Cream of Wheat or Oatmeal

Any particular reason you are pushing hot cereals? She just may not like the texture, maybe hear digestive system doesn't do well with them. Lots of times, kids with food allergies or sensitivities don't like the things they are allergic or sensitive to. And being fairly refined foods, they don't have a whole lot going for them nutritionally.

At a year old, my son loved eating plain, whole organic yogurt with a mashed banana in it for breakfast. The banana seems to take away the bitterness of the yogurt. Sometimes I would mix in a little oatmeal, but the yogurt was always primary.

My son is 15 months old. He still doesn't like oatmeal, but does like cream of wheat. We serve it with brown sugar, because that's how his father and I like it. He wasn't interested in it at 12 months, but somewhere along the way we figured out it was the perfect consistency to let him feed himself. It sticks to the spoon no matter how much he tips the spoon. Once he had control of the spoon, he started to like it.

Instead of using water or mild, I use vanilla soymilk. It adds just enough sweetness. My son likes it on the creamier side, not so thick. Good luck!

My son ate baby oatmeal with apple sauce and cinnamon the winter he turned one but wouldn't eat it the next winter. I like oatmeal myself in the winter. I make it with milk, cinnamon, dried fruit (cherries are my favorite) and nuts (I like almonds and pecans).

The only way I ever eat cream of wheat or oatmeal is the same way I grew up with it... always made with milk, not water (much creamier), a little thicker than the directions (less liquid, more cereal) and topped with brown sugar!! My 3 year old daughter used to love this when she was younger, but won't touch it now. I think she had too much of it!! Good Luck!

We make our oatmeal with double the water called for, and then simmer it until the oats have...exploded? It's hard to explain. You know it's done when the water thickens up and the oats don't sink to the bottom. Then we sweeten it with brown sugar. My daughter prefers this "porridge" version and won't eat oatmeal if it's thick.

Good luck!

I started feeding my son both at around 10 months old. He eats it every day. I started making them with water only and now I make the cream of wheat with part water/part milk. I always add frozen fruit (blueberries, raspberries or mango) and organic plain yogurt. I make enough for about 3 mornings at a time and switch between the two. I add the yogurt and fruit individually each day.

Just recently I began adding ground Flax seed to his oatmeal as it is a great source for Omega 3 and Omega 6.

I find that if my son doesn't like any type of food I mix it with yogurt, or cottage cheese or tomato sauce and he will like it. I do not add extra salt or sugar to most things that he eats.

Hi M.
This is my thought young children and babies choose what is good for them, and leave what is not. Eventually they outgrow that instinct, but at a year old she is choosing. Perhaps her delicate system is not quick ready for wheat and oats, but of which are highly allergic foods, creating celiac disease. Are there any allergies in your family?
Why not try, or perhaps you have, cream of rice?
At a year old many kids are still just having baby foods, so thin is good, and her favorite fruit should help.
Obviously you are meaning egg yolks, right? I know our grandson has eggs, but it is egg yolks, and they give them with MD permission, but back when mine were small no eggs til 2 yo, I don't know the difference.
Choosing from the two, I pick oatmeal, especially with fresh fruit, maple syrup, or butter & brown sugar.
God bless you and all you decisions
K. --- SAHM married 38 years --- adult children 37, coach; 33, lawyer, married with 7 mo; and twins 18, in college

My son has always loved it mixed with flavored yogurt.

Hi M.,
You can try my favorite, maple syrup.

I cut up a well-ripe banana and cook it right in the pot with the cereal. That allows for maximum sweetness from the fruit spread evenly through the cereal without added sugar. I also add milk and that makes the cereal naturally creamy. I think that this recipe is quite tasty so maybe your wee one will too.

chocolate chips, maple syrup, raisins, if she doesn't like hot cereal..give her cold cereal or something else.

why not try cinnammon on the oatmeal my children like that if not forget about the hot cereal if she doesnt like it just do cheerios or another cold cereal she can eat good luck

my daughter loves oatmeal and oat bran! we put in fresh berries when possible, if not buy frozen organic ones, and it sweetens up the oatmeal with the juice. plus add a dash of cinnamon.
my daughter will not let us feed it to her, so if we put it in the refrigerator for a few minutes, it gets lumpy and and she pick it up herself.

It may be a texture issue. You've tried a ton of great strategies. Maybe she just doesn't like the mush? My son won't touch certain foods either, and I'm convinced it's the texture.

try apple juice instead of milk and add some cininmom a dash of salt and honey

Cinnamon and applesauce sound like a great idea. So many things have changed since my kids were little but I thought you were not allowed to give honey to babies? Unless it was under one, who knows the rules change everyday its hard to keep up. They also have fruit flavored oatmeal that's pretty good. Like Hannah said it may not be the taste it could be the texture. Some kids just don't like mushy foods. Have you tried french toast, cinnamon toast, pancakes, cut up tiny my kids loved that for breakfast and they can feed themselves. Good luck!!

Our favorites are blackstrap molasses (good iron and calcium source), ground almonds or ground flax seeds, toasted wheat germ, dried cranberries (cooked right in), cinnamon and fruit. These are among the list of "nutritional enhancers" in Ruth Yarron's Super Baby Food book. (Awesome book!) I mix and match different combinations and my daughter seems to enjoy them all.

We eat oatmeal and other "whole" grains and skip the Cream of Wheat (it is not whole grain.)

If you didn't like it, why do you want her to have it? Neither is especially packed with nutrients, so you'd be doing just as well or better nutritionally by offering her some leftovers from dinner for breakfast.

I mixed apple sauce or cinnamon & sugar with oatmeal and cream of wheat for my children as babies. It is how their still prefer to eat it. I 've seen butter or a little suyup put in it to.
S.

Hi M.,

Oatmeal is disgusting when you follow the recipe on the box. Try this:

1/2 c. milk (I use Almond milk)
1/2 c. oats
2 tsp. sugar
1 tbsp. honey
pinch of salt

Heat the milk first and pour it on the oats & sugar. Add salt & honey when mixture is the right texture. Enjoy!

Our son didn't like oatmeal so for now we haven't given it to him again but we will. He eats Cream of Wheat (Whole Grain) and I put butter and some times a little milk in it and he eats it all up. Also, I give him Malt O Meal with butter in it and he eats that all up. He also likes Grits (instant) with butter. He of course eats cut up fruit along with the hot cereals.

My favorite breakfast is cream of wheat - I add a little salt to the water then add butter (promise spread) after it's cooked.

Apples & cinamon & a touch of sugar in the oatmeal.

Also remember that it takes many many offerings of a new food before baby willingly accepts it.

My kids love maple syrup and brown sugar on oatmeal. I love cream of wheat with a little sugar and milk on it. They don't like the texture of the cream of wheat...it doesn't matter what's on it.

I have always added a little butter or maple syrup, or a little sugar.