Because we know the first two years of life are so important for developing food preferences, it's essential to introduce cereals right from the start of weaning. Which infant cereals should you start with? At what age should you begin cereals? We'll tell you everything...
"Give me the desire... the desire to desire... to serve cereal to my babyyyyy!" It all started with this lament from the founders of Good Goût, standing in front of the baby cereal aisle... Since there was no way they were going to spend another minute preparing for their failure on The Voice, the whole team got to work, and eighteen months later, the winning trio of Good Goût cereals was born. Delicious, fine, organic.
When and how to start baby cereals?
Often criticized, rarely mentioned by pediatricians, and even absent from health records, cereals nevertheless have their place in the journey of introducing solid foods. But what exactly are we talking about?
In the "Cereals" family, I'd like to introduce... wheat, barley, rye, kamut, oats, rice, quinoa, corn, millet... Sources of energy, thanks to plant proteins and complex carbohydrates, they allow your child to replenish their energy, essential during growth.
It is usually recommended to introduce infant cereals between 4 and 7 months. First-stage cereals based on rice flour can be offered from 4 months, others from 6 months*.
When to introduce gluten?
Gluten is the small protein in wheat that we hear so much about. Several studies** have concluded that gluten should be introduced into a baby's diet before 7 months of age. If gluten is consumed after this period, the risk of celiac disease (gluten allergy) increases. As a reminder, gluten is found in some grains such as wheat, rye, oats, and barley.
At Good Goût, we start gently with an oat-wheat-rice recipe , made with 76% organic wheat flour, 17% organic oat flour, and 5% organic rice flour, perfect for babies from 6 months old to begin introducing gluten. We also have more indulgent recipes, like our strawberry muesli, made with 96% organic wholegrain cereals and 2% organic dried strawberries.
Alongside cereals, you can also introduce gluten with our delicious recipes such as Carrot Sweet Potato Red Lentil DAHL style (from 8 months).
What are the best baby cereals?
The choice of baby cereal depends on the baby's age and whether or not you want gluten. Generally, for babies around 4 months old , you start with gluten-free cereals like rice, corn, or millet, then you can introduce a wider variety of cereals around 6 months, such as wheat, oats , or spelt. However, at Good Goût, we prefer organic cereals !
Why put cereal in the baby bottle?
Even though all parents will tell you first that it's a good way to fill their baby's stomach before bedtime, let's not forget the fantastic taste and nutritional benefits of baby cereals!
Because we know the first two years of life are so crucial for developing food preferences, it's important to introduce cereals right from the start of weaning, just like fruits, vegetables, and proteins, to broaden your budding gourmet's palate. That's why, for each of our recipes, we've carefully selected flours for their nutritional and taste qualities. Our flours showcase the natural goodness of cereals, without any added ingredients, so your babies can simply discover the texture and true flavors of different grains. And the best part? All of this is made without added sugars*** to avoid getting them used to sweet tastes too early.
Whether in a bottle or as porridge, the unique texture of the cereals awakens your baby to new taste sensations.
Cereals have more than one trick up their sleeve!
Besides the satiating qualities of cereals, which thicken milk, it's worth noting that using baby cereals facilitates a smooth transition from liquid to solid, that is, from bottle to spoon. This thickened texture is also often preferred by parents of babies suffering from reflux.
Whether it's powder to mix into a bottle, thicker as a porridge or gruel, sweetened with fruit or savory with vegetables, our cereals are limited only by your imagination! ;-)
*Source: PNNS (National Nutrition and Health Program)
**StØrdal K., White RA, EggesbØ M. (2013) Early Feeding and Risk of Celiac Disease in a Prospective Birth Cohort, Pediatrics; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2013-1752 ESPGHAN Committee on Nutrition (2008), Complementary Feeding: A Commentary by the ESPGHAN Committee on Nutrition, Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition; 46(1):99-110.
***Contains naturally occurring sugars. Important notice: Breast milk is the ideal and natural food for infants.
