Brown rice (also called ‘Ofada Rice’ in Nigeria) is healthier and more nutritious than white rice. This is because it has not been stripped off its several layer composition, in contrast with white rice which has been milled and polished to remove almost all its layers thereby stripping off a majority of the nutrients. White rice on its own offers little nutrition and is basically refined starch.
Brown rice is a better option for baby and even the whole family…it contains vitamins (B1, B3 & B6), minerals (phosphorus, manganese) essential fatty acids and fibre which are all lost in the production of white rice. It is a good weaning food for babies and one of the cereals that are commercially introduced to babies from 4-6 months.
You can actually make brown rice cereal at home for your baby by simply washing, drying and grinding the brown rice into powder with your food processor or the dry mill of your blender. Store in an airtight container to retain freshness. You can make and freeze in small food pots or ice cube trays to get handy baby portions. You can then either cook traditionally, or alternatively brown rice instant pot style is just as delicious and a little quicker.
Homemade Baby Brown Rice Cereal Recipe
Ingredients:
- 3 tbsps ground brown rice
- 15 tbsps water
- Breast or formula milk
Method:
- Put the water in a pot and bring to boil.
- Add the rice powder, stirring constantly on low heat to avoid clumping on sticking on the pot. Simmer for about 8-10 minutes then bring down.
- Add the breast or formula milk till get the consistency your baby prefers. Preferably introduce a lighter texture first before making it thicker.
Note: You can subsequently introduce other tastes to baby’s cereal with fruit purees, spices and a combination of other foods.
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Do they sell the ground brown rice anywhere?
Vanessa, yes you can buy the ground ones too.
Can I get them in the market? I live in Lagos.
You definitely will. There’s a lady on Instagram that goes by @augustsecrets, she makes and sells them too.
@mummysyum can white rice be used?thanks
You can Rhodese, but brown rice is a better option for babies due to the nutrients. If using white, then it is best to fortify it by adding other nutritious ingredients to it like, chicken, fish, eggs, palm oil, crayfish etc.
Ok ma thank you! Actually got d brown rice my twin boys liked it. Thanks again!
Yay…that’s good. Weldone Rhodese and thanks for the feedback.
I make this for my baby too. I actually bought the rice grains at Mile 12 and they ground it in the market for me. My baby likes this a bit, but not as much as he like ground wheat and ground oatmeal cereal.
Well done Mummysyum!
Thanks Aibee. You can try adding other things to it to make it tastier for him.
Well done ma, does it mean the rice doesn’t need washing? Or I have to wash, dry before grinding. Thanks
Thanks Amaka. It all depends on you and where you bought it. You can wash and dry it first if you feel more comfortable that way.
I love this.Well done?
Thank you so much Ify.
Please where can I get the food processor and storage pot
Kofo, check supermarkets and the market depending on where you stay.
Good day ma, can I oven dry the brown rice after washing, do you think the nutrients will still be retained?
Maybe a low oven temperature will be good to dry it without losing much.
Thanks so much for the information on the grounded brown rice. All the rice based baby cereal are so expensive. Now i can grind my ofada myself at home.
Vera, thank you. i’m glad you found it helpful.
Why do we add palm oil to baby food?
Vera, palm oil contains some nutrients that are beneficial for baby including vitamin A and Beta-carotenes. Look out for my post on this.
Please should I wash the brown rice,allow it to dry before grinding it?
Adaeze, yes you can. Infact it is even better.
I made this, added plain unsweetened yoghurt and my baby’s formula. She loved it.
I ll try this tomorrow. Thanks for this recipe
You are welcome Ada
Did I tell you i tried it and baby loved it. I went further to try out different grains .
That’s the idea Ada…experiment. Weldone and thanks for the feedback
Hello Chioma,
Do you grind the raw rice like that? or you cook first, then blend?
You grind raw
Is brown rice same with Nigerian local rice
Yes Chika. The unpolished rice.
Please can I feed my 10 months old baby without this.?
I don’t understand your question Sonia.
My baby is refusing to be spoon feed. What do I do? She s six months
Joy, please keep trying and also try baby-led weaning.
Can i add soya n ground fish to it?
Yes you can
Is there a specific reason for washing it asides from maybe the presence of dirt? Can I just pick out the dirt and blend?
Sure you can. It is just about the dirt.
This is great, I lobe this. Thank you.
Chioma thank u for ur quick response, and this great ideal. I actually make my baby cereal myself including Oat, millet, wheat. But d white rice is d problem my baby doesn’t like it unless use fruits like banana, apple n carrot. Please what kind of type of seasoning will I use for my 6months baby to spicy his meal?
