Rice Cereal: Is it making our kids fat?

Julianne - posted on 02/03/2011

Awe :(

Rebecca - posted on 02/03/2011

Well, I guess it sucks I'm not able to digest yeast without getting terrible yeast infection. A whole different kind of cheesy topping.

Julianne - posted on 02/03/2011

nutritional yeast is high in vitamin b12, its tasty too, i put it on popcorn as a topping...

Julianne - posted on 02/03/2011

I still dont like killing things..



Well when you dont balance and watch a vegan diet then it can cause issues. Same with a meat eating diet. I never claimed one was healthier than the other. Both are equally healthy when done properly. Vegan is healthier for me because i have trouble digesting meat. Balance is key.

Rebecca - posted on 02/03/2011

My own body's less than fabulous response to nonheme iron is one of the reasons I've had to introduce a bit of heme iron into my diet after two decades of veganism. That and the my dangerously low levels of B12 that caused a lot of the nerve damage I suffer from.

I think the key, at least I'm finding in my own quest to be regain my health and maintain chronic illness, is a bit of everything. Not all meat is shit, you get what you pay for. Besides, most vegetables end shit too, it's called fertilizer.

Moderation, moderation, extremes bite you in the ass on both sides of the spectrum.

Entirely, my own opinion and the one I use to feed my family.

Julianne - posted on 02/03/2011

stresses your filtration organs, sometimes they break down too quickly and overload your system because they are simply not meant to be eaten this way.copied from a previous post of mine.



Synthetic does not break down the same way as natural, too much can enter your body at once and cause an overload. When its found in food naturally it breaks down slowly.Some baby cereals have 100% of your daily intake of iron per serving. For a baby thats about 5tsps. Some babies eat more than that, so they get all if not more of the daily intake ALL at once. When naturally you would absorb it throughout the day as for meats iron more readily absorbed, it can take a few days to digest in your body....



This IS dangerous it CAN hurt you. Especially a baby who needs to slowly be introduced to things.

Rosie - posted on 02/03/2011

too much is the key word julianne.

Julianne - posted on 02/03/2011

meat is only as good as what it eats...and they eat crap....literally..
I don't eat meat because i don't like to kill things. My own personal habits are irrelevant to this conversation. Besides, i do drink fortified milks, even though your body doesn't really need milk, i like it for my tea.

Those articles clearly explain why enriched foods are not healthy. Too much ferrous sulfate is toxic, it is a drug after all...

Rosie - posted on 02/03/2011

your links stated exactly what i just said, it's not the same as getting it directly from the source, but it is certainly not bad for you. the thing about the metal form of iron used to fortify things and therefore it's toxic is crap. ferrous sulfate is in everything and nobody is walking around with iron poisoning.

i also found out that nonheme iron, (iron which comes from non hemoglobin sources such as in beans and nuts) isn't absorbed as well as heme iron (iron from meat), so why don't you eat meat to make up for that? why aren't you eating meat to make yourself healthier?
i'm not trying to be a smartass, i'm just trying to make you see that you see those articles as something that i don't. you always seem to take everything to the extreme when it comes to your health, which i admire in a way i guess, but for me and my life it's waaaaay to paranoid.

Sherri - posted on 02/03/2011

Exactly Kati

Julianne - posted on 02/03/2011

http://ezinearticles.com/?Enriched-Foods...





http://www.associatedcontent.com/article...



http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/chris/20...



http://www.revolutionhealth.com/healthy-...



Enriched and fortified foods are bad for you. They give the illusion of health while they hurt your body. Its a marketing gimmick to trick you into thinking its healthy.

Rosie - posted on 02/03/2011

just because that's how it's supposed to be doesn't mean adding extra vitamins into food is a bad thing. sure i think we all knwo that getting it from the source is the best way, but downplaying enriched things and making them seem wrong, or evil isn't true.

