What’s in the organic baby cereals and dried meals?
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The best food for your baby is your home-made baby food with organic ingredients. However, sometimes parents can get busy and convenient commercial baby food can come in very handy. I have been using many commercial baby food myself especially when I am on-the-go somewhere with my baby. It is so easy to pack it and just go. Also, my baby loves to eat variety of things at each meal and when I don’t have several things prepared, I can also offer some of the commercial baby food right away. So other than organic pouch and jar baby food, what other baby foods are available? There is organic baby cereals, oatmeals and dried meals available in the market. When I buy these food, what do I want to know? I want to know the ingredients goes into these foods are healthy for my baby. What goes in to the commercial baby food is very important to me. So I read all the ingredients on the box although with some ingredients, I don’t even know what they are. I like the simple organic ingredients, not the ingredients that sound like chemicals.
With organic baby cereals (and oatmeal), I noticed that they are fortified with vitamins and minerals. Although vitamins and minerals fortified food may sound healthy and good for the baby, the best way for a baby to get nutrition is from whole foods rather than from vitamins fortified food. Also, these vitamin fortified foods are often fortified with synthetic vitamins and minerals rather than whole food ones due to the cheaper costs to produce with synthetic ones. Synthetic vitamins fortified food can be harmful because high dosage of synthetic vitamins are harmful to our body. (read more about dangers of synthetic vitamins.) Too much synthetic vitamin A, for example, can potentially cause peeling skin, hair loss, liver damage and/or skeletal abnormalities.
Ferrous sulfate or electrolytic iron (iron), ascorbic acid (vitamin C) and folic acid (vitamin B9) are some of the examples of synthetic vitamins you see in baby food. Ferrous sulfate or electrolytic iron is a synthetic iron you will find in baby formulas and cereals. By 6 months of age, babies’ iron stores start to deplete and they are recommended to start solids and eat iron-rich food. Some parents start out with iron fortified rice cereal. 7-12 month old baby will need about 11 milligrams (mg) of iron a day. If you are feeding baby iron fortified formula, make sure she is not consuming more than recommended amount a day. She could be also eating iron-fortified formula, iron-fortified cereal, or other food that contains iron throughout the day. (Read more about ‘Too much iron in infant formula could be harming your babies.‘) Also, if baby’s daily iron requirement level is met solely from the cereal or dried baby food, try to buy food that has organic iron. Inorganic iron will such as electrolytic iron will absorb to the body at a very little amount.
Another thing to watch out is that there are concerns about arsenic levels in rice and rice products. (read more) Arsenic is a harmful heavy metal. Pesticides and herbicides contaminates our soil and water and arsenic gathers. Rice absorbs more arsenic than other food crops and arsenic is present in rice or rice products. Long term exposure of arsenic can cause cancer, skin lesions, developmental effects, cardiovascular disease, neurotoxicity and diabetes. Therefore, rather than feeding baby solely an infant rice cereal, include variety of grains such as oat, barley, quinoa and multi grain in baby’s diet.
NurtureMe Protein Packed Quinoa Organic Baby Cereal
Nurtureme Quinoa Organic Baby Cereal
NurtureMe Protein Packed Quinoa Organic Baby Cereal is the first and only pure quinoa-based cereal for infants. Quinoa is not only a protein-packed, nutritional super-grain but also a low arsenic grain. This is a great alternative to rice cereal. Quinoa also has active antioxidants for strong immune system and protein with all essential and non-essential amino acids. This cereal is fortified with an organic iron and has natural fiber that assists with digestion. It is made of organic quinoa and the vitamins and minerals are also extracted from organic source such as curry leaves, guava or crimini mushroom (100% naturally occurring plant-based nutrients). There is 0 g of sugar in this cereal. More Info
Ingredients: Organic quinoa, Contains 2% or less of the following: organic iron (organic curry leaves extract), organic vitamins and minerals [A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B9, C, E, Biotin, Zinc, Copper, Potassium, Magnesium sourced from a blend of water extracted Organic: Curry leaves, Guava, Lemon, Sesbania, Amla, Holy Basil leaves and Annatto seeds] Inulin, Bacillus coagulans GBI-30 6086 (probiotics), Organic Vitamin D sourced from Organic Crimini Mushrooms, B12 (Methylcobalamin)
NurturMe NurturMeals Dried Organic Food Pouches
NurturMe NurturMeals Dried Organic Food Pouches
NurturMe NurturMeals Dried Organic Food Pouches are USDA certified organic and Kosher. They use non-GMO, gluten-free ingredients.(with the exce
ption of the Sweet Potatoes, Oatmeal, Bananas blend) If you look at the ingredients list below, you will see that only simple, organic ingredients are listed. (Organic quinoa, organic apple, organic pea) There is no added sugar, salt or preservatives. You can just add breast milk, formula or water and stir to serve. Drying preserves freshness and flavor. There is 6 g of sugar per serving in these pouches. (not from added sugar but from organic apple)
Ingredients: Organic quinoa, organic apple, organic pea
