Has anyone used this baby cereal as part of their diet (in the mixture before)? If not, do you guys know if it is safe for them? I read somewhere that zinc IS good for them and I read some places that it is not. Can anyone clarify that for me? Thanks!

Zinc is a trace mineral found in many foods and in appropriate amounts it is necessary for good health (gliders or humans).

You may be confusing the zinc as a trace mineral in food with the warnings about the zinc coating on galvanized wire that can be a hazard for gliders.

The biggest concern about using baby cereal is the added IRON it contains to meet the nutritional needs of HUMAN babies. This added iron is believed to be too much for our little gliders. Baby cereal is a part of the recipe for BML and a few other glider staple recipes but most people do not use it other than the small amount called for in those recipes.

If your staple calls for baby cereal - then YES Gerber is a recognized brand.

Hello! I use that exact same baby cereal in what I call their "special mixture" as a staple in their diet, and they LOVE it! My suggies have never shown any sign of problems with this cereal. I also use the baby rice cereal. You can use the plain, but I prefer to use the ones mixed with different fruits, (yes, I am giving them fresh fruits as well). Right now they are getting the baby oatmeal cereal mixed with bananas. So if you are considering using this cereal, I wouldn't worry, but being cautious is ALWAYS a good thing. Hope they enjoy, mine sure do!

Baby Cereal should NOT be use alone as the glider's staple. It will not provide the balance of nutrients gliders need daily and if offered as the only staple it may have way too much IRON for sugar gliders which long term could cause liver damage.

It is OK to use as part of a staple recipe like BML because the recipe calls for 1/4 cup and that is spread out over 2 months once it is mixed with the other ingredients for a full batch of the staple.

I actually use it in the BML diet. I substitute some items (due to my gliders preferences) and that is why I was asking if it was alright. I went a little easy on the oatmeal cereal this time around, as I did not know whether they would like it or not.

What items are you substituting??


If you are substituting "some items" in the recipe then your really no longer making bml, your making something else.

When you change some ingredients your likely changing the ratio for that staple. So you can't be sure what the ratio will be for what your making. For this reason it's not suggested to make substitutions in recognized diets, the ratios are already worked out in them and your changing it.

Now I'm not saying that about this cereal as Candy mentioned it's safe to use in BML. But other ingredient changes can effect the staple considerably. If for some reason your gliders don't eat BML very well, and many don't, then it's time to find a different staple altogether, not change the recipe.

I tried and tried to get mine to eat bml and for a while there they did. Then all the sudden I was scrapping it all off the plate in the morning. So, a change had to be made.

Many folks find they are in the same boat with it. Now it is a widely used diet and a good one. But it's not doing your gliders any good if you have to change it to get them to eat it. If that's the case Find a different one that they will eat with out making substitutions so they are getting the right amount of vitamins and minerals out of it and are able to make the most out of the calcium they get.

I do NOT substitute any vitamin supplements. By substituting, I meant that I try different types of Gerber yogurt and different kinds of apple juice. I've tried several different brands of apple juice and my gliders only like one brand! Same with the Gerber yogurt.

Ah well that's not substituting, that's trying different brands. I thought you meant not using one ingredient in exchange for something totally different. Like chicken baby food and shredded fresh chicken.... When you make changes like that it does change the ratio....