Peggy - posted on 02/03/2011

Jackie.. when I got the update thru my email only part of it was there when I clicked on it and took at it was directed to me.. SORRY!!.. I was kind of confused how someone thought I was always making judgements against others.. lol.

Julianne - posted on 02/03/2011

@ jackie-rae, no insult is ever intended. The media is to blame not the parents. Every commercial and ad out there pushes foods that people think are healthy, but really they are not. Over processed foods do cause obesity, and adding some vitamins that our body doesn't break down properly because its a synthetic product does not make it healthy. It stresses your filtration organs, sometimes they break down too quickly and overload your system because they are simply not meant to be eaten this way. Vitamins are suppose to be found naturally in food, not pumped into them. You would be seriously surprised to find out the majority of foods people think are healthy, are not. Its sheer trickery that the company selling the product uses to get us to buy it. They can put things on the label like "real fruit juice" "low fat" source of blah blah blah, and its all bullshit.

I do not have a rebuttal for everything, mainly just food, it is my specialty after all..

Jackie - posted on 02/03/2011

And I don't think that I ever answered the OP!

I never really used it and honestly, I didn't know it was such a big contoversy until coming on CoM. Allison didn't care for it and with the new baby, well, I guess I'll have to do a little bit more research.

I don't think it "causes" obesity though. I think kids eating nothing but junk food, sitting in front of the TV, and never made to do any chores or play outside causes obesity.

Jackie - posted on 02/03/2011

@ Peggy - I truely hope that, that rant wasn't directed towards my comment to Julianne :)

And Julianne - I'm sorry. I'm in a bitchy mood.

Peggy - posted on 02/03/2011

I DONT believe I have ever said "That I find it wrong that you or anyone else dont agree with feeding your child rice cereal" I am saying I DONT agree with the statements that feeding your child rice cereal is starting them on a path of unhealthy eating and being over weight. Lets see.. I also have posted on the debate of "circumcising boys".. Once again I NEVER told one person who was against it they were wrong in their decision. I have always posted that people make the decisions they make based on what they feel is best for their children. I do believe it is the opposite away around... it is normally the ones AGAINST the topic insulting the ones who believe differently. If you feel you are doing right by not feeding your child rice cereal more power to you!!.. it really doesnt matter to me one flipping bit!! People who dont pierce their daughters ears till they are older?.. who cares, I dont!! ... If your a parent who doesnt believe in immunizations, I dont nor will I ever say or think they dont have their children in their best interest. I post my opinion and NEVER belittle someone else for theirs. So I would really like to know how you come to the assumption that I am telling people they are doing wrong? And if you feel insulted then you might need to figure out why and not try to say its because of what I post. I can honestly say I NEVER feel insulted by what anyone has to say about the decisions I make because when it comes down to it, I really don't care what others have to think.

Amber - posted on 02/03/2011

since when are vitamins no good for you? maybe you're looking at the wrong ones...

Jackie - posted on 02/03/2011

So here's the thing Julianne - I think you're pretty knowlegeable. I think you're a great Mom for doing whats absolutly best for your kids... BUT :P



On almost every single thread I read there you are telling all of us that everything we thought we were doing right by our kids and our families is totally wrong. It's pretty insulting. Like I said, I get that you're doing what you think is right. But to have someone on here constantly telling us daily vitamins are no good, pretty much everything we eat is no good, everything we do is no good...



I also understand that this is a debate forum so I'm really not trying to jump down your throat but you seem to have a rebuttle for everything that we all thought we were doing right.

Julianne - posted on 02/02/2011

you can have plain OJ or you can have OJ with added Calcium.. does that mean the one with added Calcium isnt as healthy for you as plain OJ?



both are equally unhealthy. the pasteurization process kills any benefit the juice has. drinking juice is almost as bad as pop, pure sugar, a glass of orange juice can have up to 32grams of sugar depending on the brand, 28grams is an adults daily limit. Its not even real vitamin C, its a synthetic vitamin, and the added calcium is useless if vitamin d is not there.



