First foods database
🍚 Brown rice for babies: when and how to serve it
Can babies eat brown rice? Yes, from about 6 months. Brown rice keeps its bran, so it brings more fibre and minerals than white rice, and its nutty flavour works well in savoury dishes. Rice naturally contains some arsenic, so it is good to rotate it with other grains.
Good source of: Fibre, Magnesium, Manganese, B vitamins
How to serve brown rice by age
6 to 9 months
Cook brown rice until very soft, a little longer than packet instructions, then blend or mash with vegetables, lentils or milk. For finger food, press soft sticky rice into small flattened patties or balls that your baby can squash.
9 to 12 months
Offer soft cooked grains loose for pincer practice, or mix into risotto-style dishes, rice and peas or egg fried rice cooked with very little oil.
12 months and up
Serve alongside family curries, stir-fries and stews. Rice salads with soft vegetables are a good lunchbox option.
Choking safety
Loose dry grains can scatter and make babies cough or gag, so serve brown rice soft and slightly sticky, or bound into balls with egg or mashed vegetables.
Gagging is common and noisy while babies learn to eat. Choking is usually silent. Always stay with your baby while they eat, sitting upright. How to help a choking baby (NHS).
Good to know
- Rice contains some inorganic arsenic: rinse well, cook in plenty of water and drain, and vary with other grains.
- Cool leftover rice within an hour, refrigerate and use within a day; reheat only once until steaming hot.
Easy ideas
- Brown rice and red lentil kedgeree
- Brown rice balls with mashed avocado
- Brown rice and vegetable risotto
Goes well with
Recipes with brown rice
Weaning with OBubba
Log first foods in seconds. OBubba spots the allergens for you.
Track every food your baby has tried, see reactions over time, and let OBubba gently pace new allergens one at a time. Free to download.
Questions parents ask
Can babies eat brown rice?
Can babies eat brown rice? Yes, from about 6 months. Brown rice keeps its bran, so it brings more fibre and minerals than white rice, and its nutty flavour works well in savoury dishes. Rice naturally contains some arsenic, so it is good to rotate it with other grains.
Is brown rice better than white rice for babies?
Brown rice has more fibre and minerals, but it can be filling for small tummies. Mixing both, and offering a range of grains, works well.
How do I reduce arsenic in rice?
Rinse the rice, cook it in plenty of water like pasta, then drain. Offering other grains such as oats, quinoa and pasta also helps.
Sources
- NHS Start for Life: Weaning
- NHS: What to feed young children
- NHS: How to stop a child from choking
- NHS: Foods to avoid giving babies and young children
OBubba gives general information based on UK guidance. It is not medical advice and does not diagnose anything. Every baby is different. If your baby has a known allergy, severe eczema or a medical condition, speak to your doctor or health visitor before starting solids. Learn baby first aid, and in an emergency call your local emergency number (999 in the UK).