Quinoa Baby Porridge Recipe

Making homemade baby cereal or porridge is SO easy and inexpensive! If you've only been serving rice or oat-based cereals, give this iron-rich quinoa version a try!

While the popular recommendation is to start with iron-fortified rice cereal, you DO NOT have to as this is outdated advice. There are plenty of flavorful, iron-rich foods to choose from.

You can introduce soft finger foods from the beginning, if your baby is showing ALL the signs of readiness for solids. If you are unsure whether your baby is developmentally ready, grab this FREE handout.

Quinoa Porridge For Babies With Strawberries And Banana

By doing so, not only will your baby get all the nutrients necessary to grow and thrive, it will help minimize picky eating down the road.

Quinoa is such an amazing grain and iron-rich food to introduce your baby to! So much so that I've written a whole post about it!

Not only is it a nutritional powerhouse, but this simple recipe will serve as a great vehicle for incorporating VARIETY to your baby's diet.

Quinoa Porridge (a Gluten , Dairy & Egg Free Brekkie) ⎮ Well Nourished

Variety is the name of the game when it comes to feeding your baby! It's important for nutrition, acceptance of new foods, and development of skills necessary to chew and swallow effectively.

It will also make family mealtimes that much more enjoyable because nobody, not even your baby, wants to eat the same foods and texture day in and out.

Whether you are doing purees or baby led weaning, this porridge will be a wonderful experience for your baby. Even my toddler enjoys it as his breakfast with all the toppings.

Cinnamon Quinoa Breakfast Bowl Recipe

On top of that, this will be the least messy way to serve this tiny grain to your baby! You're welcome ;).

You can control the consistency by adjusting the amount of liquid. If you feel like you’re stuck on smooth purees, try adding less and less liquid each time so you can gently challenge your baby to get accustomed to texture.

Sure, you can just serve the porridge plain. It will have a slightly nutty and earthy flavor. BUT please don't stop there!

Baby Quinoa Porridge

There's no need to measure any of these. Eyeballing works just fine. I always suggest starting with less and then mix in more to taste.

I don’t like to call any food “bad.” They all have a place and purpose. If you are struggling to get more iron into your baby’s diet and in need of convenience items, then I say go for it!

What I do encourage, however, is to not serve it every single day. That’s because rice contains arsenic, which you want to be mindful of. You don’t have to completely eliminate, but it’s a good idea to invite other grains into the rotation, like quinoa, oats, farina, etc.

Quinoa Porridge Recipe: How To Make Quinoa Porridge Recipe

There seems to be a lot of misinformation out there surrounding this topic. Babies CAN digest grains, and they should be introduced to these nutritious foods!

Absolutely! Refrigerate and keep in the fridge for up to 5 days. I suggest holding off on adding the toppings until right before serving. It will make for a better textural experience for your child. 

I suggest making a big batch and freezing in individual portions. I like to use my freezer tray for this. Once frozen, pop out of the tray and transfer to a freezer-safe bag or airtight container. Will keep for up to 3 months.

Cardamom Quinoa Porridge

I say add whatever you have on hand, but if you're in need of more specific ideas and guidance, you will find lots of fun and delicious food combinations to try!

Did you make this recipe? Leave a rating below and let me know how you liked the recipe! Your feedback means so much to me!

Making homemade baby cereal or porridge is SO easy and inexpensive! If you've only been serving rice or oat-based cereals, give this iron-rich quinoa version a try!

Easy Quinoa Pudding (for Breakfast Or Dessert!)

Here are some EASY ideas for adding more variety. There's no need to measure, but here's a starting point if you need it.

Thank you so much for stopping by! I am Min, a Registered Dietitian, a Christ follower, a wife, and a mom to our two miracle babies! Currently, I’m having a ton of fun feeding their tummies and sharing our baby led weaning journey! Follow me on Instagram if interested in seeing daily menu as well as tips and tricks.

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Raspberry Breakfast Quinoa

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Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.Quinoa is one of the best first foods for babies! Here's how to cook it perfectly every single time as well as some healthy and easy serving suggestions.

Quinoa can be offered to babies as soon as they’re ready to start solids, usually around 6 months. It’s important to remember that your baby is unique and that rather than going by the calendar, you need to make sure your baby is DEVELOPMENTALLY ready to start solids.

Papaya Mango Quinoa Porridge (6 9 Months)

First, quinoa is actually a seed rather than a grain, it's used as and substituted for grains because it's cooked like one.

Quinoa is unique in that it is a complete protein.It is one of the rare non-animal products that provides all 9 essential amino acids.What does this mean?

Many plant foods have incomplete proteins bc they lack one or more of the essential amino acids.Therefore, you must consume it with another source that contains the amino acid that's missing.Both combined are called complementary proteins.

Healthy, Delicious & Easy Quinoa Recipes For Babies And Toddlers

However, this isn't to say that you have to be intentional about pairing them together at each meal.As long as you eat a well-balanced diet with a variety of plant foods throughout the day, you should be set.

You don't need to introduce it with caution as it's neither a choking hazard nor one of the top allergens. It's a great alternative to rice (which you do want to avoid offering regularly due to arsenic) and wheat, a top allergen.

Treat it like rice! The quinoa to water ratio remains the same. Stir so it doesn't stick to the bottom. Close the lid and press start or the button used for cooking white rice, if you have it.

How To Cook Quinoa For Babies

While you can totally serve it on its own, I dare not do this. Well, I have before, and I watched in horror as the tiny grains flew everywhere.

So while messy eating is an important part of learning to self feed, we can use other foods for this ;). The key to serving quinoa is to mix it into something that’s thick so it will be easier to scoop with hands.

If you're doing purees, you can go a step further and blend cooked quinoa. Now you have a nutritious baby cereal and a blank canvas where you can mix in all kinds of toppings to invite variety and texture!

Savoury Quinoa Porridge With Kimchi And Amino Acids — Jasmine Hemsley

You don't unless that's what you feel comfortable doing. Yes, I am a big proponent of baby led weaning, but even more so an advocate for do what feels right for YOU!

Start with puree and because it is important to move forward with texture by 9 months of age, gently remind and challenge yourself and your baby to try nonpureed foods.

Did you know that there are over 1000 varieties of quinoa?! The three main varieties you'll find in the store are white, red, and black. They are all safe and all great options.

The Ultimate Baby Porridge Recipes

I recommend starting with white quinoa as it has the mildest flavor and softest texture. The other two have a more earthy, stronger flavor, as well as a toothsome texture.

To minimize the chances of it tasting bitter once cooked, it is best to do so. Having said this, I've been purchasing from Costco for years now, and my family hasn’t noticed a difference. If anything, the unrinsed quinoa has a nuttier flavor.

Texture wise, I've found rinsing does make it a bit softer. So I leave it up to you. Perhaps do a little experiment to see!

Dates And Quinoa Breakfast Porridge

Yes! Again, cool completely, and divide into individual portions. Place in freezer-safe bags or containers and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.

Did you make this recipe? Leave a rating below and let me know how you liked the recipe! Your feedback means so much to me!

Quinoa is one of the best first foods for babies! Here's how to cook it perfectly every single time as well as some healthy and easy serving suggestions.

Homemade Baby Rice Cereal

You can puree cooked quinoa