Buchi, aadding the fruits and veggies to the rice is good. You can also add cheese, mashed egg, avocado and spices like crayfish, pinch of nutmeg, cinnamon, dry fish etc.
I think for proper hygiene d brown rice needs to be washed n dry then u can grind it, my question is can I dry it in my pot Becos of the weather.rainy there since last week not sunny atal
While I may agree with you, it still depends on where you bought your rice and not washing it is not really bad. You can try the method you said…I haven’t done it and can’t advise concretely.
Please which fish oil is good for baby’s brain and eyesight? Can I make use of the common cod.liver oil .. Also where can I get unsweetened yogurt for my baby… He’s 7months and I just concluded the the Ebf for him….
Temitayo, babies get omega-3 from food sources including fish like mackerel, salmon & tuna. Check with your doctor if you want a supplement. Check shops and check the labels for unsweetened yogurt.
Hi dear. You have saved the day
I actually had argument with hubby over looking for brown rice for our 8 months old baby
We never knew it was the local rice. Thanks so much. We will have a good laugh when I get home.
I’m laughing with you too Agatha. Glad you found something good here.
Well done . Pls what other homade baby cereal can i do for my baby apart from this rice cereal or with the rice cereal. Thank you
Browse through Funmi, you will see some more foods here.
I blended my baby rice in a mill but iit is not smooth, is kind of rough, is it OK, or can it be better because my little boy (6 months) can’t swallow any food that is not smooth. Please I need urgent reply. Thanks.
Hi Kiki,
For a 6 month old, you need to start with smooth first. If your dry mill is not milling it well, you can cook first and then add milk and blend it with the blender jug to get a smooth puree.
pls chioma can i use the foreign rice incase am unable to get the brown rice
Yes you can Nma.
Great job you are doing here……my baby just turned 7 months and he was ebf…..but found out he has allergies…… Millet,rice ,soya, wheat, crayfish, guinea corn ,banana, and a whole lot…….its overwhelming trying to figure out what to feed him…….at 3 months he weighed 7.6kg but now he is 7.9 at 7 months….paediatrician says we have to keep experimenting to figure out what he all tolerate……….its so exhausting…….any advise
Hello Nneka, thank you so much. I will advise you to listen to your paediatrician only who is the expert. Allergies can be difficult to pinpoint unless an allergy test is performed on the child. Have you asked your paediatrician about that? Otherwise, you have to persevere and keep on experimenting until you figure out the culprit. What I would add is that while experimenting, ensure you add one ingredient at a time in a particular meal. That way, it will help you detect faster if that is the one causing problem…your doctor may have told you this too. I wish you all the best.
Wow m glad I found u @mummysyum my baby will be six months by ending can I Starr weaning he r from now or wait? Also does pap have good nutrients for babys and does ur weaning book have puree recipes for baby’s?
Hello namesake, you are very welcome. If baby is ready, you can sure start. The weaning book give you all the information you need as well as recipes to start with.
On a quest to make eating very interesting for my boy who just turned 6 months, i stumbled on @mummysyum…..indeed its mummysyum,thank you for all the wonderful recipes you have shared. I cant wait to start exploring,God bless you.
Thank you so much Victoria.
Am given my baby brown pap,can I give her this to bcs she’s 6months
Faith, yes you can give it.
This one os a nice one..i will try it for my 6mnth old!
Great Lateefah
Please ma, am not getting something can I blend d cooked white rice or brown rice with fruit if yes what type of fruits, plz can I also add soya beans to the blended rice.
Taiwo, follow the instruction on the recipe here. You can add fruits after cooking the rice – apple, pear, avocado are good options.
Pls,is palm oil going to be added raw or it required processing?
Remi, I don’t understand what you mean by processed. If you are asking if you need to cook the palm oil, then no. You can add it while cooking the rice or after you have finished cooking.
Hello madam, please can soya beans be added? If yet, wen should it be added? Is it before or after grinding the rice?
Mofe, do you mean soyabeans powder? You can add it after blending or better still add as the milk after cooking.
Ma. pls can I add soya beans powder and milk to d rice cereal
Yes you can but add one at a time.
Please ma can u help me with any recipe that can capture my 9 month old to eat. He doesn’t take anything. We fight a lot to get just 2 spoon of food to his mouth have tried giving him pap, mashed potatoes, egg yolk an all to no avail right now am giving him soya beans pap. Pls help its really disturbing. Thanks
Hasiyat, you don’t need to fight. A 9-month old does not need too much food and also remember that he still takes milk. Take it gradually and follow his cue.