Mixing Cereal with Water, Breast Milk, or Formula
Put a small amount of baby cereal into a bowl. Once you've chosen a baby cereal (like rice cereal), put about 1 tablespoon (2.5 g) of it into a bowl. You'll want to start with a small amount. Since you'll be feeding your baby with a spoon and dipping it into the cereal bowl, you'll introduce bacteria that could grow over time. This is why you shouldn't store and reuse prepared cereal.
Add a little liquid to the cereal. Pour about 4 to 5 tablespoons (60 to 75 ml) of liquid into the cereal in the bowl. You should use either breast milk or baby formula, depending on what your baby is used to. If you don't have breast milk or baby formula, you can use water as long as it is clean and fresh. It's a good idea to talk to your pediatrician for recommendations on how to prepare the cereal.
Mix the cereal and the liquid together thoroughly. Stir the liquid into the cereal so the mixture becomes very runny, like melted ice cream. Remember that your baby's reflexes may make them gag on anything that's too thick. If the cereal doesn't look runny enough, add another tablespoon (15 ml) of liquid.
Serve the cereal. Once the cereal is thin, you can serve it. You don't need to heat or sweeten the cereal before you offer it to your baby, but your baby may refuse the cereal if it's very cold. To warm cereal made with formula or water, just microwave it at half power for about 15 seconds. Always stir and check the temperature before offering it to your baby. Avoid microwaving cereal made with breast milk, since this can break down nutrients in the breast milk. If you need to warm up the breast milk, place the breast milk in a bag and set it under warm, running water for a few minutes. Then you can stir it into the baby cereal.
Thicken the cereal over time. Cut back on the amount of liquid you use after a couple of weeks, once you can determine that your baby's ability to swallow has improved. Reduce the amount of liquid you add to the cereal by 1 tablespoon (15 ml) every few weeks until you are using equal parts liquid and cereal.
Offer more cereal to your baby over time. By six to eight months, your baby can eat anywhere from 3 to 9 tablespoons (7.5 to 22.5 g) of baby cereal throughout the day. This amount can be stretched between two to three feedings. Remember that your baby should still be getting their primary nutrients from breast milk or formula. Don't worry if your baby doesn't eat much at first. They'll likely need a little time to get used to the new food. Ask your pediatrician about how much your baby should eat at each serving.
Mixing Baby Cereal with Fruit or Vegetables
Decide when to offer fruits and vegetables. Your baby should be used to eating cereal mixed with formula, breast milk or water before you begin mixing fruit or vegetable purees into the cereal. Most babies can start enjoying fruits and vegetables within a few weeks after starting cereal. Your baby might enjoy cereal more when it's mixed with fruits or vegetables, since these will give the cereal a little flavor. The fruit and vegetables will also give important nutrients to your baby.
Choose a single fruit or vegetable puree. Always use pureed fruits or vegetables when combining it with cereal. Start with a single fruit or vegetable at a time, so you can watch your baby for allergic reactions (like hives, swelling, or skin irritation). Consider starting with one of these easy-to-digest foods: Avocado Banana Sweet potato (cooked and pureed) Carrots (cooked and pureed) Pears Peas (cooked and pureed)
Mix the cereal with the usual formula or breast milk. Combine the usual amount of cereal and formula or breast milk that your baby usually eats. It's alright if the mixture is a little thick, since the fruit or vegetable puree with thin it out a little. For example, a five month old baby may be eating 2 tablespoons (5 g) of cereal with 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of breast milk or formula.
Stir in 1 teaspoon (5 ml) of pureed fruit or vegetable. The cereal will thin out a little and have a slight fruit or vegetable flavor. You can offer your baby any fruit or vegetable. Keep in mind that your baby might refuse a fruit or vegetable the first time, but may enjoy it the next time you offer it. Some basic starting combinations include: Pumpkin puree with oat or rice cereal Applesauce with oat or rice cereal Pureed peas with oat or rice cereal
Introduce a combination of fruits and vegetables with the cereal. Once your baby has tried a variety of fruits and vegetables, you can begin combining them with the cereal. To create a flavorful meal, you can mix a fruit and vegetable into a cereal. You can also increase the amount of puree to one or two tablespoons. Some good flavor combinations include: Pureed peas and carrots with cereal Pureed green beans and mashed potatoes with cereal Applesauce, pureed sweet potatoes, and cereal Mashed banana, pureed pears and cereal Carrot puree, applesauce, and mango puree with cereal
Starting Your Baby on Baby Cereal
Talk with your pediatrician about baby cereal. Once your baby is 6 months old, you can talk with the pediatrician about introducing baby cereal. Fortified baby cereal is a good source of iron, which your baby might begin needing at this point. The doctor should give you specific recommendations about how much cereal to offer and how often you should give it.
Wait before introducing new baby cereals. Many babies start with single grain baby cereals, usually made with rice. If your baby enjoys rice cereal, you can also offer oat, barley, or wheat cereals. Always wait three days after introducing a new food before offering another new food. This can help you identify any food allergies or sensitivities. If three days pass with no reaction, you can safely assume that your baby does not have an allergy to the food you tried. Move to the next food, mixing it into the cereal at the same proportion and without another fruit or vegetable.
Offer cereal after feeding your baby. Feed your baby a little breast milk or formula before you offer them baby cereal. Before your baby is finished eating, offer the baby cereal. Your baby will be more interested in the cereal if they're not completely full or hungry for milk. Once your baby is done eating cereal, you can offer more breast milk or formula.
Follow your baby's lead. If your baby seems disinterested in eating baby cereal from a small spoon, try offering a little bit of cereal on the end of your clean finger. If your baby still seems uninterested (cries or turns away), don't force them to eat. Your baby might prefer milk or formula for now. You can always take a break from baby cereal and offer it again in another week or so. Consider making feeding a game. Try flying the spoon around like it's an airplane. Your baby might be so interested in the game, that they'll try the food on the spoon.
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