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Finding the top baby cereal food for your baby can be a real hassle. Nutritionists recommend additive-free meals prepared from scratch at home for children such as a multigrain pap or tom brown. However, the demands of modern life and time constraints find some mums resorting to the convenience of packaged cereals. This article would help you find the top 10 baby cereal food in Nigeria.

Although most mums enjoy shopping, only a few enjoy the selection process. As a result of the wide range of options, it’s often difficult to choose between similar products.

This includes baby cereal.

In addition, you may spend loads of time going through the labels. Checking to see the ingredients and searching for the best fit. This is a good practice. Nevertheless, mothers go through this ordeal joyfully in a bid to serve their babies the best meals available.

If you’re in these shoes, this article is just for you.

Here, we’ve compiled a reliable list of the top baby cereals for your little one. Secondly, this article is guaranteed to reduce the time you spend searching for cereals by 50%.

Top Baby Cereals In Nigeria

1. Friso Gold Rice-Based and Wheat-Based Milk Cereals

Ingredients: These cereals contain skimmed milk, rice flour, vegetable oil, sucrose, lactose, Vitamin A, B1, C, E, D3, and Folic acid.

Furthermore, the milk powder gives your baby that rich and familiar taste and milky aroma. These cereals have a smooth texture that makes them easy to swallow.

Price: The cost of Frisco Baby Cereal ranges between N2500 and N2700 for a 300g pack and up to N24,500 for a 12-pack carton.

It would interest you to note that this cereal is available in all baby stores around you and even in some online outlets.

2. Nestle Nutrend Infant Cereal, Maize, and Soya

This is a maize-based infant cereal with milk powder and soya. The cereal contains essential nutrients for your baby’s growth and development. In the same vein, it is easily digestible, and it strengthens your baby’s immunity.

It also contains iron, zinc, and vitamins A and C.

3. Nan Baby Food

Nan Baby Food provides your baby with balanced and high-quality nutrition.

Ingredients: It contains skimmed milk, vegetable oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil, and fish oil. It is also a rich source of essential vitamins and minerals.

Price: In terms of cost, the Nan Baby Cereal is slightly higher compared to the other baby cereals on our list. A 400g pack of Nan Cereal ranges between N2800 and N3600 while a pack of 12 can be as high as N34,000.

Thankfully, the high cost comes at an advantage, this cereal can be prepared and ready to eat in less than five minutes.

4. Nestle Cerelac

This product contains a range of nutritious and easily digested instant cereals. It comes in several variants- wheat and milk, maize and milk, 3 cereal mix, mixed fruits, and so on. Furthermore, cerelac is safe for infants from 6 months and above.

Ingredients: A standard 400g pack of Nestle Cerelac supplies your baby with calcium, zinc, sugar, potassium, and essential vitamins. Although it doesn’t contain gluten, you should watch out for any sign of milk/lactose intolerance.

Price: a 400g pack of Nestle Cerelac costs about N2000.

Although you should note that this is not a substitute for breast milk, it can come in handy as a reliable source of baby nourishment.

5. Nestle Nestum Infant Cereals

Ingredients: This meal is fortified with vitamins, calcium, folic acid, and zinc. Furthermore, it contains wheat, corn, and rice which are all necessary for your baby’s nutrition and healthy development.

Price: A 400g pack costs an average of N3500 in most shops around you.

6. Nabisco Cream of Rice

This is good for infants because it is gluten-free.

Ingredients: It contains no preservatives, colors, or artificial flavors. It provides iron and is free of fat, dairy, cholesterol, and sodium. In addition, this cereal contains no sugar or salt.

Price: N12000 – N13000

Health Benefits: This cereal supplies about 70% of your body’s iron requirements. That is, the Nabisco cream of rice cereal can be relied on to meet most of your body’s iron needs.

7. Gerber Baby Cereals

Ingredients: This group of cereals contains iron, probiotics, and essential nutrients such as Vitamins B1, B2, B3, B12, zinc, and calcium which help to support your baby’s growth and development. The manufacturers state that they do not contain artificial flavors, preservatives, or salt.

