Porridge
When does it come to introduce the child to porridges? About half a year, depending on when you started introducing lures.
Mom, offering the kid a porridge as the first complementary meal, make a mistake. In accordance with the recommendations of children's nutritionists, the porridge in the turn of the lure should follow the vegetables, otherwise you risk getting a refusal of the baby from zucchini and cabbage. After a sweet and delicious porridge, vegetable mashed potatoes seem unattractive to them. It is better to enter the porridge 2-3 weeks after getting to know the vegetables. But, as you know, there are no rules without exceptions, and in this case the exception is a bad weight gain, unstable stool (more often in liquid). Under such circumstances, pediatricians recommend first introducing cereals, and later vegetables.
It is preferable to start with useful cereals for young children that do not contain gluten (a protein of cereals) - it is often allergic to it, it can cause problems in the child's bowel work. To gluten-free cereals are rice, buckwheat, corn.
Gluten-containing cereal - oatmeal, wheat, semolina, millet.
What are porridges made of? The main component is one or another cereal and often enough milk (if the dry ready-made mixture for the porridge contains milk or you cook porridge with the addition of milk). Groats are a source of carbohydrates, vegetable proteins, fibers, minerals, vitamins (mainly group B), and milk supplements the useful composition of porridge with proteins, fats, other vitamins and minerals. Carbohydrates saturate the growing body with energy, proteins are a necessary building material, vegetable fibers provide normal work of the gastrointestinal tract.
You can not buy food
Most experts believe that for small novice custodians, ready-made porridges that do not require cooking are preferable. Such porridges are produced from environmentally friendly raw materials using modern technologies that allow to maximally preserve the nutritional value of cereals and ensure their best digestibility. They are perfectly balanced in composition, enriched with vitamins and minerals. In addition, their consistency varies according to the age of the child for which they are intended, from liquid and completely homogeneous, to useful porridges for small children with various additives (pieces of fruit, vegetables).
Finished porridge can be dairy and dairy-free. The very first porridge in the life of your baby should be dairy-free, because very often the children have an allergy to the protein of cow's milk - the immature body of the child is not yet able to sufficiently digest and assimilate this product. First, porridge is introduced from one type of cereal - this makes it possible to clearly track the reaction of the baby to each product. Begin with only 5 grams, to get acquainted with each kind of cereal let's about 10 days. The optimal variant of the first complementary food is rice porridge, as most children react calmly to its introduction. Further usually follow other gluten-free - buckwheat, corn. After acquainting the child with them, you can try to treat him with a combination of these groats, adding already tried fruits or vegetables. Gradually, within a month, a serving of porridge will reach 100-150 g.
But remember that while the main food of the baby is breast milk, you do not need to rush to stop breastfeeding - this priceless product is still necessary for your baby.
The most useful
What kind of cereal is most useful? There is no single answer to this question. The fact is that each of the cereals has its own characteristics, knowing which, you can make a children's menu with the optimal ratio.
Buckwheat
Can claim the role of champion and make a worthy competition, even meat. Buckwheat groats are rich in vegetable protein, it has a significant amount of iron (in buckwheat it is 6-7 times larger than in other cereals), phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, contains zinc, iodine, cobalt. And buckwheat porridge has an easy laxative effect, so it is especially good for children who are prone to constipation.
Oatmeal
One of the most loved and popular. It contains many vegetable proteins and fats, vitamins of group B, K, E, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, iron, it also contains zinc, iodine and fluorine. Oatmeal porridge is especially useful to weakened children, it is very nutritious and helps to strengthen immunity. It is no accident after ARVI and other diseases, many doctors recommend her to babies.
Rice porrige
Its popularity is due to hypoallergenicity. True, it has less protein, vitamins and minerals than in buckwheat and oatmeal. But the fact that rice porridge helps to remove the remnants of these drugs from the body after treatment with antibiotics is known to few. Rice porridge strengthens the stool, so do not often offer it to children who are addicted to constipation. Reduce this effect by adding vegetables or fruit to the porridge.
From corn grits Baby soluble porridges are rich in starch and iron, they contain vitamins B, D, E, provitamin A, potassium, magnesium, zinc, and calcium and phosphorus in them are few. Pediatricians do not recommend entering them earlier than 9 months.
