Cereals for children: when to introduce them into the diet? How to choose healthy cereal porridges for a child Gluten cereals: valuable carbohydrates and dangerous protein

Hello, dear readers!

If we recall the food pyramid of a healthy diet, it becomes clear that cereals and products made from them are the basis of a healthy human diet. That is why children from the first year of life need to consume cereals daily. , can occur as early as 4-6 months of age. Pediatricians recommend starting the introduction of solid foods into a child’s diet with porridge if the baby is not gaining weight well, there is a tendency to constipation, etc.

Cereals are sources of plant protein, complex carbohydrates, fiber, minerals and vitamins, especially group B. Lately there has been a lot of talk about gluten, a plant protein found in grains. The better known name for gluten is gluten. This protein can sometimes cause food allergies in children. Therefore, it is recommended to introduce porridge into a child’s diet, starting with buckwheat, corn or rice. These cereals do not contain gluten.

The benefits of cereals are difficult to overestimate. Buckwheat- champion among cereals in terms of iron content, phosphorus salts, magnesium and potassium. The vitamin composition of buckwheat is unique. However, mom should remember that frequent consumption of buckwheat porridge contributes to the formation of persistent constipation.

Rice and rice porridge usually prescribed to children with allergies. In addition, rice is rich in folic acid, necessary for hematopoiesis, and vitamin PP, which regulates the activity of the nervous system. However, a child is not advised to buy regular polished rice to prepare porridge. After grinding, there is almost nothing useful left in it; for baby food, it is better to use steamed or brown rice.

Corn grits It is distinguished by a high content of B vitamins, carotene, and vitamin E. Corn grits also contain essential amino acids and unsaturated fatty acids, which should always be present in a child’s diet. Corn porridge is recommended for children with allergies and children during illness, since one of the properties of corn is the removal of toxins from the body.

Cereals contain a lot of fiber, vitamins (A, B, C, E, PP), minerals (magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, fluorine, calcium), biotin, pectin, etc. Oatmeal is useful for children with various gastrointestinal disorders. Calcium is great. Wheat groats was very popular in Rus', and in later times, instead of wheat cereal, semolina was most often used in baby food. Despite the rather poor composition, mother should not give up semolina or wheat cereal. These cereals boil well and give a pleasant porridge consistency, however, you should not feed a child during the first years of life semolina every day. It is enough to cook porridge from wheat cereal or semolina 1-2 times a week. Let's look at whether semolina porridge is healthy or harmful for a child.

Barley, like wheat, became the source of two types of cereals: barley and pearl barley. Barley grits- These are crushed barley grains that are not pre-polished, so it is rich in fiber. And here pearl barley It is produced by grinding whole grains, so there are fewer nutrients in pearl barley. It is better for children to cook barley porridge, as it has better consistency and taste than pearl barley. Barley is useful not only for its fiber, but also for its vitamin and mineral composition.

Millet, from which millet is made and very tasty millet porridge, rich in vegetable fats, can serve as a source of iron. In addition, millet contains many vitamins and minerals, including sodium, chlorine, phosphorus and others. Millet porridge should be consumed by children with anemia and children during illness. It is worth noting that millet porridge, like buckwheat, can contribute to constipation.

In addition to porridge, children can be offered other options for including grains in the child’s diet. For example, ready-made breakfast cereals. Flakes, balls, stars, created especially for children, are distinguished by their variety of taste and undoubted benefits. However, sometimes it is greatly exaggerated. Such finished products may contain completely unhealthy ones. Excessive consumption of ready-made breakfasts with high sugar content leads to the development of dental caries and weight gain.

You can prepare cereal cocktails for your child by mixing fruit puree and various cereals, ground into flour. Cereals can be added when cooking soup, preparing soufflés and puddings, and serving as a side dish for meat and fish dishes.

For older children, it is better to prepare meals from whole grains; in this form, the grains retain more nutrients.

The most difficult thing is to persuade a child to eat porridge. Sometimes a child does not eat porridge not because it is not tasty or because he is full; refusal may be the boundaries of behavior.

