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Best Oats Brands For Babies In 2022

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Has your infant progressed form a liquid diet to a solid food diet? If so, then it’s time to slowly introduce oats to your baby. So, what are the best oatmeal brand for babies to eat?

There are very few brands of baby oatmeal, in fact the market is dominated by one manufacturer in particular, Gerber. Instead of paying a premium, use regular oats to make baby oatmeal for a much more affordable price.

Whole grain oats are a nutritious source of plant based protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals. No wonder oatmeal for babies has become a staple food that is served early on child development.

Oats For Babies: Good or Bad?

The benefits of oatmeal are wide spread, not to mention the nutritional value from eating a whole grain source of healthy fats, dietary fiber and plant based protein. Oats provide essential minerals like phosphorous, iron, zinc, potassium, magnesium, sodium, and calcium, which are excellent for the bone growth and neurological development. 

Can babies eat oatmeal? Babies can start to eat oatmeal around six months of age, and that is the most common time to slowly introduce solid foods. 

In contrast, of course there are always a risk of side effects of oats for babies. Carefully observe your baby when introducing new foods to see if they have allergic reactions or experience choking hazards.

Allergic reactions to wheat are a common concern. Oats are naturally gluten free, it’s recommended to select gluten free certified oats if you want to reduce the risk of cross contamination.

Best oatmeal brands for babies

Which Oats is best for baby?

As previously mentioned, there are specific types of oats that are designed for babies. In general, the whole grain oats go through different processing until they reach the final results that we are familiar with. 


The most common oat variants consumed by adults are steel cut oats, rolled oats and quick oats. Here are the brief differences between the each one:

  • Steel cut oats are the whole oat groats simply cut in half by large blades and look similar to the original shape. Because of the dense nature, the oats take around 30 minutes to fully cook.
  • Rolled oats are oat groats that have been steam, then rolled by large rollers before drying. The oat flakes are thick, flat disks that have a cook time around 5 minutes. 
  • Quick oats are similar to rolled oats, however the flakes are smaller and more fragmented as opposed to remaining whole.

Which type of oats is good for babies

So we have introduced all of the common oatmeal types, however nothing seems to be labeled as baby oatmeal. That’s correct, the difference between baby oatmeal and regular oatmeal is quite simple. 

Baby oatmeal is similar to instant oatmeal, just with a different labeling. Both are oats that have been cooked, dried and ground into a course meal that can be reconstituted with boiling hot liquid.

To make a serving of baby oatmeal, simply boil half a cup of hot water and mix it with two tablespoons of baby oatmeal. That’s it, the baby food is ready to serve.

When can babies eat regular oatmeal

Baby oatmeal is generally more expensive than regular oats, who really likes paying more for something that you can easily do with minimal effort. In fact, it’s quite easy to make baby oatmeal from regular oats.

Babies can start to eat regular oatmeal at six months of age as long as you take the extra step to grind the oats in a blender or food processor. Pulse the oats for 15 to 30 seconds to make a course oat flour that resembles store bough baby oatmeal.

The baby oatmeal can be cooked with water, milk, formula or break milk for a delicious and nutritious meal. Cool the baby food to room temperature before serving.

When can babies eat quaker oatmeal? 

Quaker Oats one of the most common brands of whole grain oats. No matter which brand you select, oatmeal is generally introduced to infants at six months of age.

When properly prepared, you can even serve Quaker oats to a 1 year old! Simple pulse the regular oats in a blender or food processor for 15 seconds to grind the oats into a course flour that looks like baby oatmeal,


Cook the homemade baby oatmeal for 3 minutes in the microwave or 5 minutes on the stovetop for a nutritious meal for you little one. Allow the baby oatmeal to cool to room temperature before serving to your infant.

So, there you have it! Whether you select baby oatmeal or regular oats, the choice is yours. If you prefer to purchase regular oats, then take the extra step to quickly grind the oats before making the baby food preparation. 

Best Baby Oats Brands

Here are the best brands of baby oatmeal, along with affordably priced regular oats that can easily be transformed into baby oatmeal. 

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