Brown Rice Cereal For Babies

After my baby's annaprasna in her 6th month, i started feeding her Brown rice cereal. I chose brown rice in making the cereal because it is a whole grain and is more nutrious than white rice. It is also rich in fiber.

The difference between brown rice and white rice is not just color! A whole grain of rice has several layers. Only the outermost layer, the hull, is removed to produce what we call brown rice. This process is the least damaging to the nutritional value of the rice and avoids the unnecessary loss of nutrients that occurs with further processing. If brown rice is further milled to remove the bran and most of the germ layer, the result is a whiter rice, but also a rice that has lost many more nutrients. At this point, however, the rice is still unpolished, and it takes polishing to produce the white rice we are used to seeing. Polishing removes the aleurone layer of the grain--a layer filled with health-supportive, essential fats. Because these fats, once exposed to air by the refining process, are highly susceptible to oxidation, this layer is removed to extend the shelf life of the product. The resulting white rice is simply a refined starch that is largely bereft of its original nutrients.Sally Fallon, Pg 25

You can find more information on brown rice here


Nutrients in Brown Rice (one cup, cooked)

Protein - 5.03g

VITAMINS

Vitamin B1 (thiamine) - .18 mg
Vitamin B2 (riboflavin) - .04 mg
Niacin - 2.9 mg
Folate - 8 mcg

Contains some other vitamins in small amounts.

MINERALS

Potassium - 84 mg
Phosphorus - 162 mg
Magnesium - 84 mg
Calcium - 20 mg
Sodium - 10 mg
Iron - .8 mg

Also contains small amounts of manganese, copper and zinc.

PREPARATION:

How to make rice flour:

1. Rinse 1 cup of brown rice and soak them in water for overnight. Next morning drain the water and spread the rice on a dry cotton cloth and let them dry completely.

2. Heat a pan and roast them to make sure that there is no moisture left in the rice.

3. Let them cool down and grind the roasted rice into fine powder. Use a sieve in the process to make a fine powder.



How to make rice cereal:

1. Mix 1 tbsp of rice flour in 2 tbsp of water and keep it aside.

2. Bring little amount of water to boil in a pan and add the above mixture to it. Allow it to boil for 5 minutes. Simmer it until it is well cooked. Make sure to check on the water level to avoid burning.

3. Once the rice flour is well cooked, mix it with formula milk and feed it to the baby luke warm.

I never get to take pictures of the cooked cereal, as my baby will be hungry by the time it is done...