Just Bland ! (Cow & Gate Baby Balance Pure Baby Rice)

Member Name: xjemloux

Product:	Cow & Gate Baby Balance Pure Baby Rice
Date:	12/03/09 (135 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: its high in iron and vitamins

Disadvantages: it has no taste, becomes quite lumpy

When just beginning to ween my boys onto more solid foods I was advised by my health visitor and GP to use baby rice. As I was using Cow & Gate formula for their milk, at first I decided to stick with this brand and buy cow & gate baby rice. It is for babies 6months plus, which is usually when Health visitors now say you can begin to wean your baby.

The box was the usual Cow & Gate design, a pale blue, with Cow & Gate in bright red writing at the top and a picture of a baby. A number 1 on the side which informs you that is one of the first food groups for your little one. Inside the box you have a silver pouch, full of white powder. There was no real smell to it really. It gives you instructions on the box as to how to make it, either by mixing it with boiled, but lukewarm water or with your babies usual milk. You can buy these boxes in your local supermarkets, Superdrug, Boots etc. I bought mine from Boots for just over £1.50, though they do have them on offer quite alot.

I mixed it with my boys milk as they loved their milk and I thought it might make them enjoy a little more. I mixed it up until it was a smooth consistency, unfortunately not looking good enough to eat. Baby rice is meant to be high in iron, so a way to give them in food what they are not getting in milk. But come on, there was no smell at all, I even had a taste and guess what, there was NONE. It was literally tasteless! Nevertheless I still gave it to my boys to try as of course it wasn't meant for me and they may like it.

I also noticed that if not ate straightaway after mixing it, it began to dry up and become lumpy. I didn't want lumps I wanted smooth, so my boys could swallow with ease and not be scared of foods after trying them for the first time.

I wasn't the only one who didn't seem impressed. After mixing it with a little more baby milk to make it smooth again I tried it with my boys. They refused it after spitting out the first spoonful. Now I don't know why obviously as they can't talk and couldn't tell me. But it could have been a few reasons the fact that there was just no taste, it did become lumpy even within a few seconds from mixing. It was just bland basically.

I was told that this was an easy way to introduce solid foods to little ones as it's not overpowering in taste, and is a simple and easy food to get them used to. But when I gave my boys flavoursome porridges and cereals they couldn't get enough, even at a very young age.

I don't reccomend this at all because of my experience with it, but all babies are different of course and your little one could think it's the best food since sliced bread (well since their milk bottles actually lol). Hopefully it works better for other people.

Summary: my experience with my boys was quite bad for other people though it could work