creamed porridge

[leewayne]

Hiya all,my baby loves the creamed porridge baby jars,i was wondering if anyone has any homemade healthier alternative for creamed porridge for a 6 month old?? Thank you

[annie0000]

Just make ordinary porridge - you can get it in little microwave packages now. When I made it for my kids, i would add a bit of puried fruit to it. I saved the fruit in ice cube trays in the freezer and then added them while still frozen to the hot porridge - they would then melt and cool the porridge as well - my kids loved it. We did the same with wheetabix and hot milk. The stuff you get in the microwave packs tends to be quite a fine porridge so I don't think that it will be too lumpy. If you use plain packets of oats, just try to find a fine milled vatiety if the baby doesn't do lumps! We buy sainsburys own brand organic oats, but they do tend to be a bit coarser.

For the fruit, i found it easiest to buy tins of peaches and pears in fruit juice and puree this with a hand blender, but you can of course use whatever fruit your baby likes. This replaces the sweetness of the manufactured jars - you could also add a blob of jam if you like! I have even been known to use a spoon of orange vitamin syrup.

[leewayne]

Thank you,that was really helpful. so organic oats or fine oats with babys normal milk?,when she did have the jars i did tend to and pureed fruit to it so hope this does the trick just as good,thank you

[annie0000]

Try the wheetabix as well - you can get organic wheetabix too. My boys both loved it - one still does. It does make for interesting nappy changes though! I think that the quicker you can get away from manufactured food the better, I wish that I had never allowed mine any in the first place and persevered with other foods because it definitely affects their taste for normal food as the get older. Breakfast was never a problem though due to the porridge and wheetabix. I suppose now you could try oatibix as well - just check the salt levels as I am not sure what they are on these.

[leewayne]

Ok thanks for your help,i do like jars as there convenient as i have another child but id rather spend a bit more time doing it myself as i do with her fruit and veg,im having probs with her taking veg tho!!! my son loved veg!!! id rather me know what im giving her to eat than the jars and sugars etc..

[FUZZYBEE]

Hi leewayne, My daughter loved the heinz porridge in jars too, I felt a bit guilty that I wasn't doing the whole freezing veg thing but I think if you look at the food labels they are pretty much no sugar/salt additives etc, I think baby food manufacturers are bound by certain strict guidelines with what they put in jars. Don't beat yourself up about it, I actually gave my daughter more variety and new things from the jars more so than I would have given her myself. She was eating pumpkin and butternut squash dinners etc which is something I would never have thought to buy. The only thing I didn't do was buy the desserts I just stuck to a banana or a kiwi, fromage frais etc. When you are on the go or visiting etc the jars are ideal, I'm not sure about the powdered stuff though. Start worrying about the junk when they are about 4/5 then everything is aimed at them that's terrible.billy bear sausage, rubber cheese and crisps and fruit shoots.........the work of the devil. My motto is... if you don't buy it, they can't have it !!