Why ditch the infant cereals

Well, here are the facts. What are your thoughts on the movement against feeding oatmeal and rice cereal to babies when they are initially embarking upon their first foods journey?

Unfortunately, this means there also a greater risk of deficiency of minerals that infant cereals are fortified with — namely iron and zinc. And this is because of an enzyme called amylase. According to some folks, babies do not make enough amylase to digest grains. Amylase is a starch-busting enzyme. You need amylase to digest all starch — not only cereals.

This includes bananas, potatoes, and other starchy root vegetables. Even if your baby can digest it. This is because it contains anti-nutrients that bind to minerals — which explains why all infant cereal must be fortified. As it turns out, problems pop up when parents ditch the infant cereal but stick with common first foods like:.

First, I want to point out that except for egg yolk, these foods — like cereals — require amylase for digestion. Second, all of these foods — including egg yolk — are a poor source of iron.

Basically the complex carbs would be undigested in the large intestine and fermented by bacteria, causing gas. The colon would then absorb the gas. Not deadly, but maybe a bit uncomfortable!

There are enzymes beyond just pancreatic amalyse in the small intestine that breaks down the carbs. So they can be used for energy instead of just producing gas.

Isomaltase and glucoamylase are at mature levels in the term baby. Glucoamylase splits the multiple glucose molecules from a complex carb so they can be absorbed. This is especially useful for babies, who have low levels of pancreatic amylase, as we learned above. Breast milk contains amylase of the salivary type too.

Normally salivary amylase is inactivated once it reaches the stomach, due to more acidic pH levels in the stomach. However, the amylase in breast milk is not inactivated in the stomach and it continues to work in the small intestine on digesting breast milk.

This amylase activity also works to help the breastfed baby digest other solid foods. Making it easier for them to digest carbs. The wonders of breast milk! So s tarches can be broken down and used by babies under 1 year of age, even without a lot of pancreatic amylase. You can choose a single-grain infant cereal, such as rice, oat, or barley, or a multi-grain option that combines two or more.

One concern that has been raised about infant cereal is that arsenic was detected in some infant rice cereals. In , the U. Food and Drug Administration FDA first released a warning about the level of inorganic arsenic present in rice products, including popular infant cereals. If you choose cereal as your baby's first food, it's a good idea to include grains other than rice so that your baby isn't only ingesting rice cereal at every meal.

The recommendation from the AAP is for parents to use rice cereal as only one source of solid food and one piece of a healthy diet. The goal with solid foods is not only to provide key nutrients, but to offer a variety of flavors and an introduction to social eating experiences. Not only is this important for overall health, but it can also help diversify your baby's palate for a lifetime of enjoying nutritious foods.

Fruits and vegetables, beans and lentils, meats, eggs, nut and seed butters, and other foods the whole family eats can be integrated safely as first foods. Some parents choose to use purees, including jarred baby food, to introduce these foods. Others opt to include safe, appropriate versions of foods babies can feed themselves, via a technique called baby-led weaning.

The good news is that it only takes a small amount of each food at any meal to introduce these healthy eating habits. These foods don't have to be complex. Some foods, such as bananas and steamed sweet potatoes, can even be mashed with a fork, so you don't have to pull out the food processor for every meal. Or, if you're using baby-led weaning, offer your baby soft banana or steamed sweet potato in small pieces they can hold and feed themselves. Also, you can prepare small amounts of a variety of baby-friendly foods ahead of time so they're ready for any meal.

As you're starting solid foods, keep in mind that variety not only increases the range of nutrients a baby gets, but also the variety of flavors. Adding these fruits, veggies, and meats can expand the nutrients that babies get beginning at six months of age:. Fruits and vegetables only have to be pureed until your baby is ready to eat soft foods by hand.

Babies can eat dairy products not including whole milk when the texture is developmentally appropriate: first yogurt, then small pieces of cheese, and so on. Share this: Print Facebook More Email. Like this: Like Loading Written by louisaenright November 4, at am.

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