Parents preparing dinner
With plain rice, you can choose what goes into the meal and adjust the texture after cooking. Manger Bouger’s advice on introducing solid foods recommends taking your child’s stage of eating into account.
Who are these options for?
Parents short on time
Ready-to-heat rice makes meal preparation easier, but it’s worth checking the label separately for sugars, salt, ingredients and allergens. The ‘reduced in sugars’ claim doesn’t answer all these questions.
Parents keen to offer a varied diet
You may want to alternate rice with other starchy foods. In its study on young children’s diets, Anses identified rice as a significant contributor to inorganic arsenic exposure among three-year-olds.
What should you look for?
Plain rice to cook
Choose this if: you want to decide what goes into the meal and adjust the texture of the cooked rice to suit your child.
Bear in mind: cooking takes time, and rice shouldn’t be the only starchy food you offer.
Ready-prepared rice
Consider this if: you need a quicker meal and the recipe is suitable for your child.
Check: convenience or a nutrition claim alone won’t tell you everything about the added ingredients.
| Criterion | What to check | Who is this for? |
|---|---|---|
| Ingredients | Compare sugars and salt per 100 g across similar products, then read the ingredients list. | When putting a meal together, I want to choose what’s added rather than rely on a claim on the front of the pack; around 33% of consumers prioritise ingredients. |
| Texture and stage of eating | Consider your child’s age and whether they can manage the texture after preparation. | If my child is still getting used to different textures, I want to be able to adapt the rice I serve; around 27% of consumers put suitability for their child’s stage of eating first. |
| Preparation time | Check the preparation instructions, then look at the recipe if you’re choosing ready-to-heat rice. | When dinner needs to be prepared quickly, I want a convenient option without choosing blindly; around 20% of consumers prioritise saving time. |
| Variety of starchy foods | Plan to offer other starchy foods that are suitable for your child at different meals too. | I don’t want to serve rice every time: Anses notes its contribution to inorganic arsenic exposure among three-year-olds; around 20% of consumers put variety in starchy foods at the heart of their choice. |
Mistakes to avoid
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Assuming ‘reduced in sugars’ means ‘suitable for toddlers’
Under the European regulation on nutrition claims, ‘reduced in sugars’ means that a product is being compared with a similar product. This claim alone doesn’t tell you about salt, other ingredients or texture.
Check the nutrition information per 100 g, the ingredients list and the guidance on the packaging for the product you’re considering.
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Choosing prepared rice just because it’s quick
A ready-to-heat recipe may contain added ingredients that aren’t found in plain rice.
Compare labels and check the allergens, as well as the texture once the dish is prepared.
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Making rice your child’s almost exclusive starchy food
Anses identified rice and infant cereals made mainly from rice as significant contributors to inorganic arsenic exposure among three-year-olds. This finding doesn’t mean that rice should be banned altogether.
Offer a range of starchy foods at different meals, taking your child’s stage of eating into account.
Brands to consider
There are no brands to feature in this section.
Plain rice to cook from Joybuy
These plain rice options let you prepare a meal and choose what to add. Their inclusion here doesn’t mean they carry the ‘reduced in sugars’ claim, or that their texture after cooking will suit every child.
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Green Dragon Thai Hom Mali, long-grain rice, 2026 harvest, 1 kg
For a dinner made with plain rice, with additions chosen to suit the meal.
1 kg pack. Check the texture after cooking to make sure it suits your child’s eating abilities.
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LUSTUCRU, quick-cook long-grain basmati rice, 450 g
For cooking plain rice when preparation time matters.
450 g pack. Quick cooking doesn’t mean you can skip checking the texture before serving it to your child.
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Golden Lily, Thai jasmine rice, 2026 harvest, 10 kg
For preparing plain rice and choosing the other ingredients in the meal separately.
10 kg pack: check that it suits your storage space and how much rice you use. Adjust the texture after cooking.
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Blue Silk, ST25 aromatic jasmine rice, 5 kg
For cooking plain rice to serve with accompaniments chosen for dinner.
5 kg pack. Check the texture of the cooked rice before serving it to your child.
Frequently asked questions
Is ‘reduced in sugars’ rice necessarily better for a toddler?
No. ‘Reduced in sugars’ is a comparative claim governed by European regulations, not an indication that a product is suitable for a particular age. For the product you’re considering, also check the sugars and salt per 100 g, the ingredients and any useful preparation information.
Which rice should I choose to make dinner at home?
Plain, unseasoned rice lets you choose what to add to the meal. After cooking, adjust the texture to suit your child’s stage of eating, following Manger Bouger’s advice on introducing solid foods.
Should I remove rice from a young child’s diet?
No. Anses’ finding that rice contributes to inorganic arsenic exposure among three-year-olds doesn’t mean you should always exclude it. It’s another reason to vary the foods and starchy options you serve.
Can a pouch of prepared rice be part of dinner?
Yes, if the specific recipe and its texture are suitable for your child. Check the ingredients list, allergens, sugars and salt rather than relying only on the convenient format or a claim on the packaging.