Rice Krispies are not recommended for your baby. Babies tend to prefer sweet food because their breast milk or formula is sweet, so it might be tempting to give your baby rice Krispies because they will readily take to them.
But you shouldn’t. Rice Krispies are a cereal for people with a mature attitude towards food. They are highly processed rice grains that contain sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and MSG, which are highly controversial ingredients in food.
Foods that are high in sugar tend to lead to heart disease, diabetes, and obesity later in your baby’s life. Therefore, it is best to balance the food you give to your baby.
What are rice Krispies?
Rice Krispies is a rice-based cereal that is created by the Kellogg Company. They have been around since 1927 and are loved by many people. Rice Krispies are made from white rice, which is cooked with sugar, salt, and flavoring.
The rice is fortified, then it is allowed to dry. Once the rice is dry, it is rolled out and placed in the oven to pop it, giving it that unmistakable pop.
Rice Krispies are eaten with milk or made into tasty rice Krispie treats or eaten dry. They have been around for so long that they are a tradition in some families. Krispies are more than cereal. They are memories for a lot of people that love them.
Nutrition in rice krispies
Rice Krispies are a great treat and cereal for older children who have established healthy eating habits.
This means that your child can accept a wide variety of food and not lean towards having one sort of food every day. This variety helps your baby get all the nutrients their body needs to grow and properly maintain all their body processes.
While fortified with vitamins and minerals, rice Krispies are also very sweet and made with sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and MSG. These ingredients can cause spikes in sugar, also known as a sugar high in your baby, which will make them restless, uncomfortable, and irritable.
This makes rice Krispies food for mature eaters. These are eaters who practice balance with their diet and not lean towards one food for long periods.
If your child tends to prefer only one sort of food every day, especially sweet foods, then it’s best to keep the rice Krispies away from their diet until they develop a balanced approach to food.
Adding rice Krispies will only create a larger health issue for your baby as they continue growing. It could have them suffer from malnutrition because they aren’t getting enough of the nutrients they need from different food sources.
Healthier alternatives
There are healthier alternatives for your baby that are wholesome and less processed. If you are looking for a snack for your baby, then Cheerios are a better wholesome alternative.
It is best to give your baby honey-free cheerios. Babies should not have honey before they are 12 months old. Honey is a food with a high risk of contamination, which increases the risk of infant botulism in your baby, leading to weak muscles and poor appetite.
It could lead to malnutrition and other health and development complications in your baby. It is best to avoid giving your baby anything with honey.
You can only give your baby rice Krispies if they show a healthy appetite for all foods, making rice Krispies another food on their diet and not one they cry to have or show a preference.
Homemade treats
You can make your baby healthy homemade treats if you want to add snacks to your baby’s diet. There are many sorts of biscuits or cookies you can make for your baby, the only thing you need is great imagination, and you will be well on your way to creating the tastiest treats for your baby.
When creating treats for your baby, the rule of thumb is that you should be able to eat it too. If you can’t eat it, don’t expect your baby to do so no matter how healthy.
Your baby has some of your food preferences, and they will tend to like what you like. There are many kinds of biscuits that you can make for your baby. Some include but are not limited to coconut biscuits, quinoa biscuits, or oatmeal biscuits.
The best part about creating your homemade biscuits is to tailor them and customize them for your baby’s palate. You also control the ingredients you add to the biscuits, which means that you have more control over your baby’s health.
It is important to use the 4-day window to observe your baby’s reaction towards the food you give them. Allowing a 4-day lapse when introducing your baby to solids allows you to catch any allergies.
Serving rice krispies
If your baby has great eating habits and a healthy attitude towards different foods, which creates a balanced diet, then you can add rice Krispies to their diet.
Rice Krispies are tasty either as a treat or with milk. If you choose to give your baby rice Krispies without milk, then it’s best to serve them as they are.
Giving your baby rice Krispies treats will most likely lead to cavities because the treats are too sweet with the addition of marshmallows. Cavities are painful and not ideal for anyone, especially not your baby.
The best way to serve rice Krispies to your baby is as cereal served with their breast milk or formula if they are under 12 months old.
Remember that babies under 12 months should not be served whole milk, which is cow’s milk in most cases. Serving rice Krispies as cereal should be done once a week at most to allow your baby to balance their diet with other breakfast foods.
Will feeding your baby Rice Krispies impact his sleep schedule?
Absolutely! Feeding your baby Rice Krispies can have an impact on his sleep schedule. But, unfortunately, many parents feed their baby Rice Krispies without even considering that it may totally impact your baby for days to come.
Your baby’s diet will impact their sleep quality. Therefore, it is highly recommended to use this specific baby sleep schedule on nights your baby consumes Rice Krispies.
Can Rice Krispies cause your baby to have nightmares?
Some parents believe that the ingredients in Rice Krispies may cause your baby to have nightmares. You might be just as surprised as us to learn how much Rice Krispies impacts your baby’s sleep. However, there are ways to check if the ingredients are impacting your baby’s sleep. Check out that link to learn about the powerful impact Rice Krispies have on your baby’s sleep.
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