Oats and oatmeal contain gluten, which negatively affects digestion. Gluten is difficult to digest and digest. In addition, it often causes an allergic reaction in newborns and older children. Therefore, such porridge is not recommended for the first feeding. Oatmeal is given to babies after the introduction of buckwheat, rice and corn porridge. Let's look at the properties of this cereal and find out how to cook oatmeal as complementary food for an infant.

Properties of oatmeal

The composition of oatmeal includes large number minerals, vitamins and others useful elements, including calcium, sulfur and potassium, various acids. This content provides full development and child growth. Due to the large amount of carbohydrates, oatmeal quickly saturates the body and satisfies hunger. Therefore, oatmeal is considered the most healthy and nutritious breakfast.

Oatmeal performs a number of important functions:

• Removes toxins, salts, heavy metals and others harmful substances, effectively cleanses the body;
• Increases immunity;
• Helps with stress, improves performance nerve cells and calms;
• Positively affects the functioning of the musculoskeletal system and the heart;
• Gives vigor and energy;
• Lowers cholesterol;
• Regulates hemoglobin and blood sugar levels, is useful for diabetics and prevents the development of anemia;
• Strengthens teeth and gums;
• Improves the condition of hair and skin;
• Develops and strengthens muscles;
• Stabilizes blood pressure;
• Normalizes digestion, material metabolism, etc.

However, oatmeal can bring serious harm for infants with a gluten allergy. This is a dangerous protein or gluten that can cause a negative reaction in the body, which has not yet adapted to new conditions. Food allergies can manifest themselves in the form of a rash and irritation on the skin, swelling, indigestion and stool disturbances, deterioration or loss of appetite. The child becomes nervous and capricious, often cries and sleeps poorly. Read more about how to identify and treat food allergies.

How to introduce oatmeal into complementary foods

• Oatmeal for babies is recommended at the age of 9-10 months, when the diet already contains buckwheat, rice and corn porridge;
• For the first time, let your baby try half a teaspoon and observe how the baby feels. Food allergies and other disorders take up to two days to appear. If negative reaction no, oatmeal can be given to a child;
• For the first feeding with oatmeal, you need to prepare liquid 5% porridge in a ratio of 5 grams of flakes per 100 ml of water. The consistency should be puree-like and without lumps!;
• Gradually increase the thickness and portion of the porridge. By the year daily norm the product should be about two hundred grams. At the same time, it is not recommended to give oatmeal to infants more than twice a week;
• If your child has bowel movements and stomach upset, food allergy, poisoning or other negative reaction, exclude the dish from the child’s diet and consult a doctor;

• At first, cook oatmeal only in water, as it is difficult to digest, difficult to digest and often causes allergies. It is better to introduce such dishes after 11-12 months;
• For children under one year old, porridge is prepared without salt, sugar and other spices. After a year, you can add a little salt and sugar to the recipe;
• For taste, you can add ready-made milk formula, breast milk, vegetable or butter in a small amount to the porridge;
• After oatmeal is introduced into the diet, you can add vegetables, meat and fish to the cooking recipe. But remember that each ingredient must first be entered into the menu separately;
• Do not rinse the cereal before cooking, stir the ingredients regularly during cooking, and then wait until the oatmeal has cooled to room temperature and only then feed the baby;
• Cooked ready-made porridge can be stored in a tightly closed container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Before use, the dish is heated in a water bath. However, it is better and healthier to prepare new porridge before each meal.

How to cook oatmeal for babies

Oatmeal with water for complementary feeding

• Oatmeal – 2 teaspoons. spoons;
• Water – 200 ml.

Grind oatmeal in a blender or coffee grinder to the consistency of flour. Or you can use ready-made oatmeal. Oats are poured into boiling water, stirred and after boiling, cook for five minutes. IN ready dish add a little breast milk or formula milk. After introducing cooked porridge into complementary foods, you can put a small piece in the oatmeal butter.

