I just tried it yesterday morning, and let me tell you it is super easy to make.
I used Barley, Brown Rice, and Oatmeal.
You can use any grain you prefer.
Millet is a good starter grain for babies who are just starting to eat solids but use less when using it to make the recipe found below (use 3 tablespoons instead of 1/4 cup). Also recommended is brown rice and Barley.
Oatmeal is recommended for older babies (about 6 months or older). I use the old fashion rolled oats but you can also use whole grain oats found at Health Food Stores.
Here is the recipe.
- Measure 1/4 cup of either a single grain or Mix different kinds of grains.
- In a pot, bring 1 cup of water to a boil.
- While the water gets to boil, place the grains in the blender. Set it to Grind (if your blender has that setting) and grind the grains for about 2 minutes. For babies just starting on solids make sure you grind it the full 2 minutes. For older babies who can eat chunkier food you can grind for less time. It will be very loud, so I recommend you have the baby as far away from the kitchen as possible.
- Once the water starts to boil, reduce the heat to low and add the ground grains to the water. Whisk until well mixed.
- Cover, and let it sit for about 10 minutes in low heat and whisk every couple of minutes or so.
- After ten minutes, it should be done. Take it away from the heat and let it cool. You can divide it into two separate containers. The recipe makes 2 half a cup servings. If it ends up too chunky you can add breastmilk or formula to make it softer.
- You can store the cereal in the fridge for 2-3 days or in the freezer for up to 4 weeks.
I like to batch grind in advance and keep the ground grains in a glass container in the fridge. They can be stored in the fridge for up to a month. This way I have the ground grains ready and all I have to do is add the amount I need to the boiling water.
My baby loved the cereal. I added some fresh mango to it and he ate his whole half cup serving.
Once the baby is old enough to eat protein, you can add beans to the cereal to make it high protein cereal. Mix 1/3 cup of whole grains and 2 tablespoons of dried beans (no need to pre soak them in water). Grind them in the blender and add the grounds to 2 cups of boiling water. Continue cooking like in the recipe above. If you use soybeans, then cook for 20 minutes instead of 10.
The recipe is also in the Super Baby Food book. I changed it a little bit to fit my baby's taste and age.
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