Instead of opting for commercial products, homemade Cerelac is simple to prepare, healthy, and free from preservatives.
Let’s explore some key ingredients to create a wholesome at-home version that’s perfect for your 5-month-old baby.
Why Homemade Cerelac?
Preparing Cerelac at home allows complete control over what goes into your baby's mouth. You can, therefore, ensure that it is produced from fresh organic ingredients that are not harsh on your baby's system. This is also an opportunity to introduce new flavours and textures as an adaptive mother learning about your baby's taste preferences and flavour compositions.
Essential Ingredients to Make Homemade Cerelac
Here are the ingredients one needs to prepare a healthy, wholesome homemade Cerelac for your little bundle of joy:
Rice
Rice is one of the best foods for babies since they are digested quickly and hardly causes any allergic reactions. You can use organic white or brown rice, depending on your preference. Brown rice is higher in fibre and richer in nutrients, but white rice is more manageable for tiny tummies.
Lentils (Dals)
Lentils are one of the richest plant sources of proteins and contain a good amount of iron. For babies from 5 months and onwards, red lentils (masoor dal) or split yellow lentils (moong dal) can be given, and as they are easy to cook and digest. These days, the inclusion of protein in the diet of infants is basically for their overall growth and development, and that also goes hand in hand with that which every parent's love would naturally center on.
Oats
Oats are very nutrient-dense with fibre, iron, and vitamins; they are also easy to cook, so you can start introducing one of the early cereals into your baby's diet. Oats will give your baby energy, and by giving them oats, you will ensure that they have all the nutrients you need as you initiate them on solid foods. You can continue adjusting their consistency to suit your baby's developmental needs; that is part and parcel of parenting at this stage.
Ragi (Finger Millet)
This is also a chance to explore new flavours and textures, allowing you as an attentive mother to understand your baby's taste preferences and flavour profiles.
Fruit Purees
You can prepare the yummy Cerelac from home with purees of fruits, apples, bananas, or pears. Fruits are full of vitamins, minerals, and fibre, which will make your baby fit and well. In this way, you don't have to add sugars to the Cerelac. Every spoonful of homemade baby food shows your passion for healthy meals for your child.
Water or Breast Milk
Then, mix the Cerelac with water or dilute it with breast milk or formula for cooking to ensure a smooth texture that can be swallowed comfortably by your baby. In this manner, consistency is maintained as babies are graduated from milk to solid foods, thus making the transit easier.
Just as term insurance secures a family’s financial well-being, homemade Cerelac provides a safe, nutritious foundation for a baby’s healthy growth and development.
Wrapping Up
Homemade Cerelac ensures a fantastic start to your little one's solid food journey. In addition to being a bonanza of essential nutrients, it is also quite flexible enough to have the specific needs of your little one plugged into the process. A stepfather wanting to bond with his baby or a foster mother wanting her child to get the best surely can make use of this homemade version since it obviously encompasses all the care and attention that every baby deserves.