Semolina
It consists of wheat flour, cooked in a certain way. Today, doctors recommend to give it up before reaching the baby 2 years. Manna porridge gives a considerable load to the pancreas, promotes the appearance of rickets in children of the first two years of life, it does not have enough fiber, vitamins and minerals (group B, E, potassium, iron).
Millet porridge
Its basis - millet - contains vitamins of group B, folic acid, potassium, zinc, iodine, but it is too heavy for digestion, therefore it is more often used after 1,5-2 years. It is able to purify the body of toxins, and also fixes the stool.
Rye and barley
They contain a lot of plant proteins, phosphorus, potassium, iron, B vitamins, but they are almost not used as a basis for useful porridges for small children, they are more often recommended as bran for correcting nutrition of children with constipation or overweight.
A little pot, cook!
For babies porridge at home is prepared on water or vegetable broth at the rate of 5 g of flour (1 teaspoon without top) per 100 ml of liquid, cooked at the maximum reduced heat for at least 25 minutes. Prepare flour from cereals at home by using a coffee grinder or hand pestle in a mortar. To improve the taste, you can add no more than 4-5 g of butter or vegetable oil (200 ml of porridge), breast milk or a mixture (1-2 tablespoons). Sugar and salt in the preparation of cereals, try not to use as long as possible.
It's great if your majesty is respected in your family and even by a grown up child and the rest of the family this dish regularly appears on the table. We talked about the benefits of croups earlier, and cereals, cooked from whole grains at home, contain a lot of fiber and help to remove harmful substances from the body.
Features of preparation
Hercules flakes are covered in a boiling liquid and thoroughly stirred. To discourage slightly damp taste, you can add a little cinnamon, anise, lemon or orange peel (dried and powdered), sugar for grown-up children is better replaced with jam, syrup, raisins or fresh berries.
Buckwheat groats must be pre-fried without oil or dried in the oven, then cooled and several times washed in cold water. To prepare crumbly cereal, it is better not to cook cereals, but to pour boiling water approximately in equal proportions with cereals, in a thermos such porridge will be ready in 30-40 minutes. Water can be replaced with milk.
Millet rinse in hot water as many times as necessary to ensure that the foam completely disappeared, and the water became completely clear. It is in this pledge of delicious and useful millet porridge.
Manna porridge requires strict observance of proportions. For 500 ml of milk, take 100-150 grams (as more like - more liquid or thicker), manki. As soon as the milk boils, add the rump through the sieve, stirring gently. Manna porridge cook for no more than 2 minutes. Then tightly cover with a lid and allow to infuse for 10-15 minutes for complete swelling. Everything, further it is not required any additions of water or long cooking for boiling up of an excess liquid. The porridge, cooked in this way, forms a special taste and consistency.
Corn from corn is recommended to be cooked just before serving, because after heating it will not be so tasty, and it's better not to eat cold corn porridge either. For a more delicate taste, add a little butter to it.
Ancient recipes
Pumpkin-millet
Take:
- 1 cup of millet
- 100 g of pumpkin (peeled)
- 1/2 cup water
-3/4 cup of milk
- 1 teaspoonful. a spoonful of butter
- 1 teaspoonful. a spoonful of sugar
- salt - on the tip of the knife
Preparation
Millet rinse, boil in water, then add milk and cook until done. Sliced small slices of pumpkin boil in a small amount of water until soft, grind in puree, adding salt and sugar. Mix everything and cook for another 10 minutes with constant stirring. When serving, add butter.
Belev porridge
Take:
1 glass of oatmeal
- 0.5 liters of water
- 250 ml of milk
- 1/4 tea. spoons of cinnamon and coriander
- fresh peel 1/2 lemon
- 250 ml cream
- 2-3 table. spoons of sugar
- salt - to taste
Preparation
In salted water, boil the Hercules to a viscosity, removing the foam. Fill with milk and cook, stirring constantly, on very low heat. After 10-15 add sugar, after 1-2 minutes after that - spices, after 5 minutes, pour the cream, mix and immediately remove the porridge from the fire.