Any type of box instant crap is the same way. thats why i go for the real grain, fruits or veggies.

Peggy - posted on 02/02/2011

I also would put blame on schools.. I used to go out side for recess and had PE daily. My oldest did the same.. my youngest only has PE twice a week nor do they go out for recess. Her teacher last year says "NO we dont go outside but I let them get up and move around the classroom going to different centers".. SAY WHAT?.. thats NOT exercise nor getting rid of stored up energy. She went to a British school for the 2 years that she was school aged while living in England and it was MANDATORY for them to play outside daily.. and everyday after lunch they got to play.. the lunch monitors became the playground monitors. Heck, you read "dont start your kids on fruits or they wont wont/like veggies" I was started on fruits, my girls were started on fruits and it never affected how we eat veggies.. matter of fact they arent big fruit lovers...at 2 yrs old my oldest wanted baby spinach as a snack.. hhhhmm .. I think people are trying to find a "reason" to put the blame on but when it comes down to it.. there are a TON of factors that contribute to children being overweight, I just dont believe it starts with rice cereal.

Rosie - posted on 02/02/2011

formula is all added vitamins....so we don't give that to our kids now? hope nobody takes a multi vitamin either...:)

Sharon - posted on 02/02/2011

All 3 of my kids were fed rice cereal and none were ever fat.

Amy - posted on 02/02/2011

I never gave my kids cereals beyond a bit of my oatmeal when they were old enough to handle it. We eat rice all the time, but it's wild rice or brown rice. No idea. There is always something "new" out there. After all, at one time eggs were horrid, now it's back to the incredible edible egg. Milk was bad, now it does a body good. Probably just a trend. I think poor eating habits make kids fat.

Peggy - posted on 02/02/2011

Baby Oatmeal is almost exactly the same as far as nutrients go.. and "back in the day" Rice cereal was what Dr's recommended you start your child off on. Shoot back when my oldest (who is now 16) was on WIC they also suggested starting off on Rice Cereal.. yes I understand things have changed but I do not believe that Rice cereal has made or is making kids fat. As far as adding things to make it better for you... you can have plain OJ or you can have OJ with added Calcium.. does that mean the one with added Calcium isnt as healthy for you as plain OJ?

Sherri - posted on 02/02/2011

Mine all used it to thicken baby foods and only at meal times. I think parents are making their kids overweight not because they feed them rice cereal. For crying out loud what else can we manage to blame on someone else??

Kate CP - posted on 02/02/2011

What Julianne said. If you take plain white rice and look at the nutritional value there is nothing to it. Now if you add all that stuff to it and mash it up and call it cereal it's suddenly better for you? It also tastes awful. :P

Julianne - posted on 02/02/2011

because those vitamins are synthetic. Its hard for your body to absorb them. It stresses your filtration organs. It may say 25% but your body doesn't use all of it. It cant. Its much better to get food that naturally have vitamins in them.

Rosie - posted on 02/02/2011

no i don't feel rice cereal makes us fat. how does 2 months of eating rice cereal equate obesity later in life?

i've only read a few answers but i'd like to address the nutritionally void thing. why do people say that? it's not, it has like half the daily value for iron, and like 25% of thiamin, niacin, folate, zinc, b12, b6, and some calciucm and phosphorus.



my kids never took to it, but i certainly dont' get why people think it's evil, or not nutrionally sound. it's weird to me.

Julianne - posted on 02/02/2011

they have special milk for reflux now :)

Kate CP - posted on 02/02/2011

I agree with Julianne on this one. I've always hated rice cereal and never really understood why some one would feed it to their kid unless they had severe reflux or something.

Julianne - posted on 02/02/2011

lol my mom fed me horrible foods! mr noodles and canned stuff all the time! I eat health food now. Still even if it doesn't effect you later in life, the cereal is still nutritionally void, we want our babies to get the most nutrition possible to grow and be healthy, why give them something that is not nutritious?

