What’s the right consistency for baby rice?
I have a question regarding the preparation of pure organic baby rice, as suggested in Gina’s book The Little Contented Baby Book of Weaning. I live in Denmark and here you can only purchase pure organic baby flour, which you then prepare yourself. On the package it is stated, that you should prepare ½ a dl. of flour with 3 dl. of rice flour. This result is a smooth mixture. However, if I then wish to add some expressed milk in the mixture, the package suggests that I add as much milk as water, which means 3dl. The result is very watery – like the consistency of breast milk. Is this correct? I thought that baby rice would have a different texture than milk! Our son is a very happy and contented baby. We have followed the routine since he was 1 week old.
Helle (Denmark)
When you first begin to make baby rice, its texture is quite runny. This makes it easier for your baby to suck it off the spoon and makes the transition between sucking fluids and eating solids easier. In the UK we begin adding slightly less milk to make a firmer texture once the baby is adept at taking rice from a spoon. If you’d feel better with a denser consistency, you could decrease the amount of water and expressed milk by a very small amount to form a slightly thicker texture. I hope this helps put your mind at rest.