The first 1000 days, the period from conception through the child’s first two years of life, offer an important opportunity for good nutrition. Cereals like Baby’s Only® Organic Oat Baby Cereal with Pea Protein play an important role when foods are introduced into an infant’s eating pattern. They are often chosen to be introduced among the first foods to children for several reasons:
- Cereals are a source of energy, carbohydrates, proteins, and minerals that can help support nutrition and health.(1)
- Cereals provide acceptable tastes and textures to support the transition from breastmilk or formula to solid foods. Most cereals, including Baby’s Only® Organic Oat Baby Cereal with Pea Protein, have a mild sweet taste and a semi-solid texture and consistency, which is supportive of a child’s transition to solid foods.(1)
- Some research indicates that infant cereal can help support the development of an infant’s microbiome. This is because cereals may provide some non-digestible carbohydrates, like fiber.(2)
References:
- Klerks M, Bernal MJ, Roman S, Bodenstab S, Gil A, Sanchez-Siles LM. Infant Cereals: Current Status, Challenges, and Future Opportunities for Whole Grains. Nutrients. 2019 Feb 23;11(2):473. doi: 10.3390/nu11020473. PMID: 30813426; PMCID: PMC6412837.
- Fallani M, Amarri S, Uusijarvi A, Adam R, Khanna S, Aguilera M, Gil A, Vieites JM, Norin E, Young D, Scott JA, Doré J, Edwards CA, The Infabio Team. Determinants of the human infant intestinal microbiota after the introduction of first complementary foods in infant samples from five European centres. Microbiology (Reading). 2011 May;157(Pt 5):1385-1392. doi: 10.1099/mic.0.042143-0. Epub 2011 Feb 17. PMID: 21330436.