Price: The Gerber Baby Cereal costs about N4500 in most of the stores around you.

Health Benefit: This healthy and top baby cereal promotes your baby’s overall physical and mental development.

8. Happy Baby Oatmeal

Ingredients: This meal consists of organic oats, organic whole grains, vitamin C, and Iron which support your baby’s brain development.

Secondly, it is gluten-free so you don’t have to worry about any strange reactions or gluten allergies.

Health Benefits: As we mentioned earlier, this cereal contains ingredients that promote your baby’s brain and mental development.

9. Earth’s Best Organic Whole Grain Meal

This cereal contains whole grain oatmeal which supplies your baby with iron and other nutrients. In addition, the organic ingredients used are not exposed to potentially harmful pesticides.

Ingredients: the manufacturers state that it contains no gluten, salt, or refined sugar. Similarly, they state that this cereal contains no artificial colors, flavors, or preservatives. Also, it is easily digestible and fortified with iron.

Price: The price of the 277g pack of this cereal ranges between N2700 and N3000 in most locations around the country.

10. My Boy Baby Cereal

Ingredients: Calcium, Vitamin D

Price: A 400g pack of this cereal costs N4500.

Furthermore, this meal is easy to prepare (takes less than 7 minutes) and it has a sweet aroma that is sure to stimulate your baby’s appetite.

Health Benefits: This top baby cereal food contains calcium, which helps your baby grow strong and healthy bones.

Conclusion

In conclusion, packaged cereals are convenient to use at home and while traveling. Furthermore, they are easy to prepare. You only need to add clean warm water and stir to dissolve the powder following the instructions on the pack.

Finally, select any of these cereals based on your preference and budget.

Since you do not understand baby language (yet), your baby’s smiles, cues and other milestones serve as reassurance that your baby is happy and healthy. Constantly looking for the best remedies for anything unusual, another thing that new parents fuss about for is their baby’s poo. Read up also on toddler’s diarrhea.

Although it’s not so pleasant to clean up, regular poop is taken sign that your baby is eating well and healthy. Therefore, when this poop is not forthcoming, it is only expected for parents to be worried.

What Is Constipation?

Constipation is when your baby finds it difficult to poop because the poop is too hard to push out. It could go on for days. Sometimes you can feel the stool as baby tries to push.

It’s usually caused by either reduced fluid or fibre intake in your baby’s diet or over zealous introduction of solids during weaning or transitioning to solids food at 6months. In the later case, your baby’s digestive system may be struggling to get used to the foods being introduced.

It’s important to note that your baby not pooing for days does not mean they are constipated. When a baby hasn’t pooped we need to consider the baby’s feeding and age first. If a baby is not getting enough food the frequency of poos reduce. On the other hand at certain periods in a breastfed infant’s life (eg. at 3 months) they may go up to 3 days without pooping only to have a blow out of completely soft poop on the 3rd or 4th fouth day.

It’s important to note that your baby not pooing for days does not mean they are constipated. When a baby hasn’t pooped we need to consider the baby’s feeding and age first.

Midwife Marley Hall. “Baby’s skin health and the role of nappies”. Presentation Given At The Baby Show Live , October 30th 2020

Also note that , squirming or funny facial expressions while pooping doesn’t always mean your baby is constipated. Sometimes their are still trying to figure out the process of coordinating their muscles to poo.

What are the signs your baby is constipated? How can you deal with it?

Read on to find out!

[Read more…] about Hard Baby Poo: The Best Home Remedies For Baby Constipation

Families need to know how to make soya beans powder for infants at home from scratch. With a rising need for more foods with complete proteins that are dairy-free, more children are being fed with soya beans.

Why?

• They are accessible
• Locally grown and
• Highly nutritious.

Does Soybean Have Any Health Benefits?

• It’s a rich source of protein (essential amino acids). The protein content is equivalent to that from animal sources. This makes it very important for vegetarians and undernourished children in underserved areas.
• It’s high in fibre. This property makes it good for preventing constipation, lowering cholesterol and controlling blood sugar for people with diabetes.

