In the past month I’ve had a few people ask me my thoughts on infant rice cereal, so I thought I’d share my answer publicly in case anyone else had the same question.
Now, before I discuss why rice cereal isn’t an ideal food for your baby, if your baby IS or HAS eaten rice cereal, there is ZERO judgement here and ZERO intention to make you feel guilty! Change and informed decision making can only come from awareness.
That said, let’s dive in and start with the ingredients…
Farex Baby Rice Cereal (Heinz 4+Months):
Ground Rice (97%), Sunflower Oil, Vitamin C, Antioxidant (Herb Extract), Mineral (Iron), Traces of Milk, Wheat & Soy.
After contacting Heinz for more information regarding the form of Iron and what exactly “herb extract” is – I was told it’s an electrolytic iron and the herb extract is Rosemary. I’ll be talking more about Iron shortly. Beyond the Iron, rice and herb extract however, there is no nutritional requirement for sunflower oil, milk, wheat or soy, especially as a first food…
Let’s also not forget that the baby food industry is BIG. The value of the Australian baby food market was forecast to reach approximately $238 million dollars in 2018. In fact, between 2016 and 2022 the market is expected to grow by over 40% in value.
This aside, here are some of the reasons that rice cereal isn’t the best option for your baby…
#1 – Four months is too young for most babies.
By recommending solids from 4 months of age (in the form of infant rice cereals and many other baby foods), baby food manufacturers contradict national and international guidelines, which universally suggest that 6 months is a more ideal age.
#2 – Fortified Iron isn’t the most ideal or absorbable form of Iron.
Iron bioavailability (the proportion of iron that is taken up and transferred into the body by the gut and used systemically) is affected by the chemical form of iron. It’s well known that heme iron (i.e. red meat) is absorbed more efficiently from the diet than non-heme iron (i.e. spinach/legumes/fortified foods such as rice cereal).
Elemental iron is commonly used in infant rice cereals because it’s relatively inert, has a longer shelf life and is less expensive than many other iron fortification compounds. As this review found, although iron fortified foods, especially cereals, make a substantial contribution to iron intakes in the U.K., evidence from efficacy trials and from countries with national fortification policies, e.g., Denmark, Venezuela and Brazil, suggests that foods fortified with elemental iron make little practical contribution to improving iron status, even in individuals with increased systemic iron needs, which is probably due to their low solubility and consequently low intestinal uptake.
Another study showed that phytic acid in cereal-based complementary foods inhibits iron absorption.
Iron sulfate is another form of iron that is sometimes used, which also isn’t ideal, as it can lead to high levels of free iron in the gut, resulting in microbiota changes, an increased risk of infection and inflammation.
And we can’t forget Zinc, which is another essential mineral for babies, and is found in animal proteins such as red meat and seafood, but is notably absent in infant rice cereals.
#3 – Rice cereal is a classic example of a food that is energy rich and nutrient poor.
Rice cereal is processed until it’s converted into light flakes, which are instantly ready for consumption. It has a high glycaemic index and in 2012, Endocrinologist and Obesity Australia chief Professor John Funder said “Starting a child off on a diet of rice cereal was like giving them an oral glucose tolerance test”. Not really the kind of start we want to be giving our babies…
#4 – Rice cereal lacks the phytochemical richness and biochemical diversity that seasonal, local, chemical-free wholefoods offer.
The thousands of compounds present in unprocessed, whole foods work synergistically to build healthy bodies and help humans thrive. Eating food that is lacking in biochemical, phytonutrient and microbial richness leaves our body imbalanced in ways we are yet to truly appreciate.
#5 – It’s bland.
The blandness of rice cereal is problematic because once way children learn about their environment is through the sense of taste (which actually starts in utero). The more diverse the flavours, the broader their palate will be as they grow. Remember, familiarity breeds fondness.
#6 – It’s not a “gut-friendly” option.
Farex also contains very little to no beneficial fibre and rice is quite a binding food, which is a problem considering how common infantile constipation is when introducing solids, and how important fibre is for our microbiota (especially in the early years!). For more info on supporting your baby’s gut health, read a previous blog I wrote on this.
#7 – There are Arsenic concerns.
Studies suggest that rice cereal can markedly increase Arsenic (As) exposure among infants relative to breast milk and formula. The European Food Safety Authority Panel estimated that children younger than 3 years consume 2 to 3 times the amount of inorganic As from food than adults per kilograms of body weight. In addition to being more highly exposed to As, children appear to be far more sensitive to the potential carcinogenic effects of As and have a heightened risk for adverse growth, adverse immune response, and adverse neurodevelopmental outcomes, even at relatively low levels of exposure (studies here and here).
#8 – Rice cereals often come in plastic pouches.
Although many pouches are now BPA free, many BPA substitutes may cause the same ill effects, particularly in reproductive cells. Basically, replacement bisphenols have not yet been proven to be safe, quite the contrary.
#9 – And pouches encourage a lot of food to be consumed quickly.
With my first baby, I remember the first (and last) time I tried her on a pureed pouch. It was an organic vegetable puree when she was about 7-8 months old. I was absolutely stunned with how quickly she guzzled down the puree! If done regularly, this way of eating doesn’t foster intuitive eating or play/exploration of food.
If you want to know a little more about what I believe are healthier options, check out my program on introducing solids.
Bottom Line
There are no hard and fast ‘rules’ that you need to abide by when introducing solids, and as I said earlier, if your baby DID eat or IS eating rice cereal, it’s entirely your choice to do what you feel is best for your child, I’m simply offering my judgement-free professional opinion.
Until next time,
Stacey.