You’ve heard of oatmeal cereal or rice cereal for babies, but have you heard of barley cereal? Yes, you heard right. Actually, some doctors say skip the rice cereal that you see on the shelves and go straight to barley – as for some babies can’t tolerate the rice as it can give them gas and constipation.
Barley contains lots of fiber, iron, copper, vitamin B, and many other great healthy nutrients for your baby. When your baby gets older, you can use it with soups or a side dish instead of pasta. It also makes for a great finger food when they start eating solid foods.
Something to think about – just like oatmeal – barley does contain gluten and is recommended to wait till your baby is at least six months old. So, make sure you have introduced some other foods first so you can tell if your baby is allergic to that food. I always like to remind parents to make sure you test out this one food for three days straight to ensure that your baby doesn’t develop any allergies. Also, consult your doctor for more information.
Barley Cereal Recipe
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup barley
- 1 cup water
- 2-4 tbs water or breast milk
Instructions
- In a saucepan, add the 1 cup of water and bring to a boil.
- Add the barley and simmer for 10 minutes till tender.
- Cool off.
- Then add the cooked barley in the Baby Bullet with 2-4 tbs water or breast milk. Blend till smooth. Add more water or breast milk to make a very smooth puree.