The Great Farleys Rusk debate!!! - good or bad

[Jayneypops]

Hi,

I'l start by saying that at 30 I still love rusks! I had them as a baby, toddler, child, teenager and now adult. I regularly buy a box and munch my way through a couple when Im feeling a bit peckish - bit odd I know but they are lovely and low fat
However, as much as I love them, Im unsure whether or not to give them to my DD. She is 6.5 months old and has breakfast (porridge/fruit) and tea of homemade veg/pot etc

People of my moms generation and my SIL all say, "ooh give her a bit of rusk she'll love it", but I know that many people these days are against giving them as they contain sugar? Ive had a look on the box and it talks about providing 20% of a babys iron intake, calcium and other vitamins?
I dont want to give her anything that may be bad for her and am curious what others moms are doing.

So....are you in the 'Rusks are good' camp or the 'Rusks are bad' one?

 

[Ozzieshunni]

Naw, there are better things to give. It's not worth the money, imo.

 

[hubblybubbly]

If I were buying them for myself I'd probably give lo one, but I don't buy them especially for her as I think there's better things to feed her.

I don't think they are the source of all evil though
X

 

[Bevziibubble]

Im in neither camp. I don't think they're the best food to give, but I've only discovered that since doing my own research. I don't give them to my baby anymore but I have in the past before I researched them, because when I was brought up they were THE baby food- I saw my little brother being fed them so I just grew up assuming this was fine. I don't agree or disagree with them though, it's the choice of the parent

 

[Jaysmummy]

My LO have all had them

Xx

 

[rebeccalouise]

I buy rusks for myself, I love them. LO has had one & she loved it, I wouldn't give them to her very often though as I do feel there are better things to give. I don't think rusks are bad at all, if they were as awful as people make out they wouldn't be sold!

 

[AP]

I've given them to my LO's on odd occasions, got nothing against them. Moderation and all. Honestly some people would freak at the things the dietician told us to feed DD1.

 

[mamaduke]

I'm in the "we don't have rusks but grew up on zwieback" camp. Haven't seen rusks or zwieback on the shelves here in the US, though, so LO doesn't know what these are yet.

 

[Kmx]

I give LO on occasion. My hv told me to avoid them but my mum bought me a box and I didn't see the big deal in giving them as a treat

 

[readytotry]

After 6 months, the no added sugar version as an occasional snack (bribe) - don't think there is much difference between them and the "posher" baby biscuits - organix, plum, goodies etc.

 

[natasha82]

Ha I have just (re)discovered these beauty's. LO is not keen on them at all, not mixed with milk anyway. It went all gloopy looking? lol I think they are too sweet for him but he didn't seem to like the taste.

I decided to try one to see if i liked them lol. I was given them as a baby but obviously can't remember that far back. Mmmm i love them with a nice cup of tea. LO can keep off them.

Seriously tho yes i do think there are better things to give them, but once in a while they are ok i think.

 

[special_kala]

Would you happily give your LO something else that was 30% sugar?

My girls have never had them. Might as well save my money and give them digestives they have less sugar in

 

[Casey3]

In Canada/US baby rusks are very different than the UK.. but we do have Farley's biscuits that may be closer to the rusks as they do contain a lot of sugar and are more like a real cookie IMO and I won't buy those.

My LO likes the Baby Mum Mum rusks as a treat, his "cookie" He only gets one if we're out doing errands or something and he's getting fidgety, it keeps him happy for a while. There is literally nothing in them... here's the nutrition label. It says a serving is 4 rusks, well there is only 2 in a pack so that's all he gets, so that little treat that keeps him quiet has all of 15 calories and 12mg of salt.. it's like air

https://www.mummums.com/baby-mum-mum/baby-food-nutrition/

But as someone who has a degree in nutrition, my motto is everything in moderation!!

 

[Lady_Bee]

We can't get Farleys here. If we could, I don't think I would give those to him because of the sugar content, but there are other rusks that have barely any sugar and we do give him those, often with banana or peanut butter spread on them so they're like edible spoons.

 

[beth_terri]

I dont see why not. They're ok as a snack/treat. My eldest had them occasionally but I think I ate the majority of the pack as they're so yummy!

And just incase anyone weans early, make sure if you give them before 6 months you buy the gluten free packs

 

[kmbabycrazy]

I'm pretty sure I saw reduced sugar ones when I was out the other day. I would occasionally give my son one but never used them as a first weaning food only gave them when he was about 10 months old. But again I probably ate most of the box lol. But yeah I will again be giving my daughter one occasionally.

 

[summer rain]

The reduced sugar farleys are still quite sugary. When my youngest sister and my nephew were little there was this other brand of gluten free Rusks that were sweetened with fruit juice or purée and there was this amazing banana flavour, they were rectangular and looked more like crackers even though the texture wasn't like crackers. They had kind of a cold feel in the mouth when eaten. Have tried some of the current sugar free Rusks and biscuits available and they are nothing like those, wish they were still available xx

 

[SophieGiraffe]

I don't see a problem with them, if ever we ate out I always used to give LO one to chomp whilst we were still eating as it kept her entertained for long enough to sit there, the only downside is the mess from them! X

 

[tina3747]

I don't see a problem if that's what you want to give them BUT.. There's so many better alternatives these days, organic, fruit sweetened treats ,that I don't see the point in giving them something that's that high in refined sugar.

 

[special_kala]

The reduced sugar farleys are still quite sugary. When my youngest sister and my nephew were little there was this other brand of gluten free Rusks that were sweetened with fruit juice or purée and there was this amazing banana flavour, they were rectangular and looked more like crackers even though the texture wasn't like crackers. They had kind of a cold feel in the mouth when eaten. Have tried some of the current sugar free Rusks and biscuits available and they are nothing like those, wish they were still available xx

19% last time i checked