Although most people have cereal for breakfast every morning, they turn clueless when it comes to babies! It’s only regular for new mothers to need guidance for some things, feeding included.
For example, do you know how much rice cereal per ounce of formula you should add?
You probably have false information; that’s why your baby doesn’t like his food! I’m here to help you. Keep reading to find out everything you need to know!
content:
- When Should You Introduce Cereal to Your Baby?
- How Much Rice Cereal To Add To Formula?
- How to Add Rice Cereal to Formula?
When Can You Add Cereal to a Baby’s Bottle?
Most parents wait till the baby is six months old before they give him solid food.
And that’s not just out of common sense, but that’s the age recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics.
That being said, some babies are ready to chew food earlier than that, so it’s entirely safe for them to ingest rice cereal and other semi-solid foods.
Some babies will be ready by the age of four months, but not before that, so it’s better not to risk it.
Giving an infant any solid or semi-solid food when he’s not ready puts him at risk of choking. Also, as the rice is tiny, it may get inhaled into the baby’s lungs.
Furthermore, before feeding your baby rice cereal, he must be able to eat directly from a spoon, which is a skill some babies take time to acquire.
I had a bunch of spoons get thrown into my face before my daughter ever started to eat. I’m telling you!
There’s also the fact that introducing babies to food before they’re ready makes them prone to food allergies and obesity. Therefore, in all cases, it’s better to wait it out and consult your doctor beforehand.
Now, let’s see how much rice cereal per ounce of formula you should add for your baby’s lunch.
How Much Rice Cereal Per Ounce of Formula and Per Age?
If you don’t know how much rice cereal you should add, here’s your answer.
You may have to make some calculations with different packages of different weights, but it’s pretty simple.
For each ounce of your baby’s formula, add only one teaspoon of rice cereal. One ounce of formula roughly translates to six teaspoons. So, if you don’t have a kitchen scale, you can count six teaspoons and add one rice cereal.
As for the age, starting from four to six months, your baby can consume only 3-4 tablespoons of the cereal per day.
As for other foods, you can feed him 1-2 tablespoons of mashed fruits or vegetables one or two times per day.
When he gets a little older, you can feed him the same amount but increase in the amount of fruit and vegetables at seven months.
How much rice cereal per ounce of formula stays unchanged, though. The fact that your kid got a few months older doesn’t mean you should increase the amount of rice cereal. Only increase it if you’ll use more ounces of the formula.
How Much Rice Cereal for 4 Month Old?
If your baby is only four months old, that means he’s still pretty young to be able to chew a lot of solid food at once.
So, if you’re wondering how much rice cereal per ounce of formula you should add, it’s only one teaspoon.
I recommend preparing it right before feeding it to your baby. Or else, the mixture will get thick and gooey, and the baby may not like it. Plus, it may get caught in his throat, which will leave a bad impression about solid food.
How Much Rice Cereal in 4 oz Formula?
If you’re mixing a 4-ounce formula for your baby, you should add around four teaspoons of rice. It’s simple math, really. When you were going to add only one ounce, you would mix one teaspoon of rice cereal.
Now, you only have to multiply it by four. If it’s too chunky for your baby’s liking, you can reduce the number of teaspoons as you see fit.
A four-ounce pack is too much for a baby to eat at one time, though. It translates to roughly 24 teaspoons of formula, while the daily intake should be around three or four teaspoons.
If you’re mixing it for a number of babies, it’s okay. On the other hand, if you’re doing it to save a large batch of the food, I advise against it.
Leaving the rice cereal sitting in the formula for long will get it to clump up and become thick. Putting it in the fridge will make it even worse, and your baby will likely refuse to eat it.
Now that we’re done with how much rice cereal per ounce of formula, we’ll move on to preparing the food for your baby.
How to Mix Rice Cereal with Formula in a Bowl? The Full Recipe of Thickening Formula with Rice Cereal
If your formula and rice cereal mixture turn out clumpy or too watery for your liking, you’ll need some guidance for your next feeding time.
Most people are also usually confused with how much rice cereal per ounce of formula they should add.
Here are detailed steps for mixing the formula.
Cereal First, Then Milk!
Preparing your baby’s rice cereal isn’t much different from preparing your breakfast cereal.
You add the cereal first, then the milk. That’s unless you’re one of the few people who put milk first! Still, don’t do that to the poor baby.
After you add the cereal, pour around 4-5 tablespoons of your chosen liquid, whether it’s a baby formula or breast milk.
Now that you know how much rice cereal per ounce of formula you should add, that step should be easy.
You can also use water, but make sure it’s clean and filtered. Also, bear in mind that your baby may not like it.
You can always ask your pediatrician first before deciding what to feed your baby. A doctor’s consultation is always helpful, and it puts your mind at ease.
Stir the Mixture Thoroughly
When thickening the formula with rice cereal, you should keep it in mind that it shouldn’t be too thick. It shouldn’t even be thick at all.
Runny food may not appeal to you, but it’s the best you can provide your baby. Plus, it’s healthier and easier to chew and digest.
After pouring the formula or the breast milk down on the rice cereal, you should stir so that the mixture becomes runny. Think of melted ice cream or mousse.
Babies have very delicate refluxes, so a soft consistency would be better for them than something that’s too thick.
If you think your mixture is still not soft enough for your baby, you can add an extra tablespoon of your liquid of choice.
Serve and Feed!
Once you adjust your consistency, it’s time to serve the cereal and feed your baby. The way of serving depends on your baby’s liking. Some babies don’t mind eating cold food, while others scowl at it.
If your infant likes his food warm, you can heat the mixture a bit before serving it, but beware of heating it too much.
You can throw it in the microwave for 15 seconds maximum. Then, stir it again and check that its temperature is suitable for the baby.
If you’re using breast milk, avoid using the microwave, though. It’ll break down the nutrients in it, which will diminish its nutritional value.
Breast milk is created to be consumed right out of the body. That’s why you must handle it with care, and there are many things you can’t subject it to.
You can put it in a plastic bag and open the warm water tap over it for warming it up. After a few minutes, it’ll be warm enough for the baby.
Additional Tips for Adding Rice Cereal in Formula
‘How much rice cereal per ounce of formula should I add?’ isn’t the only question new mothers ask. There are a lot of other additional tips you can use, regarding thickening, for example.
Your baby won’t keep eating runny food forever. You’ll have to thicken the cereal eventually.
Actually, you should start doing it merely two weeks after your baby starts eating solid food. Start by cutting back the amount of milk you add. Then, when you notice your baby is getting better at swallowing, you can make the mixture thicker.
Before adding rice cereal to your baby’s bottle, it’s better to consult your pediatrician and know his opinion.
Doctors usually only recommend rice cereal in bottles for babies with gastroesophageal reflux because it smoothens the digestion, and it’s easier than spoons.
Closing Thoughts
Now, I trust that whenever any of your new-mother friends ask how much rice cereal per ounce of formula they should add, you’ll be able to help them! It’s easier than most people think.
Plus, you can change some amounts when you feel your baby is ready for a thicker consistency, so no pressure there!
