minimal level.
If your baby doesn’t like rice or you’d just prefer to use something else, rest assured that there are plenty of alternatives to rice cereal. In addition to rice-free infant cereals, first foods can also be a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, and other foods that are offered in age-appropriate form and consistency.
Looking for a rice cereal substitute? No problem. Despite all of the attention it receives, rice isn’t the only cereal available for babies.
Some popular alternatives to infant rice cereal include:
Many baby cereals will contain a combination of these grains, or even a grain with a fruit and/or vegetable added to it.
The most important factor in determining which alternative baby cereals you want to use is whether it has been fortified to contain important nutrients, especially iron. Iron is critical for babies as it plays a role in cognitive development and helps prevent anemia.
Not all infant cereals contain added iron, which may be an otherwise more challenging nutrient to make sure your baby gets enough of when transitioning to solids. Look for packaging that states it is iron-fortified, or check the nutrition facts panel to determine whether it contains iron.
There’s a common misconception that every baby has to be fed baby cereal, or more specifically rice cereal, as their main first food.
The truth is that, as long as the food is presented in an age-appropriate way, your baby can enjoy a varied palate from early on that may or may not include rice or oatmeal cereals for babies. This means choosing healthy foods that are nutrient- and energy-dense, and also serving them in safe consistencies.
Some alternative, non-cereal first foods for babies can include:
While you may choose to offer purees or practice spoon-feeding with your baby, many parents also choose to do baby-led weaning or even a combination of the two approaches.
However you decide to introduce solids to your baby, below are a few tips to help make the transition as smooth and stress-free as possible.
First, make sure that your baby has demonstrated that they are ready to start transitioning toward solid foods.
Note that while some babies may be ready around 4 months of age, there is no benefit to introducing solids before that age. For most babies, 6 months of age is an optimal timeframe to begin exploring.
Some of the signs of feeding readiness include:
The most important thing to remember when introducing foods to your baby is that the texture and consistency of the food need to be safe for them.
First foods need to be soft enough for a baby to eat by mashing with their gums, as they have no teeth to chew. To make sure a certain food is safe to serve, assess the consistency of it by applying pressure to the food between your fingers to mimic gumming.
This also means avoiding known choking hazards, as well as foods that your baby may not be ready for quite yet.
Additionally, never leave your baby unattended while they are eating.
Some of the foods that are best to avoid when just starting your baby on solids include:
As you plan your baby’s first solids menu, aim for a wide variety of healthy foods.
Not only does this help create a nutritionally sound diet for them, but it also exposes your baby to many different flavors and textures. This in itself helps your baby develop his or her palate of food preferences that can set the stage for a lifetime.
If you utilize iron-fortified baby cereals, like oat, or multigrain options, you can prepare these with breast milk or infant formula instead of water to help optimize nutrition.
In addition to baby cereals, offer your baby a variety of soft-cooked grains, legumes, fruits, vegetables, and fats. There’s no guarantee that they will like, or even try, all of the foods you present, but exposure is key.
Rice cereal is a standard first food for babies, but many parents are choosing alternatives due to the concern around the arsenic content of rice and rice-containing foods.
Fortunately, there are plenty of alternatives to rice cereal, including iron-fortified baby cereals made from other grains, like oats, quinoa,buckwheat, and barley. Additionally, first foods for babies can - and should - include an abundance of fruits, vegetables, fats, legumes, and whole grains served in age-appropriate ways.
If you choose to incorporate some rice cereal into your baby’s diet, that’s okay. Just be sure that rice is not the dominant food being offered, and instead prioritize exposing your baby to other healthy, nutrient-dense, and lower risk foods as they transition to solids.
The content and advice provided in this article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical diagnosis, treatment, advice for specific medical conditions. Always consult a pediatrician to understand the individual needs of your child.