However, poor processing can lead to indigestion, intolerances or worse. It is important to ensure that the soyabeans powder being used is produced by a trusted brand or made at home in the proper way.

Here is a simple recipe for processing soya beans powder at home that ensures your child gets the full benefits of the legume.

How To Make Soya beans Powder?

If you have been wondering how to make soya beans powder, then do not worry. Follow this process and you’d get your soya beans powder.

1. Soaking- Soak raw soybeans in clean water for 3-4 days. Replace the water every 48hours. This process is known as fermentation. Fermentation helps introduce probiotics into the legume, as well as increases the legume’s nutritional value. It also makes the soy easier to digest.
2. Drying- Sieve the soybeans then airdry till all moisture is gone.

3. Frying or Roasting-Fry without oil or Roast the soyabeans on medium heat till cooked through. The soyabeans would release their own oil to prevent the legume from burning.

4. Milling-Once completely cooled, mill the soyabeans into powder and stored in an airtight container.

Fermentation helps introduce probiotics into the legume, as well as increases the legume’s nutritional value. It also makes the soy easier to digest.

How Do I Use Soya Bean Powder ?

You can add soybeans powder directly to meals such as pap when processed this way. Alternatively, you can use it to make soya milk for an infant 6 months and above. Soya bean powder is also a component of Tom Brown. Pap and Tom Brown are two staples used to wean babies off breast milk, as well as encourage weight gain in malnourished children.

This method of processing soyabeans powder ensures easier digestion and reduces the risk of any child eating raw or undercooked soya beans.

FAQs About Soya Beans Powder

Yes. We know that learning how to make soya beans powder is only the first step on your journey to eating and living healthy.

The big question is: What comes next?

In this section, we’ve answered all of the frequently asked questions (FAQs) on soya beans powder and its health benefits.

What Are The Health Benefits of Soya Beans Powder?

As we mentioned earlier in this post, soya beans powder is a healthy food option for you and your baby. This is because it:

• Is highly proteinous
• Can help in diabetes or high blood sugar management
• Helps build healthy and strong bones
• Improves blood flow
• Aids digestion and relieves constipation

Does Soya Beans Powder Cause Weight Gain?

Yes. Soya beans powder is one of the many food options that can cause weight gain in most people. This is because it contains ingredients that can boost appetite and increase food consumption.

Furthermore, adding milk or honey to soya beans powder before eating can improve the quality and cause weight gain.

Tom Brown is a locally made meal that is usually used to wean babies in Nigeria. It is a thick powder gotten from a combination of yellow corn, millet, guinea corn (cereals), groundnut (peanuts), and soybeans (legumes).

This healthy powder is highly nutritious and filling, maintaining your baby’s health even after you’ve stopped breastfeeding. It’s one of the popular Nigerian meals used to wean babies.

Although it is majorly prepared for and consumed by babies, Tom Brown also serves as food for adults. This is because it’s easy to prepare (basically under 5 minutes). This helps adults cope with their busy schedules and early breakfasts.

This article is a step-by-step guide on how to make Tom Brown.

Ingredients For Making Tom Brown Powder

1. Millet – 500grams
2. Guinea corn – 1kilogram
3. Yellow corn -1kilogram
4. Soybeans – 500grams
5. Deshelled Groundnut (peanuts) – 200grams

Optional Ingredients:

• Crayfish- 1cup
• Ginger- 1 handful
• Dates (sweetener also known as dabino) – 1 handful
• Cloves (kayan kanshi) – 2 tablespoons

In Addition,

Remember to vary the quantity of ingredients if you want your tom brown to come out nicely.

Let me explain….

It’s best when the corn (yellow maize and guinea corn) is more than the other ingredients, and your millet and soybeans are half the measure of your corn. Corn has more starch compared to millet. It helps to bulk up the meal.

The groundnut (peanut) helps to add a pasty texture to the tom brown. However, it has a lot of oil, therefore the quantity of groundnut used should be less than all the other ingredients.

