Updated: Oct 31, 2023
Adding wheat germ to your baby’s food is an effortless way to give your little one a real nutritional boost.
Wheat germ contains gluten and many pediatric experts recommend that it is not introduced to your baby until he is AT LEAST 6 months of age.
Before giving your baby any foods containing either wheat or gluten, please check with your doctor.
You may also like to visit our section all about introducing wheat and gluten to your baby, which looks at wheat allergy and gluten intolerance, with links to relevant resources.
Wheat germ is the smallest, most nutritious part of a wheat grain.
A whole wheat grain is composed of four parts
Did you know…
…that wheat germ provides more nutrients per ounce than any other vegetable or grain.
And the protein content of wheat germ is even higher than meat!
The following list shows just how many beneficial nutrients wheat germ can bring to your baby’s diet:
Fortunately, wheat germ is becoming more widely available and now appears on the shelves of many supermarkets.
If your local supermarket doesn’t stock it, then you should be able to find it at most natural food and health stores.
Wheat germ is sold in two forms – fresh and toasted.
Fresh is best but, typically, harder to find!
Fresh wheat germ should be placed in the refrigerator as soon as you buy it, whereas toasted wheat germ only needs refrigerating once it’s been opened.
This is because it contains fat and will spoil very quickly if stored at room temperature.
To keep it fresh, put opened wheat germ into an airtight container before refrigeration.
One of the great things about wheat germ is that its taste is so subtle, it blends nicely with both savoury and sweet dishes.
In fact, wheat germ is barely noticeable when combined with other foods, making it ideal for ‘picky’ babies.
Adding wheat germ is a wonderful way to get important nutrients into your baby if he eats little, or will only eat a limited variety of foods.
Wheat germ can be useful for loosening your baby’s stools if he is constipated. By the same token, giving him too much can lead to diarrhea.
You should only sprinkle wheat germ over your baby’s food – and avoid it altogether if your baby has diarrhea.
Learn about another healthy addition to your baby food recipes… Flax seeds