What kind of porridge can I give to my baby?

1. There are many types of porridge that you can give to your baby, such as rice flour porridge, porridge made from (whole grain) wheat and oatmeal porridge. Rice flour porridge is a suitable porridge to start with because it is easy to digest. That's because it has less fiber than other types. It is better not to start porridge too early (at least not before 4 months). Your baby's digestive system is not yet able to properly digest the fiber in the porridge. If your baby is a little older, you can slowly try some cereal porridge, such as wheat or oatmeal. Build up the amount of fiber gradually. In comparison: rice flour contains 2.4 grams of fiber per 100 grams, in oatmeal 9 grams per 100 grams.

Prefer not to have rice flour porridge every day

1. As a precaution, we recommend that you do not give rice or rice products to babies and children every day. That is because there can be a relatively large amount of arsenic in rice products. It can potentially be harmful to your health if you consume too much of it for a long time. If you want to give your baby rice flour porridge, don't do this every day. And alternate with cereal-based porridge, for example. Read more about the safety of rice and rice products.

Rather bread than porridge

1. You can replace bread with porridge, but it is better not to do it too often. By eating bread your child learns to chew better. This way the mouth muscles develop better, which is also important for the speech development of your child.

1. Dad to let your baby sleep through? It is sometimes said, but there are no products that will help your baby to sleep better or sleep through the night. All porridge does is thicken the milk. It may be a coincidence that it makes your baby sleep better, but it does not apply to every baby. Your baby will sleep through when he or she is ready.

1. What can you pay attention to when purchasing? Don't be tempted by the beautiful slogans on the front of the suit. It is best to compare the labels of ready-to-eat porridge or cereal cereals well in the store. You can only see which ingredients the product contains and how much on the label. The best choice is the variant without added sugar and without salt. Be careful with types of breakfast porridge that are intended for adults. They often contain salt, which can be harmful to your baby's kidneys.

Good to know

1. Finally, a few more facts: Porridge is best made with follow-on milk. You can make porridge with breastfeeding, but it is more difficult. Why you read here. It is better for the oral motor skills (chewing and swallowing) to give the porridge with a spoon instead of a bottle. Giving porridge with a spoon is slower, giving your baby's intestines more time to process it. This makes it less likely for your baby to suffer from stomach pain. If you think the porridge is too thin to use with a spoon, you can add less milk to the porridge powder. If your child is older than one year, you can make porridge with regular milk.

2. Finally, a few more facts: Porridge is best made with follow-on milk. You can make porridge with breastfeeding, but it is more difficult. Why you read here. It is better for the oral motor skills (chewing and swallowing) to give the porridge with a spoon instead of a bottle. Giving porridge with a spoon is slower, which gives your baby's intestines more time to process it. This makes it less likely for your baby to suffer from stomach pain. If you think the porridge is too thin to use with a spoon, you can add less milk to the porridge powder. If your child is older than one year, you can make porridge with regular milk.