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What Rice can I give my Baby?

Published: August 26, 2017 | Last Updated on: April 24, 2018 | by Dr Hemapriya

Along with wheat, rice is one of the staple grains of our country, and is popular across all states. Most of us can’t resist a hot, steaming plate of biryani or pulao! Rice is also comfort food, with dal-rice, curd rice and khichdi being common choices. Due to its versatility, ease of cooking and easy digestibility, rice is also a preferred food for weaning babies. However, once the time comes to introduce rice in a baby’s diet, most Moms are left confused with one question – what rice can I give my baby?

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What Rice can I give my Baby?
Common Rice Varieties available in India
Raw White Rice
Par boiled White Rice
Brown Rice
Red Rice
Jeerakasala/Seeraga Samba Rice
Basmati Rice
Black Rice
Rice Recipes to try for Babies
Buy Healthy Nutritious Baby, Toddler food made by our own Doctor Mom !

What Rice can I give my Baby?

Rice is the preferred weaning food for babies, but Moms often wonder - what rice can I give my baby? Find out the benefits of common Indian rice varieties.

Wikipedia states that there are a whopping 74 varieties of rice in India. Many reports suggest that there are probably many more, with each state having their own local varieties. Investigating all these varieties before making a choice is exhausting to say the least!

So what is a worried Mom supposed to do? The easy answer is this – feed your baby whatever rice your family is having. Some studies suggest that your baby develops taste preferences while in-utero, which means she may already  be used to the taste of the rice you eat! Besides, most of our traditional diets are in keeping with our body constitutions and the weather of the place we live in, so your regular rice will be what suits your baby best.

Our family uses Ponni boiled rice at home and I went ahead with the same to make this rice soup when it was time to introduce my daughter to solids. Follow the same pattern, and once your baby is used to the rice of the family you can introduce her to other varieties of rice. Here is a brief look at some of the common varieties of rice available in India.

Common Rice Varieties available in India

Raw White Rice

Rice is the preferred weaning food for babies, but Moms often wonder - what rice can I give my baby? Find out the benefits of common Indian rice varieties.

This is the most common kind of rice these days, which is actually something our elders are unfamiliar with! This is the easiest rice to prepare, and often the first rice introduced to babies due to its easy digestibility. This rice is versatile and can be mixed with purees of practically anything – fruit, vegetables, dal, chicken or fish.

Par boiled White Rice

Rice is the preferred weaning food for babies, but Moms often wonder - what rice can I give my baby? Find out the benefits of common Indian rice varieties.

Contrary to what some people believe, parboiled rice isn’t precooked rice. It is regular rice that goes through a process of heating just before the hull is removed. This ensures that the rice retains its nutrients like calcium, potassium and vitamin B6 better than regular white rice. Parboiled rice also has better fiber and makes a good choice for khichdi, pongal and curd rice.

Brown Rice

Rice is the preferred weaning food for babies, but Moms often wonder - what rice can I give my baby? Find out the benefits of common Indian rice varieties.

Brown rice is the unpolished version of white rice, and has about 67% more nutrients, fiber and fatty acids than polished white rice. It is also rich in essential vitamins B1, B3 and B6, along with trace elements like magnesium, selenium and manganese. Brown rice takes longer to cook, but tends to keep babies fuller for longer. Most dishes that use white rice can also be made with brown rice, although the taste isn’t as neutral as white rice.

Red Rice

Rice is the preferred weaning food for babies, but Moms often wonder - what rice can I give my baby? Find out the benefits of common Indian rice varieties.

This is also called Kerala red rice in some places and the grain has a distinct reddish brown color. Red rice is rich in iron  and antioxidants that reduce inflammation and allergies. It is also a good source of calcium, magnesium, selenium and zinc. Red rice takes longer to cook than other varieties of rice and will need pressure cooking and is a good choice for kanji or khichdi. Some babies might have trouble digesting it compared to white rice, so it’s recommended for older babies (8 months and above).

Jeerakasala/Seeraga Samba Rice

Rice is the preferred weaning food for babies, but Moms often wonder - what rice can I give my baby? Find out the benefits of common Indian rice varieties.

This rice can be identified by its small grains, similar to jeera or cumin, from where it gets its name. This is an aromatic rice and is commonly used in certain South Indian biryani dishes. The nutritional benefits are similar to plain white rice and it cooks just as fast. The rice can be used for khichdi or pongal and is excellent for kanji that is flavored with a little coconut milk.

Basmati Rice

Rice is the preferred weaning food for babies, but Moms often wonder - what rice can I give my baby? Find out the benefits of common Indian rice varieties.

Basmati is probably the most popular Indian rice outside India. Known for its long grain and aroma, basmati is generally used on festive occasions and for special dishes like biryani or pulao. Basmati rice is rich in dietary fiber, with about 20% more than other varieties. Basmati cooks fast, but it doesn’t become mushy, which may make it more suitable for older babies. The aroma may make some babies prefer this rice, while others will be put off. The aroma also makes this great for sweet dishes like kheer.

Black Rice

Rice is the preferred weaning food for babies, but Moms often wonder - what rice can I give my baby? Find out the benefits of common Indian rice varieties.

Black rice isn’t a common Indian household staple, but it is available in specialty food stores. Black rice is rich in iron, vitamin E, dietary fiber and antioxidants. The best way to feed black rice to babies is by making a sweet dish by soaking the rice overnight, pressure cooking and then stirring with ghee and a fruit puree for sweetness. This is also recommended for older babies who’ve already tried other varieties of rice without any issues.