To prepare oatmeal in a slow cooker, add cereal to a bowl; for a child over one year old, add sugar and salt. Pour in water or milk, you can take both components in half. Prepare porridge using the “Milk porridge”, “Pilaf” or “Rice” mode.

Milk oatmeal for a 1 year old child

• Oatmeal – 2 tables. spoons;
• Water – 1 glass;
• Low-fat milk – 1 glass.

Add salt and sugar to taste to boiling water, add the flakes and cook until fully cooked, stirring the porridge regularly. The milk is heated separately. The finished oats are rubbed through a sieve and then hot milk is slowly poured into the dish and the mass is thoroughly mixed. Add a few drops of vegetable oil or a piece of butter to the finished porridge.

Oatmeal pancakes with fruit

• Oatmeal – 1⁄2 cup;
• Low-fat milk – 200 ml;
• Green apple or pear – 1 fruit;
• Chicken egg – 1 piece (or 3 quail);
• Flour – 1.5 tables. spoons;
• Baking powder for dough – 1⁄2 teaspoon. spoons;
• Sugar – 1 table. spoons;
• Salt – 1⁄2 teaspoon spoons.

Prepare milk oatmeal separately. Add sugar and salt, mix. Peel, cut and grate an apple or pear. Place in cooled porridge, break the egg and add flour and baking powder. Knead the dough and spoon the pancakes into a frying pan with hot vegetable oil. Fry until golden brown on both sides. Remember that fried foods not recommended. For a younger baby, you can simply remove the fried crust. In the future, you can use both a pear and an apple for the recipe, taking half of the fruit each.

Oatmeal with dried fruits

• Oatmeal or flakes – 2 tablespoons. spoons;
• Water – 100 ml;
• Low-fat milk – 100 ml;
• Dried fruit mixture – 100 gr.

Raisins, dried apricots and/or prunes are perfect as dried fruits. The ingredients are pre-washed and soaked in cold water for half an hour. After this, the prunes and dried apricots are chopped, the raisins are left in the same form. Flakes or cereals are mixed with dried fruits, poured with water and cooked over medium heat for about six minutes. Then pour in the milk, add salt and sugar to taste, mix and cook for another five to seven minutes.

Oatmeal with pumpkin

• Oatmeal – 150 g;
• Pumpkin – 400 grams of pulp;
• Low-fat milk – 100 ml;
• Sugar – 1 teaspoon. spoon.

Cut the pumpkin and place in a bowl with thick walls and bottom. A cauldron would be a suitable option. Pour boiling water over the vegetable and cook covered until soft. Grind the flakes and add to the pumpkin, add sugar and milk, add water if necessary. Cook until done for 10-15 minutes. The result is a dietary and very satisfying dish that can be given to a child over 1-1.5 years old.

Meat puree with oatmeal for babies

• Minced beef – 200 gr;
• Whole oats – 2 cups;
• Onion – 1 head.

Peel and chop the onion, mix with minced meat and oats. Grease a baking dish with butter and place the resulting mixture. Pour boiling water over the mixture so that the water covers the ingredients by 2-2.5 centimeters. Close the container with a lid and bake for an hour at 180 degrees. This dish is suitable for children over 1.5-2 years old. You will find even more recipes for a two-year-old child at the link.

Time flies very quickly after the birth of a child. And now the baby is 6 months old, which means that breast milk or formula alone is no longer enough. It is at this age that pediatricians recommend introducing complementary foods, one of the main types of which is cereals. They are very nutritious and also promote normal operation intestines. Rice porridge for babies is considered one of the best as an introduction to adult food.

Many pediatricians and pediatric gastroenterologists advise starting complementary feeding with this porridge. Once in the stomach, it gently envelops its mucous membrane and does not require active work enzyme system, which has not yet been formed. This product has a huge supply of vitamins and useful elements:

• vitamins B and E, which rice is rich in, have a positive effect on the condition of the skin and nails, as well as on work nervous system. Their daily intake into the body is very important during periods of intensive growth;
• amino acids included in the cereal play a role in the formation of new cells;
• iron, selenium, zinc and iodine help strengthen the immune system and mental development;
• complex carbohydrates help the body, which expends enormous energy reserves, to recover and build muscle mass;
• lecithin activates brain activity.