Peggy - posted on 02/02/2011

well my mom never allowed junk food.. and let me tell you, I personally could eat junk food all day long.. I crave chocolate 24/7..thats me.. but I also feel that I am that way because in a way it was like being deprived as a child and when I became old enough to get it myself I did... my cousin I spoke of on the other hand was also started off on rice cereal.. and she hates junk food... so in my opinion its the luck of the draw of how you will be when you become old enough to make the decisions for yourself.

Julianne - posted on 02/02/2011

I am a firm believer in eating habits being what you allow it as well. It all depends on what you start off with.The first 5 years are the most crucial in developing life long traits and choices when it comes to everything, even food. rice cereal is horrible, currently you have control over what your children eat. They will have control someday, and if all carb and nutritionally void food is what they are starting off on, it will be a craving. They may not have the will power to avoid that craving. Its great they also started off with fruits and veggies, it will impact them for the rest of their life.

Peggy - posted on 02/02/2011

But the topic is "Rice Cereal: Is it making our kids fat?" and I was giving thoughts into it. No it doesnt work for every child.. but it did for mine. Hell my little brother couldnt keep down ANY type of formula.. projectile vomited it up.. the Doc and a Nutritionist suggested he be put on whole milk sometime between 1 -2 months old... gasp..most say thats unheard of..
But I am a firm believer that your childs eating habits is what you allow them to be. If you allow them to gorge on cookies of course most will go with it and not say "but mommy I want a banana".

Julianne - posted on 02/02/2011

Unhealthy foods work both ways and people tend to forget that. If someone eats all unhealthy food, and are bone skinny or super tiny, they are probably underweight from not receiving proper nutrients.



@ peggy, just because YOUR kids didnt suffer from being started on a horrible food, doesnt mean others dont. I started my daughter on rice cereal for about 2 meals, she got constipated and puked all over the place. Then i looked into it and decided it sucks. I read a book on child nutrition that is part of my studies. It does say that high carbs are not a good way to start foods. Ask any nutritionist, empty calories are bad.

Jaime - posted on 02/02/2011

i have a friend who will be 21 this june. before i met him he'd never had carrots and his diet consisted mainly of chicken, pizza, corn, and soda. refused to eat veggies or fruits unless i forced him, and even then it was very little, like maybe a spoonful. skinny as a rail. but it will catch up to him, i'm sure. he's horribly unhealthy. you can see it on his face. gaunt little dude. but he won't listen to me.

Peggy - posted on 02/02/2011

And let me add .. I do know someone that the only foods her family eats is fast food, frozen pizzas, corn dogs ect and her kids are SKINNY..not an ounce of fat on them. Which just goes to show there are many factors in being overweight... not just unhealthy foods.

Peggy - posted on 02/02/2011

*"rice cereal is the worst first food, it develops a taste for high carb/low nutrient foods, when we are suppose to be developing a taste for fruits and veggies."

I actually started my kids on rice cereal early... they were on all fruits/veggies by the time they were 4/5 months. My kids are not overweight NOR do they live on high carb/low nutrient foods. My kids LOVE veggies. I feel the eating habits of your kids is what you install.. if you start feeding them chicken nuggets and french fries, pizza, corn dogs etc and not give them veggies then of course they arent going to just want veggies and it puts them at a higher chance of not liking the taste of veggies. It has always been in my house that what I make for dinner is what I make.. I will make more than one veggie.. my 8 yr old and I like spinach and my 16 yr old and husband dont. Both my kids dont like meatloaf with ketchup, they like it with gravy so I leave 1/2 plain and make gravy. Unless I make something spicy then I dont make more than one meal.. its not a restaurant. But there are many things that play a factor in being over weight ... I just dont feel that feeding your child rice cereal is the first stage of becoming overweight... unless you are force feeding, then no matter what you feed them if will be an contributing factor.

