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Grain / Bread Guidelines


Birth - 11 Months

Click to download a handy quick reference sheet for the grain and bread guidelines. (pdf)

Age goRecommended stopNot Recomended
0 - 3 months Breast milk (preferred)

Iron-fortified infant formula 		Other foods at this age
4 - 7 months Iron-fortified rice cereal for first introduction of cereal

Iron-fortified oat and barley infant cereal can be introduced after rice cereal 		Wheat cereal until babies are 8 months old

Commercially prepared cereal mixtures
8 - 11 months Iron-fortified infant cereals

A food should have no more than 35% of its calories from total sugars.

All foods must have less than 0.5 grams of trans fat.

Commercially prepared, age appropriate, baked snacks are allowed for snack time only (such as teething biscuits).

For snacks, try to offer items that have no more than 200 mg of sodium per serving (cereals, crackers, baked goods, etc.). 		Grains and cereals that have more than6 grams of sugar per serving

Baked goods for breakfast (such as donuts, cinnamon buns)

Commercially prepared cereal mixtures

Baked snacks high in sugar and fat (such as cookies, granola bars, cupcakes)


Portion Size

Age Item Meals Snacks
4 - 7 months Iron-fortified infant cereal 0-3 Tbsp  
8 - 11 months Iron-fortified infant cereal

Bread

Crackers

 2-4 Tbsp

1/2 slice

2 crackers


Rationale

Why no commercially prepared cereal mixtures?
  • Mixture may contain a new food that the child has not tried and may cause an allergic reaction.
  • Portions of the food components in the mixture are not specified.