Step-By-Step Preparation of Tom Brown Powder

1. Put your grains in separate trays and carefully remove the stones and foreign particles
2. After picking out the stones from your grains, wash them separately and spread them out to dry in the sun.
3. Pack them in separate bowls once they are completely dry.
4. Toast your corn using a wide frying pan. Be careful not to fry too much to a point where it begins to pop like popcorn.
5. Also roast your groundnut, millet and soya beans separately till they become golden brown.
6. After toasting, spread your grains and allow them to cool down.
7. The next step is to remove the outer shell/ seed coat (also known as chaff) of the soya beans. You can do this by grinding it softy with a mortar and pestle.
8. When you are done grinding, sift the chaff away by breezing it out. Then pour it into a suitable bowl.
9. Next thing is to grind your crayfish, ginger and kayan kanshi. You can either use a mortar and pestle for this or you use a blender. Put it inside a bowl after grinding.
10. Now, you need to grind your dates (dabino) as well. Break them open and remove and discard the seeds inside first. Then crush the outer fruit with a blender or mortar and pestle.
11. Pour all your ingredients in a bowl and mix them well.
12. You can blend this mixture with a high power blender at home or you you take it to a local mill to blend. Do not add water while blending.
13. After blending, pour your powder on a wide tray and allow it to cool down completely.
14. Next thing is to sieve your mixture to remove any residual chaff. This leaves you with a smoother powder.
15. Viola! Your tom brown is ready. Just store it inside a sizeable container and prepare it anytime you want.

How To Prepare Tom Brown Before Serving It

Tom brown is a quick and easy meal that you can prepare under 5 minutes.

These are the steps:

1. Measure a quantity of tom brown powder into a bowl. Add water gradually until it becomes a pasty mixture. Be careful not to add too much water.
2. Put some water on the fire and allow it to boil. Pour in your tom brown paste once your water begins to boil very well.
3. Stir continuously until your tom brown attains a custard-like texture.
4. There you have it! Your meal is ready. You can fortify it with milk and fruit purees to make it even more nutritious for your baby.

Health Benefits of Tom Brown

Tom brown has many health benefits for both babies and adults, some of which include:

1. Lowering blood cholesterol levels.
2. Supplying essential antioxidants.
3. Improving vision
4. Control of diabetes.
5. Reducing inflammation or swelling
6. Boosting energy levels.
7. Control of high blood pressure.
8. It is free of unhealthy preservatives

Tom brown is on our list of meals that help babies gain weight ie. this would be awesome for nursing malnourished kids to health.

What’s The Difference Between Tom Brown And Pap (Ogi)

As you may have observed above, Tom Brown is made from toasted cereals. Pap, also known as ogi or akanmu is made from fermented cereal. Learn how to make pap from scratch here.

The fermentation process in pap production gives it a distinctive flavor and light texture. In addition, it incorporates probiotics into the meal (which increases the ability to produce vitamin B and K from food, improve gut health and immunity). Finally, fermentation breaks down the nutrients in the grain to small easier to digest units. Other ingredients such as soy and groundnuts are added after the pap is cooked.

Tom brown on the other hand is from toasted/ roasted cereals. All the ingredients are added and milled together. This makes a denser, more filling, more viscous meal. The fiber content is likely to be higher, keeping hunger at bay for longer. It may not be as rapidly digested as pap.

Finally, we have just one question….

What are you waiting for? Start making your own tom brown baby food today.

Trust us, your baby will thank you for it!

In Nigeria, we love to see chubby babies. We know you do too.

In addition to this, we know you’re wondering what kind of food would make your baby gain weight quickly. As usual, we are here for you.

In this article, we’d introduce you to a variety of accessible and affordable Nigerian foods that can make your baby look chubby and healthy.  

In addition to availability, these meals are easy to prepare and digest.

1. Tom Brown

It is a thick brown powder made from a combination of yellow corn, millet, guinea corn (cereals), groundnut (peanut), and soy beans (legumes). Tom Brown is an easy meal to prepare that is essential for your baby.

In addition to this, it is quick and easy to prepare (just as you make your normal pap).