Rice is rich in carbohydrates, which quickly replenish energy reserves in the body.

The beneficial properties of rice include the fact that it removes toxins and other harmful substances from the body, normalizing the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and kidneys.

Rice porridge is suitable for feeding children of the first year of life due to the absence of gluten - protein cereal crops, which can cause a severe allergic reaction.

Despite its great benefits, rice has some features that parents should consider:

• rice strengthens the intestines, so if a child has difficulty defecating, pediatricians recommend giving up rice for a while until peristalsis improves;
• The cereal contains phytic acid, which negatively affects the absorption of calcium and iron by the child’s body;
• if a child has stomach colic, rice should be excluded from the menu.

Rice is considered a hypoallergenic food, but in some cases it can cause constipation, indigestion, nausea and bloating. This reaction occurs in children with fiber intolerance. This diagnosis can be made by a doctor after conducting the necessary examination and tests. If it is confirmed, eating rice and other foods that contain fiber is prohibited.

How to introduce porridge into a baby's diet - video

Brew it yourself or buy it?

Many mothers are faced with the problem of choosing: buy boxed cereals in stores or cook them themselves from rice cereal. The opinion of doctors on this matter is almost the same: a decision must be made depending on the financial capabilities and preferences of the child.

Children's instant porridge industrial production have a balanced composition, enriched with vitamins and minerals. Children's intestines is not yet ready to cope with adult food, so the consistency of the finished product is adapted for normal perception by the immature digestive system.

Advantages of purchased options:

• It is made only from high-quality cereals, which undergo cleaning and many tests. Mom can be sure that there is no chemicals and harmful components;
• the liquid consistency of the dish allows you to feed the baby not only from a spoon, but also from a bottle, for example, on a trip or on a walk;
• it is easy and quick to prepare - just dilute the dry product with milk, an adapted mixture or water and stir thoroughly so that there are no lumps;
• Natural dried pieces of fruits and berries are added to some types of rice porridges.

Baby food from different manufacturers - photo gallery

Fruto nanny rice porridge is suitable for children from 4 months and does not contain GMOs or preservatives
Humana rice porridge contains crackers and fruit Milupa porridge with apricot is designed for complementary feeding of babies from 5 months

Nestle rice porridge is hypoallergenic and suitable for feeding children in the first year of life
Bebi milk porridge with hazelnuts enriched with vitamins, iodine and iron Hipp milk rice porridge does not contain sugar

If the mother decides to cook the rice herself, the finished dish should be ground to a puree and only then given to the baby. As the child grows, small lumps can be left behind. And after twelve months, the baby can eat the dish in the same state in which adults eat it.

Types of rice cereals

Based on the shape and grain size, rice is divided into 3 types:

• coarse grain (contains a lot of starch, so it is more suitable for making casseroles and puddings for one-year-old children and older);
• medium-grain (quickly absorbs water and cooks well. A dish made from such cereals is easy to grind to a puree state, so this type is recommended to be used for preparing porridge for babies under 12 months of age);
• long-grain (great for pilaf and adding to salads. It does not become soft or sticky during cooking, and when crushed, for example, using a coffee grinder, it is suitable for children).

There is also a classification according to the processing method:

• parboiled rice (most of the vitamins and minerals pass from the shell into the grain itself, so useful qualities don't get lost. Used for baby food);
• brown rice (the healthiest, you can add it to your baby’s menu after 11 months).

Despite the rich vitamin composition, steamed rice can be harmful: due to the large amount of starch, which is slowly absorbed, there is a prolonged release of glucose into the blood. This can trigger the development of diabetes.

To independently prepare dishes for your baby, you only need high-quality rice grains that do not contain harmful components or chemical additives.

