Do you really need to introduce Rice cereal before Stage 1 foods?

[Britt G]

Everyone tells me to do this. I agree with giving veggies before fruit because I understand that a baby will not want to eat veggies once they taste the sweetness of fruit..but is Rice cereal really necessary? Will it hurt if I give pureed peas or squash or something first instead?

 

[Barbra Elder]

i didnt give my son rice firat when he was 4 months he got his first food, it was peaches. and he loves squash green beans and other veggies. but most babies dont like peas just to warn ya. but it would be fine if u just did stage 1 foods

 

[4Red]

No it's not necessary just as baby foods are not necessary.

It also is not necessary to start with veggies. People say because they will like the sweetness of fruits and reject veggies but as far as breastfed babies, breastmilk is sweet so they are already tasting sweet.

Mine preferred veggies, not jarred veggies, over fruits. You never know what your baby will like.

 

[??Ã￾?m?'s ??mm?]

I did, but I really don't think its necessary. I really believe the texture of baby cereal is right there with the stage 1, both pretty watery. Im pretty sure I did the baby cereal for like 2 days before I added in veg with it. I did the same, all veggies before fruit and it worked to my advantage. He eats everything and anything now and hes almost two. My son was eating every veg there was and I still think its because I started him around 5 months, maybe a week or two before 5 months. I had parents when I was a teacher at a daycare that were waiting until 6, 6.5 months to introduce anything but milk and by 8 months they were still spitting out the stage one veggies and wanting nothing to eat and are still picky eaters at age 2.

Im sure you know ( I hated when parents would tell me this because I already knew so sorry lol) just to stick to one veg at a time for a bit to check for allergic reactions

 

[Reyes]

I mean your supposed to start them out on cereal. I mean you dont have to if you dont want to bc your the parent.

Cereal is important when starting out because 1. You need to make it really liquidy so that it will go down easier. They arent used to the swallowing without sucking. 2. Because its food, if you start it too early they will be more likely to develop a food allergy.

They need to get used to eating with a spoon with real liquid cereal at first, then when they get used to eating, then give them Stage 1.

I did this with my son and it worked awsome.

 

[Lola]

Yes, you don't even have to offer puree's babies that are about 6 months can go strait to whole foods, pieces of cooked squash, avocado, peas are great! I would skip the rice cereal, if your baby is breast-fed they could end up constipated from all the access iron! SO yeah skip the cereal! more in source.