I love to cook and come up with new recipes, especially in order to make them healthier while still maintaining taste. Cooking for my son is no exception! Because experts recommend that babies eat iron fortified cereal starting around 6 months (source) and because only 4 T. of it gives them 45% of their daily iron intake, I have felt pretty good about spending the money on those expensive little boxes of Earth’s Best Oatmeal for my son. Now that’s he’s 18 months old and he doesn’t need the consistency of the baby cereal, not to mention that he’s now eating almost everything, I make him a homemade oatmeal concoction that even Grammy loves. I still use ingredients with iron in them, but not the same amount, of course. (He likes peas and spinach and other sources of iron, so I’m not concerned about his iron intake.). And I must say, my oatmeal goodness is much cheaper than those little yellow boxes! Here it is if you’d like to try it out.

Oatmeal Goodness

1/4 c. cooked oats groats (I get it at our local co-op; contain small amt. of iron)

1/2 mashed banana

1/4 c. plain, whole milk yogurt (I use Stoneyfield Farms)

1 T. flaxseed meal

2 T. wheat germ (= 0.5 mg of iron)

1 T. cinnamon

organic whole milk to desired consistency (I use Horizon Organic Ultra-Pasteurized)

Combine and heat for 30 seconds. Serve warm.

Notes:

* I cook my oats groats once a week. I use 1 c. dry oats groats to 4 c. water. Simmer on the stove for 45 minutes or until water is soaked up (just like you cook rice).

* If our bananas go bad before I can use them, I peel and halve them and freeze. They defrost easily in the microwave. That way I always have bananas nearby to use in our Oatmeal Goodness.

* I store the flaxseed meal in the freezer and the wheat germ in the fridge.

* Buy the Ultra-Pasteurized whole milk because it lasts much longer. Well, that is, unless you like drinking whole milk, too. Ew!