When to introduce rice into complementary foods

The administration regimen is drawn up by a pediatrician depending on individual characteristics baby development. For children who are gaining weight well, cereals are usually introduced after vegetable purees.-from about 7 months. But if there is a deficiency of body weight, the doctor may recommend introducing adult food with cereals. In this case, familiarization with cereals, as a rule, begins at 6 months (but if the baby is much behind his peers in weight, it begins earlier, since this situation can lead to delayed physical and psychological development).

In children who are on artificial feeding, complementary feeding usually begins earlier than for those who are fed breast milk.

Rice cereal dishes should be present in the diet of a child of the first year of life at least twice a week. In this case, the baby will receive a sufficient amount nutrients.

How to cook rice porridge for a baby

You can make the dish using water, breast milk, or dilute it with a mixture. Do not forget that children under one year of age are not recommended to add salt or malt to their dishes. As the baby grows up, pieces of fruits that he has already tried (apples, bananas, pears) are added to the rice.

Before you cook the cereal, you need to prepare it:

1. Rinse with plenty of cold water (several times until the water runs clear) to remove any stickiness.
2. Fill warm water and leave for 30–50 minutes (long grain rice is poured with boiling water for 15 minutes).
3. Rinse again with cold water.

General cooking principles:

• rice is cooked in a 1/2 ratio (for example, 1 glass of rice and 2 glasses of water);
• the prepared cereal is added to boiling water, after which it must be thoroughly mixed so that the grains do not stick to the bottom of the container;
• The cereal is cooked for 20–40 minutes depending on the volume: the less rice, the faster it will be ready.

Some housewives rinse already cooked rice with water. This is how excess starch is removed from it. Steamed grains do not require such manipulation.

Before offering porridge to a baby, it must be pureed.

Rice recipes

There are many recipes that kids love. If parents prefer industrial baby food, everything is simple: just follow the instructions. You can add butter and fruit to a self-prepared dish (according to age recommendations and the scheme for introducing new products).

You can buy porridge - there is a huge amount of milk porridge for baby food on sale, but you can cook it yourself. At self-cooking we use flour (rice, buckwheat, oatmeal); If you don’t buy flour, we make it ourselves using a regular coffee grinder. Conventional solvent is most often used as the main solvent. cow's milk. Flour and sugar are added to milk. It should be noted that instead of cow's milk, it is often better to use infant formula intended for children over six months.

Dissolve 10 g (approximately 1.5 teaspoons) of the appropriate flour (buckwheat, rice, oatmeal) and 1/2 teaspoon of sugar in 20-30 ml boiled water room temperature. Pour the resulting solution into boiling milk with constant stirring (the amount of milk is 100 ml). Cook for 3 minutes. Ready. Since sugar is a non-standard thing, you may have to add a little more.

http://www.komarovskiy.net/knigi/dokorm-i-prikorm.html

Liquid first feeding - what can you give your baby?

To begin with, you can prepare porridge from rice flour. The dish will turn out without lumps and a homogeneous consistency.

Preparation:

1. Grind the rice in a coffee grinder to obtain flour.
2. Pour 30 g of flour into a container, add 50 ml of water and mix thoroughly.
3. Place 100 ml of water on the stove and bring to a boil.
4. Slowly pour the flour mixture into the boiling water, remembering to stir.
5. Cook the porridge for 5 minutes.

Rice flour porridge has just the right consistency for feeding a baby

Milk rice porridge for one-year-old babies

Typically, whole cow's milk is introduced into the diet after a year. You need to know that it can cause allergic reactions in infants.

Preparation:

1. Wash 1/2 cup of rice and add 1 cup of water. Place on the fire and wait for the water to boil.
2. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Add 1 glass of milk and cook for another 15 minutes.
4. Remove from the stove and cover with a lid to let the cereal steep.
5. If the dish is too thick, it can be diluted with water, breast milk or baby formula.

To prepare milk porridges, you need to use only special baby milk.

