I get so many questions asking “Can my baby have X” or “what should my baby’s first food be?” and oats are one of the most common foods I’m asked about! I’ve also written before about what NOT to feed your baby, which covers all the foods that aren’t recommended.
I LOVE oats, for myself and especially for babies. In this blog I want to share why oats are some of my favourite foods for babies and children, my favourite ways to use them and what to look out for when buying them!
Why are oats a good food for babies?
There are SO many reasons why I love oats as a first food for babies. They are:
- Cheap
- Nutrient-rich
- Energy-dense
- Filling
- Delicious
- Versatile
I often talk about how important VARIETY is in our kids’ diets, and that’s one of the reasons I LOVE oats. There are so many different ways to use them. Read on to see some of my favourite recipes using oats!
Does my baby have to have baby porridge?
So many people ask me what type of oats are OK to serve to babies, and the answer to that is ANY!
You don’t HAVE to buy baby porridge, and it’s totally fine to buy the oats you use for yourself and your family. Baby porridge tends to be considerably more expensive than regular oats, and it can mean that your baby gets less in the way of variety of flavour and texture compared to using regular oats. When it comes to baby’s first foods, I’m also a big fan of the veg-led weaning approach, to help your little one explore NEW flavours.
Whatever works is fine. Some have some added benefits, e.g Ready Brek has added nutrients and rolled oats add some nice texture. Ultimately, it’s best to just offer what you tend to have as a family so you can eat together and have the same foods.
Why are oats so nutritious?
- Whole oats are natural wholegrains – meaning that they contain all three parts of the grain – the endosperm, the bran and the germ – complete with all the grain’s nutrients.
- They are also a good source of fibre. For a food to claim that it is ‘high’ in fibre, the EU states that it must have at least 6g of fibre per 100g of a product. Oats have around 8g/100g – making them a fantastic, high fibre food. Whilst too much fibre isn’t ideal for babies, it is still beneficial to have it in their diets.
- Of particular interest is a specific fibre found in oats – beta glucan, which may have a beneficial impact on lowering blood cholesterol levels.
- Oats also contain vitamins, minerals and ‘phytochemicals’ which are elements of plants such as flavonoids and antioxidants that are thought to be beneficial for our health.
- Oats contain B vitamins, which help us to release energy from our foods, alongside minerals such as folate, potassium, calcium, iron, zinc and magnesium. Therefore, they are a great way to offer a few vitamins and minerals in the morning too!
- Oats also contain protein and tend to leave people feeling fairly satiated (nice and full) after eating them and also they release their energy slowly. This is good for little ones who tend to need lots of energy in the morning to fuel their endless activities!
How should I serve oats to my baby?
One of the best things about oats are they are SO versatile. You can use them to make porridge (obviously), but you can also simply add a handful of oats to your current breakfast cereal if you’re not a porridge lover, to help add a few vitamins and some fibre to your morning feast.
Here are some of my favourite ways to use oats, including some recipes:
- Porridge! My absolute favourite breakfast – check out my top baby-friendly porridge ideas
- Add them to smoothies to make them more filling and creamy
- Make them into smoothie bowls
- Use leftover porridge to make porridge bars or fingers
- Make overnight oats for an easy prep-ahead breakfast or snack
- Use them in muffins
- Make a crumble topping with them
- Add them to yoghurt with some chopped fruits
- Make oatcakes – perfect for on-the-go snacks
- Try these carrot cake flapjacks or peanut butter flapjacks
- Make banana and oat pancakes
- Make muesli or granola – I have a fab recipe for toddler-friendly granola in my book How To Feed Your Family
Should I buy organic oats?
There has been quite a bit of publicity about oats on social media, largely to do with levels of glyphosate – a herbicide which is often used in growing oats.
Glyphosate has been used as a herbicide for decades, and is regularly tested for its safety. There have been some concerns that it is a possible carcinogen, which has resulted in some of the headlines you might have seen.
However, organisations across the world including The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have found that it does not pose a risk to health in the levels found in our food system. In 2023, EFSA published their most recent review of glyphosate, which included over 2,000 studies, and did not find any “critical areas of concern” with the use of glyphosate as a herbicide.
It’s important to remember that the amount of a substance is key when it comes to effects on human health. Levels of glyphosate in our food system are monitored, and the acceptable level that is allowed to be used in the food system, is well below the amount that would be needed to have any negative effect on our health.
If you do want to avoid glyphosate, (also if you eat oats really regularly at home) you may want to go for organic oats. Whilst some organic oats have been found to have some level of glyphosate, lower levels have been found. If you’re considering getting organic oats you can get cheaper options of these, for example I often use Aldi’s own organic oats which are £1.99/kg instead of £2.70/kg for branded versions or you can get other supermarket own brand organic oats for around £2.15/750g.If you aren’t able to, or don’t want to buy organic oats, regular oats are a perfectly healthy choice as well. I hope you’ve found this blog helpful. For more of my favourite store-cupboard staples for weaning, check out my blog.
How To Feed Your Family
Following on from her bestselling books How to Wean Your Baby and How to Feed Your Toddler, this book brings Charlotte’s trademark approach of practical support and nurturing step-by-step guidance to help you manage the juggle of family life.