Jascinta - posted on 02/02/2011

i briefly used rice cereal for both my boys because i was under the impression that it was what you were supposed to do- i used my own judgement still though, and only gave it for a few days mixed with b/m then moved onto home made fruit and vegie puree's. the first time i gave my first son rice cereal to try my MIL and SIL were both there, i'd mixed a tiny bit with some b/m, and they said as they watched me do it you nasty person putting sour old b/m in there and not even adding any sugar or salt!!! (btw they were very serious- it wasn't a joke) WHAT!??? 4 mth old baby and you want me to add sugar and/or salt to his first solid meal? and as far as i'm concerned breastmilk would still be sweet from the natural sugars from our body. MIL and both SIL's chose not to even try breastfeeding (thats thirteen kids between them). i really don't have a major issue with rice cereal- i do have a major issue with the idea of adding sugar or salt to it though!!!



just thought i'd add....they even add sugar to any milk they give they're babies. OMG! seriously do i have some stories......

Deanna - posted on 02/01/2011

Not a clue and don't really care. We barely used one box for all three of our kids. We made our baby food fresh from breastmilk and fresh produce as well up to a year old when we introduced meats like chicken and such. Our kids are healthy and love their fruits and veggies even now at 3, 4, 7, and 14 so apparently we are doing something right. :)

Amber - posted on 02/01/2011

my kid is a string bean. i bet if i fed him rice cereal every day, that wouldn't change. if i fed him McDonald's every day, then it might...lol

Amanda - posted on 02/01/2011

Rice cereal isnt the problem, the problem is the other foods parents are putting in their kids. I cant count how many times many moms who come to my house with only JUNK food for their infants, and toddlers, for the whole days worth of meals! For example, my sister brought 4 packs of chocolate chip bear paws, and brownie brown paws for her son yesterday, gold fish, crackers, and high sugar juices. This is the normal snacks I see in MOST moms buggys these days.

We need a fruity and veggie movement!

Btw I feed my child anytime she asks, that can be 3 meals a day, and up to 5-10 snacks a day (those are almost always fruit, veggies and in small amounts). None of my kids are over weight. They are all in the 50% other then the 12 year old, but shes 5 foot 3 LOL. Shes avg weight for a grown female adult though!

LaCi - posted on 02/01/2011

Mine was really never a fan of rice cereal either, or any kind really, I can probably count on my fingers how many time he ate rice, oat, multigrain, barley-feedings combined. I can't say I blame him. It looks pretty horrible. I think I still have all the boxes in the cabinet

Johnny - posted on 01/31/2011

For cereal, we always used stone ground oats and mixed it with pureed fruits or yogurt.

Johnny - posted on 01/31/2011

If allergies had been a concern, I would have used rice cereal. But they weren't and I needed my daughter to get a high level of nutrients, so it wasn't on my feeding list. She started with avocados and mangos.

I didn't ever buy it, but I have seen brown rice cereal on the shelf. Here in Canada PC makes a one (Extra Foods, Superstore, etc.)

Julianne - posted on 01/31/2011

coffee grinders are bomb for making home cereal, you can literally take any grain and turn it into a cereal.

Marylea - posted on 01/31/2011

I just would blend the oats (thats what my daughter liked) or rice and then cook it like I would regularly. Once it was cooked I'd add breast milk to thin it out and cool it down.

Julianne - posted on 01/31/2011

joanna i get oat bran and pour kettle water over it, cover it up and let it stand for 5 mins. the boiling water cooks it. Then i add some pretend milk and its good to eat. Really quick and easy.

Rebecca - posted on 01/31/2011

We used the cookbook Cooking for Baby to learn how to do it. This website looks very similar. It has a few recipes but if you scroll down, you'll see brown rice, barley and oatmeal recipes. Really easy and it makes a ton of cereal.

http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/cereals...