Milk rice porridge in a slow cooker - video

Rice porridge with water for children under one year old

It is prepared for children whose diet does not yet contain milk. The cooking recipe is completely identical to milk porridge, but the liquid is exclusively water. To make the dish tastier, you can add fruit puree to it. Depending on how the baby can chew, the porridge is brought to the desired consistency using a blender.

Rice with cottage cheese for babies over 12 months

Rice dishes can be varied with those fruits and vegetables that the baby is already familiar with. Apples, pears, and pumpkins are best suited.

Preparation:

1. Peel 50 g of apple (or other fruit) and add 100 ml of water.
2. Place on fire and bring to a boil. Cook for 7-10 minutes until the pieces are soft.
3. Rinse 100 g of rice and add to the pan.
4. Cook over low heat for 15 minutes.
5. Add 100 ml of milk and cook for another 15 minutes.
6. Remove the porridge from the stove and let it brew.
7. Bring to the desired consistency using a blender.

Rice porridge with pumpkin and milk - video

Cooking features for children of different ages - table

The first six months of a newborn baby's life flies by almost unnoticed. Your little one, who just yesterday was very tiny and helpless, is at a new stage in its development.
Recommendations World Organization health care to all mothers consist exclusively breastfeeding for six months and the introduction of complementary foods after this period. WHO experts recognize the need child's body six months of age in the receipt of additional nutrients in addition to those contained in the mother's breast milk. Porridge is one of the possible types first feeding.

Valuable properties of cereals

Cereal-based dishes are truly healthy, as they are very nutritious due to high content carbohydrates. It is for this parameter that such complementary foods are, without hesitation, chosen for low birth weight babies and those born at less than 37 weeks. Semolina is particularly high in calories. But you should not give it often to a baby under one year of age. You can introduce such porridge at more late period, since semolina contains the substances phytin and glyodine. They can call unpleasant violations in the functioning of the intestines, and also interfere with the absorption of calcium and vitamin D.
There is a classification of grain crops according to the amount of elements such as minerals and vitamins. Unconditional leaders in this segment:

1. Buckwheat. Contains calcium, iodine, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, manganese, B vitamin, PP, vegetable protein and the beneficial substance lecithin. Differs in the largest amount of iron. According to statistics, most mothers start feeding their babies with buckwheat. It is not only rich in micro- and macroelements, but is also considered low-allergenic and easily digestible for children. digestive system;
2. Oatmeal. Rich in protein, B vitamins, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and iron. Ideal for dietary nutrition. Oats also contain gluten. You should be aware that gluten can be a difficult substance for infants to tolerate. You can try oatmeal later and you should do this with caution, observing the reaction of the child’s body.
   For reasons of ease of digestion by a child’s stomach, in addition to buckwheat, the following types are recommended:
3. Rice. Also refers to low-allergenic types of cereals. Although rice is not a rich source of vitamins and minerals, it also has beneficial properties. Almost 50% of the composition of this grain crop is starch, an energy-valuable carbohydrate. Rice has the ability to coat the stomach and intestinal walls, and is also a natural antioxidant and adsorbent. This porridge is recommended for children suffering from diarrhea because of its ability to strengthen stool. Because of this same parameter, rice for babies should be cooked intermittently so as not to provoke a problem with constipation.
4. Corn. It is also often used to feed infants due to its good absorption by the body. It contains starch and is rich in microelements such as calcium, iron, phosphorus.

Classification of finished products

Manufacturers of children's food products They offer porridge for first feeding with the following markings.

