Cereal at about 6 months
Iron-enriched baby cereals provide extra calories, starch, some vitamins, and minerals including iron, which helps prevent anemia. They are a preferred food until 24 months.

What cereals to choose
Start your baby off with simple cereals: a single grain such as rice or barley, without fruit or vegetables to limit the risk of allergy. Since oat cereals usually contain barley, serve them after rice and barley. Be sure to read the list of ingredients on the package to see what your baby’s food contains.

Give your baby a few days to get used to eating cereal. Once she’s eating several simple cereals, you can start with blends. To prevent allergies introduce soy last.

Preparing cereals
Start by making a thin paste using about half as much dry cereal as breast milk or infant formula. The mixture must be fluid enough to go into your baby’s mouth but thick enough that she doesn’t try to suck it down. With cereal blends containing powdered milk, add only water as instructed.

If your baby won’t eat cereal
Don’t insist if she doesn’t seem to want the cereal. Try again at later meals for a day or 2.

If she continues to refuse, try to understand why. She may not yet be ready for complementary foods. She may also not like the food you are serving, or may be allergic to it. If you think she is ready, try another kind of cereal.

Don’t add sugar to cereal. Too much sugar is unhealthy and causes tooth decay. To know what your baby’s cereal contains, read carefully the list of ingredients on the package. Sugar hides behind many names: dextrose, maltose, sucrose, inverted sugar, glucose polymers, fructose, syrup, honey, etc.

How much to serve
Start by giving your baby 3 to 5 ml (½ to 1 teaspoon) of cereal after nursing, once or twice a day.

If she accepts, gradually increase the portion from 5 to 15 ml (1 to 3 teaspoons) at a time, until she’s satisfied. Don’t forget, she’s already had her milk.

The amount of dry cereal should reach 125 to 175 ml (½ to ¾ cup) per day toward the end of the first year. This will provide all the iron your child needs.

Reference:
Doré, Nicole; Le Hénaff, Danielle. From Tiny Tot to Toddler, Practical Guide for Parents from Pregnancy to Age Two. Québec, Institut national de santé publique du Québec, 2008. Pages 398-399.