The claim

「Rice water is the most nourishing baby food」

Q: Rice water is the most nourishing baby food

Myth — Rice water and the starchy skin off congee are mostly water and starch — low in both energy and nutrient density. The WHO frames 6–23 months as the peak period of risk for growth faltering and nutrient deficiencies: at this stage the job of complementary food is to supply what milk no longer can (iron above all), not to fill the stomach. Rice water takes up exactly the space that milk and iron-rich foods needed. The rule is small volume, high density.

Verdict

Myth

Rice water and the starchy skin off congee are mostly water and starch — low in both energy and nutrient density. The WHO frames 6–23 months as the peak period of risk for growth faltering and nutrient deficiencies: at this stage the job of complementary food is to supply what milk no longer can (iron above all), not to fill the stomach. Rice water takes up exactly the space that milk and iron-rich foods needed. The rule is small volume, high density.

Sources

WHO · World Health Organization
World Health Organization. (2023/10/16). WHO guideline for complementary feeding of infants and young children 6–23 months of age. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240081864
Mechanism source ° · Government / official agency · checked 2026-08-02

° Sources with this mark do not address the claim directly; their content supports the mechanism behind the verdict.

「Rice water is the most nourishing baby food」

Verdict

Sources

Related claims · Feeding

Further reading