Rice Recipes to try for Babies

Here are some easy rice recipes to try for your baby. Please avoid sugar, salt, honey and cow’s milk for babies under one year of age.

Rice is the preferred weaning food for babies, but Moms often wonder - what rice can I give my baby? Find out the benefits of common Indian rice varieties.

  1. Rice Soup
  2. Rice Cereal
  3. Brown Rice Cereal
  4. Ghee Rice
  5. Curd Rice
  6. Apple Khichdi
  7. Plain Khichdi
  8. Tomato Khichdi
  9. Masala Khichdi
  10. Vegetable Khichdi
  11. Carrot Khichdi
  12. Spinach Khichdi

Besides these, you can stock up on some convenient options that you can use in a hurry, like Organic Rice Cereal, Organic Brown Rice Cereal, Instant Rice Khichdi with Toor Dal, Soya Rice Porridge Powder and Instant Rice Khichdi with Moong Dal.

Rice is the preferred weaning food for babies, but Moms often wonder - what rice can I give my baby? Find out the benefits of common Indian rice varieties.

Buy Healthy Nutritious Baby, Toddler food made by our own Doctor Mom !

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Filed Under: Can I give my Baby?, Nutrition, Starting Solids Tagged With: baby, baby food, healthy rice recipes, nutrition, rice, rice for baby, weaning, weaning your baby

Comments

  1. Shibu says

    August 21, 2021 at 2:44 pm

    Is it true that giving black rice can cause weight loss in toddlers?

    Reply
    • Dr Hemapriya says

      August 21, 2021 at 3:55 pm

      Hi Shibu,

      Black rice is fiber and protein rich, hence it might be filling which might result in loss of appetite in few children. But it’s extremely healthy.

      Reply
  2. noorjaffar says

    July 7, 2021 at 6:13 pm

    can i give black rice for my 7 month baby?

    Reply
    • Dr Hemapriya says

      August 21, 2021 at 4:38 pm

      Yes, but it might be difficult to digest. You can give thrice in a week and also please do soak overnight.

      Reply
  3. Vahidha says

    December 6, 2020 at 8:17 am

    Hi

    Can i give my 7month old baby, red rice, black rice, par boiled rice, bamboo rice, bridegroom rice varieties

    Reply
    • Dr Hemapriya says

      December 11, 2020 at 12:02 pm

      Please introduce one at a time and check if baby is comfortable with the particular variety of rice, then you can proceed 🙂

      Reply
  4. sonia says

    October 7, 2020 at 11:18 am

    i have just made sweet potato, swed, and red rice boiled and blended for my 7 month baby will she be okay eating red rice

    Reply
    • Dr Hemapriya says

      October 7, 2020 at 12:00 pm

      Yes Sonia 🙂 While giving for the first time, give little and then gradually increase the quantity.

      Reply
  5. Sandhya says

    July 13, 2020 at 12:16 pm

    Hello doctor,

    My baby is 10 months old. Can I give her hand pounded rice? Will she able to digest it?

    Reply
    • Dr Hemapriya says

      July 13, 2020 at 4:15 pm

      Hi Sandhya,

      You can use the variety of rice which your complete family use. If you wish to introduce the other varieties, boil it well and give little to check if baby is comfortable.

      Reply
  6. Thevarani Sukumaran says

    May 7, 2020 at 4:31 am

    Hi Dr,
    We practice Basmathi rice at home..My son going to be 6 months.Can I give the same rice for my 6 months old baby? kindly advice please.thanking in advance

    Reply
    • Dr Hemapriya says

      May 9, 2020 at 12:01 pm

      Hi Thevarani,

      Yes dear, You can feed your baby with the same family rice.

      Reply
  7. Meghna says

    February 19, 2019 at 6:12 pm

    Can I give Vari tandul rice to my 8 months baby??

    Reply
    • pr says

      February 19, 2019 at 7:35 pm

      Hi Meghna,

      Yes dear. It can be given for your 8 month old.

      Reply
  8. Swathi says

    December 26, 2017 at 11:05 am

    Hello Hema Priya,

    My son is completed one year last week.

    As a first time and working mom, not sure what to give.
    He eats sathumaavu in the morning.
    and in the afternoon curd rice and toor dal.
    and night only milk.
    he dont take any purees or finger food.
    and the quantity he takes also very less.
    he drinks only 90 ML one time and every 2 hours ask for the feed.

    Can you please help me in getting any food chart or what to give him for the hungerness.

    Please help.

    Thank you.

    Reply
    • Dr Hemapriya says

      December 26, 2017 at 12:45 pm

      Hello dear, It is tricky phase as they turn one since they develop new likes and tastes and shed off some old habits. Check this food chart, try to feed the baby every 2 hours https://www.mylittlemoppet.com/1-year-baby-food-chart/

      Reply
  9. sunitha says

    November 22, 2017 at 8:21 pm

    hi,
    can i use red parboiled rice aka kerala matta rice for my 6 month old. can i follow your brown rice cereal recipe for that?
    thnk u

    Reply
    • Dr Hemapriya says

      November 22, 2017 at 9:04 pm

      Yes you can give preboiled rice and also brown rice cereal recipe can be followed. However ensure that you start with small portions and perhaps you can giving mid morning when you give for the first time.

      Reply

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I am Dr.Hema, a.k.a the “Doctor Mommy”. I am a medical doctor by profession, no longer into active medical practice as my two little moppets keep me pretty much busy. I love to help and guide new parents through their journey of raising healthy babies.... Read More.

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