• One-component. At the beginning of complementary feeding, this type of product is optimal, since the presence of several types of grains makes it difficult to identify products that are not digestible by the baby
• Multicomponent. When complementary feeding is not the first time for a baby, you can prepare a finished product containing several types of grain crops. Such a product will be of greater value due to the quantity useful substances and qualities
• Gluten-free. Such products from buckwheat, rice and corn exclude the presence of gluten, which can upset digestion.
• Dairy-free. This mark guarantees the absence of cow's milk protein, and therefore reduces the risk of allergies in infants
• Dairy. Already contain whole milk powder

First recipes

Pros finished products for complementary feeding are ease of use, time saving and presence additional vitamins. Such cereals are already crushed and do not require additional cooking. According to the recommended preparation method, the specified number of tablespoons of cereal should be diluted into the required volume of water at a temperature of 40°C. By stirring, the mixture is brought to a homogeneous consistency, instantly ready for use.
It is possible to combine finished products with homemade ones. In practice, there is often an option when the mother begins to feed the baby with purchased products and soon switches to homemade food. After all, mothers are quite capable of preparing tasty, appetizing and healthy porridge on one's own.

From all the abundance of information, it follows that buckwheat is the first to be introduced into the diet of a six-month-old child, then rice and corn types of cereals. And older children can try oatmeal and semolina.

Before preparing any type of cereal, the cereal is carefully sorted, cleared of debris, washed and thoroughly dried. To get porridge of such a consistency that would be suitable for consumption by infants, it is necessary to grind it to the state of flour. To carry out such manipulations, it is advisable to have a blender or coffee grinder at home. After all necessary preparation done, you can start further actions. Cooking utensils must have a thick bottom. It is possible to use a multicooker. Additional additions of salt and sugar are not recommended. Before use, the finished product must be cooled to 37°C.

Recipe for making simple buckwheat porridge for a baby

1 teaspoon or 5 g of ground buckwheat is poured into 100 ml of water or vegetable broth.
Stir and bring the mixture to a boil.
Cook over low heat until tender, stirring thoroughly.
It is possible to add expressed milk or an adapted formula.

Recipe for making milk oatmeal porridge for a baby

Heat 100 ml of milk (cow or goat).
Pour 1 teaspoon or 5 g of ground oatmeal into warm, but not boiling, milk.
Cook over low heat until tender, stirring.
It is allowed to add 5 g of butter.
If there is no blender. You can use a regular sieve.

Watch a video with the famous doctor Komarovsky, who will tell you how to prepare porridge for complementary feeding using baby formula.

Recipe for pureed rice porridge with milk

Boil 200 ml of water.
Add one and a half tablespoons of rice and cook until tender over low heat.
Rub the finished mixture through a sieve.
Add half a glass of hot milk.
Cook for another 5 minutes.
Add 5 g butter.
It is welcome to add fruit purees to ready-made dishes to improve taste qualities and promotions useful properties.

The time comes when the nutrition of a child up to one year old, in addition to breast milk or an adapted formula, should contain the first complementary foods. The introduction of new products implies the supply of additional nutrients to the baby’s body. Porridge is a complementary food that is one of the most widespread, because it contains large quantities of useful microelements and vitamins. Oatmeal for babies is interesting to many mothers, so this product requires detailed consideration.

Benefits of oatmeal

Oatmeal is good source carbohydrates for the child's body. Replenishes the enormous energy needs of children in the first year of life. Therefore, it is considered especially useful to cook oatmeal in the morning to provide the child with energy as the new day begins. The protein content is 13%, and fat is only 6%.

This porridge is also appreciated for its availability more nutrients and vitamins:

1. calcium and phosphorus content has a positive effect on the developing musculoskeletal system
2. potassium and magnesium are involved in the development of children: their muscular system, and are also important for normal functioning heart, blood pressure and nervous system support
3. iron plays important role to maintain hemoglobin and exclude iron deficiency anemia
4. iodine provides the correct metabolic processes body and is extremely important for growing children
5. B vitamins normalize digestion and improve the condition of delicate baby skin

Such a variety of elements rightfully allows us to call oatmeal one of the most nutritious and healthy cereals. Oatmeal is an adsorbent for the whole body and helps eliminate heavy metal salts. It has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the stomach, enveloping its mucous membrane.

Oatmeal is an excellent complementary food for babies, because it contains a large amount of antioxidants that improve immunity. Oatmeal is also worth preparing for your child because the fiber it contains will help gastrointestinal tract baby work like a clock.

