Rice Puffs

Emily's stomach is really bothered by oats. When it was time to give her finger foods, we weren't sure what to give her. We first tried Rice Krispies (because we already had them in the house). She really liked them, but they got soggy very fast, so we were hoping to find something a little bigger for her. That's where we came across the Rice Puffs by Nature's Path.

http://www.naturespath.com/products/cold_cereals/puffed_cereals/rice_puffs

Their one ingredient is Organic Brown Rice and their size is perfect for mastering that pincer grasp. They get a little soggy (as everything does when a baby is eating it), but they hold up quite nicely.

Emily rating: 10/10
Household rating: 10/10

Healthy Times Baby Food

I was recently looking for a teething biscuit that was milk and soy free and came across the line of Healthy Times Baby Food.

http://www.healthytimes.com/hthome.htm

They offer products that are wheat, milk, and soy free. I found the Vanilla Arrowroot Cookies and thought they would be good to try (they are not wheat free, but they offer a Maple Flavored Arrowroot Cookie that is). When I first handed it to Emily, she thought it was a toy. I put it up to her lips and she licked it. She immediately had a big smile on her face and couldn't get enough of it. She was able to suck on it for quite some time before she was able to break it up into pieces she could chew. It was a wonderful treat and fun to watch her explore a new kind of food.

I only found a few of their products at our local Whole Foods Market, but they are available to purchase from their website and Amazon.com has listings for their items with a "coming soon" disclaimer.

Emily rating: 10/10
Mommy rating: 9/10 (I had to try one too of course!)

Earth's Best

Earth's Best Rice Cereal was the only rice cereal we could find at any of our local stores that doesn't contain soy. It's available in all our local grocery stores - Shaw's, Stop 'n Shop, Whole Foods, and Sudbury Farms, as well as Target. You can also buy their products online:

http://www.earthsbest.com/products/product/291.php

They have a whole line of products that we have used, however, with Emily now having issues with protein, we're sticking with the fruits and vegetables as well as the rice cereal only.

Emily wasn't a fan of rice cereal at the beginning. We took the suggestion from our pediatrician to add in a little veg or fruit to give it some flavor and she's been eating it ever since. We tried the other cereals, but they bothered her stomach so it was suggested we stick to rice only as that doesn't seem to bother her.

Emily rating: 8/10 (only because she doesn't like it without something mixed in)