2. Rice Pudding

To make rice pudding, you need unpolished (brown) rice, milk, and a little pinch of salt. First, boil the rice until it gets tender. After that, add the milk and boil it again until it is soft. You can do this with milk from soya beans, coconut, or tiger nuts. Interesting things you can add include finely ground cashews, dates, or pureed fruit.

3. Boiled mashed beans.

Beans is a meal that’d certainly make your baby nice and cherubic. This is because it contains high amounts of protein which promotes growth. To make beans, wash the beans and boil in water until it is very soft. You can add ground dry fish powder or mashed steamed fresh fish or make tomato stew to go with it.

4.Nigerian Pap

Pap can be made from maize, guinea corn, sorghum, millet alone, or in combination. You may choose to add protein sources e.g. milk or powders from legumes or nuts such as soy and tiger nut, or powdered dried fish or crayfish while cooking it. Sweeten and fortify with pureed fruit or dates.

Ensure your pap is not bland so as to entice your baby to drink it. To achieve this, you can fortify it with breast milk, nuts, or even sugar.

5. Rice

This is a good source of carbohydrate for your little one. While preparing rice for your little one, remember to boil until it is soft enough for him/her. That is to say, your baby should be able to swallow the rice without necessarily chewing it.

Thankfully, babies can eat any form of rice ranging from white rice to jollof rice, fried rice, and even coconut rice.

However, make sure the stew isn’t too peppery. Likewise, the vegetables you use must be soft enough for your little one.

6. Yam & Beans Porridge.

This is one meal we’re certain your baby will enjoy!

To make yam and beans porridge, boil the beans until it is tender, then add the small pieces of yam. Remember to add salt, some chopped tomato and crayfish, mashed deboned steamed fish powder, and palm oil to taste. Furthermore, you can use honey beans, black-eyed beans, or black beans (akidi) instead of regular beans.

7. Sweet Potatoes

Just like the name, it is sweet! Boil the potatoes until they are very soft. It can be made as a porridge with onions, crayfish, scent leaves, or pumpkin leaves. Furthermore, mash the potatoes when the porridge is cooked to make swallowing or chewing easy for your child.

8. Oatmeal

This food is rich in fiber which aids digestion and adds bulk to stool. This will help your baby’s digestive system. You can choose to add any sort of plant or dairy milk and honey or fruit slices to taste.

9. Boiled Ripe Plantain.

Plantain is sure to make your baby gain weight in no time.

First, peel the plantain and cut it into slices. Then boil until it is soft, blend in chopped onions, fish powder or fresh deboned fish, crayfish, and palm oil. Consider adding finely chopped scent leaves, uziza leaves, or pumpkin leaves (ugwu) while still in the pot and serve. Unripe bananas can also be substituted for plantain. A sweet variant could be made by adding ground cashew nut powder and coconut milk to the mashed plantains.

10. Okro Soup

Okro (okra) can be grated to bits or blended and used to prepare a runny viscous soup with crayfish powder, chicken, beef or fish stock, ground ogbono (African bush mango), and a teaspoon of palm oil. Your infant can have this alone or accompanied with very soft amala (from yam or plantain), agidi (cold gelatinized pap), or tuwo (ground rice meal). Infants also love soups made from ewedu (jute mallow leaves) which have a similar consistency and are easy to swallow.

Do Drugs Really Make Babies Fat?

Yes. In cases of severe malnutrition and low birth weight, a pediatrician may prescribe certain drugs to make a baby fat.

These drugs include:

• Cortisol
• Other Glucocorticoids

Studies show that these drugs if administered properly, can make a baby fatter and healthier. Nevertheless, it is really important to receive a doctor’s prescription before giving your baby a drug to make him/her fat.

In Conclusion

Make sure your baby is above six months before you start feeding with solid foods. This is because every child should be breastfed for about six months to aid proper development. There are other signs that tell you your baby is ready for solids.

Certainly, these foods are effective for weight gain. Nonetheless, your baby may not like all of these items. You and your partner should carefully discover your baby’s preferences and focus on them.

Even as you try to make your baby grow fat, watch out for obesity. One way to track this is by calculating your baby’s body mass index (BMI).