Kids are an extremely conservative people. They are wary of anything new. If you want your baby to get used to the new porridge faster, add some breast milk or formula to it. A familiar taste will help you get used to new food faster.

Watch a video on how to choose the healthiest oatmeal

Contraindications for use

The presence of gluten in oats is the very disadvantage due to which many pediatricians do not recommend starting complementary feeding with this type of cereal. Gluten is a plant protein that small children up to a certain age do not digest well. Their bodies have too few enzymes capable of breaking down a complex molecule. The result is a food allergy.

You shouldn’t completely give up oatmeal for fear of allergies. Many babies digest oatmeal perfectly from the age of seven months. Follow the main rule for introducing any complementary foods: give a little, look at the body’s reaction. If there is no response, then the portion can be gradually increased.

Gluten intolerance in children is easy to explain. Once in the baby’s body, it has the risk of not being broken down due to the lack of a special enzyme, aminopeptidase. This enzyme, which promotes the absorption of elastic protein, begins to be produced by the cells of the intestinal mucosa from about 8-10 months. Until this age, undigested protein plays a negative role for the body of children, being a serious toxin.

Gluten allergy occurs in most children under one year of age due to an immature digestive system. Such complementary foods can cause unpleasant and painful sensations. A food allergy to gluten in a child manifests itself in the form of tummy problems. Mothers may observe severe colic, flatulence, bloating, and upset bowel movements in the child. Allergies will make themselves felt after complementary feeding and rashes on the skin of newborns.

Once you have successfully entered this type cereal complementary foods on your baby's menu, try to give oatmeal no more than twice a week. Even if your child is not affected by food allergies, remember that frequent consumption of oats helps flush calcium from the body. This happens due to the accumulation of phytic acid, which interferes with the absorption of calcium in the intestines.

Thanks to the fiber, oatmeal will help normalize the stool of a child prone to constipation. However, mothers of those children who have frequent loose stools should not abuse it.

The pediatrician will recommend introducing oats as complementary foods to your baby, focusing on various factors. The recommended period for children under one year old who are breastfed is after 8 months. Artificial babies can be introduced to oatmeal a little earlier, after 6 months.

Possible gluten allergy – important factor, which should not be forgotten. Start complementary feeding with gluten-free cereals: buckwheat, rice, corn.

Oatmeal should be administered extremely carefully, dosing the suggested volume and observing general condition digestive system of a child of the first year of life, in order to exclude intolerance to the product. We advise you to keep a food diary. This way, at the first sign of an allergy, you will immediately know which product caused it.

Recipes for cooking oatmeal for infants

If an allergy to oatmeal is not a contraindication for your child, try cooking the porridge yourself using the chosen recipe. Complementary feeding is considered the most valuable when cereals that require long-term cooking rather than quick cooking are used. This kind of grinding doesn’t work special processing and has more beneficial properties due to the preservation of its constituent vitamins.

Whatever recipe you like, when cooking for a baby under one year old, you should adhere to the basic principles of preparing the first complementary foods.

1. At first, it is not recommended to add any additional additives in the form of sugar, salt and oil.
2. A dish cooked in water will be healthier. It is allowed to add breast milk or an adapted formula to the finished dish.
3. The consistency of the porridge should be liquid with no lumps

Recipe for classic oatmeal porridge with water from ground cereal

The cereal can be crushed before cooking; to do this, grind the oats using a blender or coffee grinder to a state similar to flour.

The ratio of the resulting oatmeal to water should be 1 teaspoon, which corresponds to 5 g, and 100 ml of water. This porridge is called five percent and is optimal for administration to infants.

If a larger volume is required, then it is necessary to increase in proportion to the proportion: for two teaspoons, which corresponds to 10 g, take 200 ml of water. Over time, when the baby gets used to oatmeal, you can cook ten percent, when two teaspoons of oatmeal correspond to 100 ml of water.

The required amount of oatmeal is poured into boiling water. Everything is mixed until a homogenized mixture is obtained and after bringing to a boil, cook for about 5 minutes.