In a situation of giving up porridge, you can offer the following options for exit: include a playful moment, come up with a fairy tale for the child, for example, how a bear got sick because he didn’t eat porridge (children are quite impressionable); prepare porridge with additives in the form of fruit, jam, add cinnamon, vanillin to improve the taste. Well, the last option is a little blackmail (eat porridge - you will get juice, candy, etc.), but if you resort to it often, there may be undesirable consequences.

CEREALS FOR CHILDREN

Knowledge about the properties of individual varieties of cereals can help to understand the physical and mental well-being of a child, strengthen it or correct it:

MILLET
Millet is ideal to restore strength to a child after complications with the stomach or intestines, after diarrhea or in case of insufficient appetite.

POLENTA
Polenta (fine corn grits) is also good if the child has a weak stomach and develops stomach pain or diarrhea after drinking cold drinks, or when he is adjusting to whole grains.

RICE
Complete rice is presented as long grain and short grain. Both varieties restore qi and juices, harmonize the lungs and large intestines, moisturize and regenerate the skin and strengthen digestion.

Long grain rice is suitable for children who exhibit the following conditions and behaviours. The child is more likely to be too warm than too cold. At night he throws off his blanket. Prone to anxiety and can worry about trifles. Due to jealousy or anxiety, he may work himself up to the point of rage, so that his face turns red. Stubbornness shows up sharply. Often he reacts to the boundaries set by his parents with fits of rage. He has a tendency to constipation, neurodermatitis; the skin can be dry, eczematous, with redness and peeling on the cheekbones.
The cooling, moisturizing effect of long-grain rice has the following effect in such a child: the liver, and with it emotional temper, calms down; the skin is nourished and regenerated; The large intestine cools, and thanks to this, constipation disappears and excessive thirst is eliminated.

Short grain rice is especially suitable for children who have the above symptoms combined with these symptoms. like mushy stools, sensitivity to cold and craving for sweets. In addition, it helps obese children by expelling excess moisture and activating fat burning. Rice water is given for gastrointestinal infections, as it has a beneficial effect on the digestive tract.

WHEAT
Wheat, like rice, has a moisturizing and cooling effect, especially on the liver, gall bladder and heart. It calms the spirit and thereby resists mental anxiety and agitation. It is especially effective on children prone to nervousness and sleep disorders, who cannot fall asleep normally in the evening and “run around like mad” all day long.
Whole grains are soaked overnight and then cooked for a long time until completely soft. Or they are brought to a boil in a ground form, and then left to swell.

WHEAT TEA
Good sleep is ensured by evening wheat tea:
2 tbsp. Boil coarsely ground wheat in half a liter of water for 30 minutes. and strain. The wheat can be used later for another dish. Tea is given in the evening, sometimes sweetened with honey (honey cannot be heated, so it can only be added to warm tea). This tea helps children who have a fever and are restless because of this.

OVES
Oats have a strong revitalizing effect on bodily and mental energy. Cooked as flakes or ground, it makes a strengthening breakfast for well-adjusted children. Its inherent stimulating effect manifests itself in children with weak initiative and insufficiently cheerful spirit. Children who sleep a lot and have weaker constitutions benefit from the body- and mind-boosting benefits of oats.

Based on materials from the book by B. Temeli, B. Trebut “Nutrition according to the five element system for mother and child”

Porridge can be useless and harmful. We tell you how to choose the right cereals, flakes and grains and how to prepare them correctly - so thatwasnot only tasty, but also healthy.

The key words in this question are “whole” and “raw.” This is exactly what it should be - our food. Nature intended it to be whole and unprocessed, and it is better not to argue with nature. Although our industry does this - it changes, improves, adds, and sometimes even replaces it. Because the manufacturer needs higher profits, and the buyer needs lower prices. But in reality, it is necessary for the child to find it tasty, and for the product to remain healthy. The child's body must digest this product. And when a child’s body encounters an unnatural, processed product, he doesn’t recognize it, doesn’t know what to do with it - this throws many functions out of balance and leads to pain.

