The Name Says it All
Written: Nov 20 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Organic, versatile
Cons: Hard to find
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| Trawma's Full Review: Earths Best Baby Cereals |
When it came time for our now-toddler to begin eating solids (6 months), we turned to Earth's Best. Why? Well, because we're a bit "crunchy." We usually gravitate towards organically grown products for obvious reasons. Earth's Best represents the perfect choice for us.
We started with the Rice Cereal--it's always best to start with rice in a single grain product. Starting with wheat or blends increases the risk of food sensitivities and/or allergies. Rice is the easiest on a baby's belly. Earth's Best Rice Cereal contains 45% Daily Value for Iron, 15% Thiamine, 4% Riboflavin, 4% Protein, and 8% Niacin.
Upon opening the box, we were a bit put off---Earth's Best is a fine powder rather than flakes. This makes thorough mixing an absolute necessity--lumps form if mixing is less than complete. The upside to the powder is that adjusting consistency to suit babies new to solids is easy. The cereal comes in resealable packets, making keeping it fresh easy.
Sean loved the rice---mixed with breastmilk, it went down smooth and caused no upset of the belly. We kept him on the rice for two months before venturing into Earth's Best Whole Grain Oatmeal. Like the Rice, this is a powdery cereal that blends to varying consistencies. Again, no problems--Sean loved it, it went down easy. Earth's Best Whole Grain Oatmeal contains 15% of the Daily Value for Calcium, 10% Iron, 15% Vitamin E, 10% Thiamine, 6% Riboflavin, and 6% Niacin.
After another month, we moved on to Earth's Best Multigrain cereal. This cereal contains oats, rice, and millet. No problems. It's a slightly more grainy texture, and is not well-suited for a first food--single ingredient is always the way to go when first introducing foods. Earth's Best Multigrain Cereal contains 35% of the Daily Value for Iron, 15% Thiamine, 4$ Riboflavin, 8% Protein, and 10% Niacin.
Earth's Best Cereals blend well with other foods---as Sean got older, we mixed home cooked carrots, sweet potatoes, and even apple sauce and apricot baby foods. We would add cereal to thicken jarred foods (also Earth's Best), adjusting the consistency to best suit his age and mastery of the chewing game. He loved it, and we felt good knowing that we were giving him foods that were good for him. As with any cereal or food, Earth's Best is not designed to fulfill an infants dietary needs--that's what breastmilk (or formula) is for. For the first year, a child's needs should be met through those things--solid foods are a learning experience before one year, not something meant to sustain an infant.
I've heard some say that their babies spat up Earth's Best--we never had this problem. Of course, we adhered to the AAP's guidelines and held off on introducing solids until 6 months---anything earlier increases the risk of food allergies, sensitivities, digestive upset, and choking. Many who report problems with this product introduced solids too early.
In all, I was very happy with Earth's Best Cereals--high quality, wholesome ingredients, certified organic, and highly versatile. I would recommend them to any parents of infants over 6 months of age---they make a wonderful first food.
Recommended:
Yes
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