Recipe for oatmeal with milk

When the baby is already accustomed to a new dish, his digestion is stable. No problem using it cow protein, you can try the version made with milk with flavoring additives.

In this case, oats are used in the form in which they are purchased. Sufficiently large flakes can be used. If you intend to prepare a five percent mixture, use 2 tablespoons of cereal to 1 cup of water and 1 cup of low-fat milk.

Sort the flakes in advance, rinse and dry. Bring water to a boil, add salt and sugar to taste. Add oats. Cook the porridge, stirring constantly over low heat until completely cooked.

Heat the milk in a separate container. After rubbing to a homogenized consistency through a sieve, hot milk is added to the mixture. Add 5 g of butter (vegetable) oil to the prepared dish.

Mother's milk for a baby is the most useful and priceless delicacy in the world. However, over time, it will be necessary to expand the child’s diet, introducing complementary foods in the form of cereals that are saturated with fats and carbohydrates, as well as useful microelements and vitamins.

Introducing porridge into a child’s diet

Pediatricians recommend introducing complementary foods in the form of healthy and tasty porridge from the age of five months. But at the same time, it is very important to determine the moment when porridge should be introduced into the diet. Pay attention to your child's behavior. If he asks for the breast very often, it means that the baby is no longer getting enough. Any new food should be introduced in small doses. For the first time, one small spoon of porridge will be enough for a five-month-old baby.

Evaluate your child’s reaction, because the first tasting of porridge can be either an unpleasant surprise or a pleasant discovery for him. If your baby turns away from a spoon with porridge, do not panic and under no circumstances try to force food into his mouth. Try offering him a different porridge, adding a little breast milk.

If the child has recently suffered from an illness or is sick, do not rush to introduce complementary foods, do not overload immune system child's body. Wait a couple of weeks, then you can safely offer your baby new dishes

About the benefits of porridge

Buckwheat porridge should be the first in a baby’s diet; it is rightfully considered the absolute champion in terms of content nutritional properties and is easily digestible by the child’s stomach, has useful action on the functioning and formation of all systems and organs. Buckwheat contains a large amount of: - vegetable protein, - phosphorus, potassium and magnesium salts. There is almost six times more iron in this cereal than in semolina or rice.

Rice porridge is considered hypoallergenic, so it is always appropriate in baby food. It contains few proteins, but is very rich in mineral and vitamin composition. Rice porridge should be included in the diet of infants, but not often, as this can lead to problems with stool. Oatmeal is considered the second most nutritional value and usefulness. It contains a lot of: - potassium,

Protein, - iron, - phosphorus, - magnesium, - B vitamins. Oatmeal contains a large amount of vegetable fats.

After ten months of age, you can introduce corn porridge into your baby’s diet. The cereal is saturated with iron and starch, the phosphorus and calcium content is not very high. Corn porridge also requires a long cooking time. Millet porridge is a little heavy for a child’s body, so it is inferior to other types of porridge due to poor digestion. It should be introduced only from one and a half years of age.

How to cook porridge for a baby?

Cooking healthy porridge for a baby does not require special difficulties. You just need to rinse the cereal thoroughly and dry it a little. Prepare flour from the cereal using a coffee grinder. In the first stages, it is recommended to cook porridge with breast milk, water or vegetable broth. Cow's milk is not suitable for this purpose, as it is too heavy for a child's stomach.

It is absolutely unacceptable to cook porridge for a baby by eye. The concentration should be as follows: per 100 milliliters of water or breast milk, take 5 grams of crushed cereal. Accordingly, if you take more liquid, then you will need more flour. Rice and buckwheat should be poured into cold water, and oatmeal and semolina - hot. Never use a microwave oven to prepare porridge.

Add 5 grams of butter to the finished porridge (only if the baby does not suffer allergic reactions). As for salt or sugar, it is recommended to avoid using these ingredients for as long as possible in order to avoid the rapid development of taste preferences in the baby.