If it's whole unpolished grain, but at the same time heat treated(often cereals, muesli), then it is deprived of phytase - an enzyme that helps all minerals from cereals be absorbed in the body. And phytic acid - an acid that prevents the absorption of minerals from cereals - is present in full, does not allow anything useful to be absorbed, and even washes away the body’s mineral reserves.
Polished The grain does not have as much phytic acid, but phytase is not found there either. There's also no fiber to be found there! That is, polished grain is a product with a high glycemic index and is also a fast carbohydrate. This is not a product from which children can obtain sufficient quantities of minerals and vitamins.

Color. During mechanical processing, that is, grinding, the grain loses its shell and germ - its “vitamin” part, and differs in color from unprocessed grain. Rice turns from gray to white. Barley - pearl barley of a lighter shade. Cereals made from polished wheat, rye, oats, spelled are also lighter than the same cereals made from unpolished grain.

Quality mark. Chemical treatment of grain (grain fumigation - destruction of pests with toxic fumes, pesticide treatment of plants, bleaching) is difficult to visually detect. Therefore, it is better to spend a little time once and find a manufacturer you will trust. It is better to give preference to “bio” quality, the sign of which is placed on the packaging.

Roughtan flakes in stores- mostlyoatmeal In order to obtain flakes, the grain is flattened and most often heated or steamed. The only cereals that I have encountered not only in unprocessed, but also in raw form are oatmeal. The buckwheat is hulled using steam and then roasted, hence the dark brown color. Its “natural sister” has a light – even greenish – tint and is sold under the name “green buckwheat”.

Buckwheat. An ideal product for children's diets and a mineral and vitamin treasure: iron, zinc, phosphorus and calcium. In terms of the content of B vitamins, buckwheat is the champion among cereals. Buckwheat is also a champion in rutin content, which promotes the accumulation of vitamin C in the body, normalizes the functioning of the thyroid gland and protects blood vessels. Protects the body from the development of diabetes, rheumatism, heart failure, dermatitis. Allowed from 4 months.

Quinoa. Quinoa is one of the healthiest grains, containing all the necessary substances for the proper functioning of the child's body. Gluten free. Rich in calcium, zinc, phosphorus, iron and selenium. Contains botanicals squirrels, fats with a high content of leucic acid (promotes the growth of muscle mass and the reduction of soreness - muscle pain after physical activity). Fiberat regulating intestinal functions. Lysine is an amino acid that promotes better calcium absorption. – a rare vitamin that is necessary for healthy skin, nails, hair growth and normalization of thyroid function. Allowed from 4 months.

Barley. What we call pearl barley(barley turns into pearl barley after grinding and heat treatment to speed up cooking) or barley groats(crushed unprocessed grain). This cereal is a source of highly digestible vegetable protein, phosphorus, potassium and iron. One of the best foods for normalizing metabolism.

Millet(millet). Rich in vitamins B1, B2 and B5. responsible for converting glucose into energy, protein and fat metabolism. Necessary for the normal functioning of the nervous system, maintaining muscle tone, and the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Responsible for the health of the skin, hair, eyes, mouth and liver. Allowed from 4 months.

Oats. One of the main sources of fiber. Normalizes the functioning of the digestive system, is an antioxidant, and is responsible for stable blood sugar levels. It is rich in manganese, which means it normalizes the functioning of the nervous system, the absorption of vitamins B and E, and potassium - responsible for carbohydrate and protein metabolism and normalizes blood pressure.

Corn. The value of corn is that it absorbs the least possible harmful fertilizers. And vitamins and minerals are preserved even if the corn is cooked for a long time. This culture is a champion in the content of choline - vitamin B4, which is responsible for the health of the child’s body at the cellular level, normalizing blood pressure, and normalizing the functioning of the nervous system. Contains vitamin A, which is responsible for immunity, the formation of bones and teeth in a child, and promotes rapid healing of wounds.

Rice. Hearty, high-calorie cereal. Contains B-complex, vitamin C, magnesium, calcium, potassium, phosphorus. Rice is recommended for the prevention of psoriasis, urolithiasis and diarrhea. Normalizes the functioning of the nervous system. Rice is an excellent product for the autumn-spring blues and loss of strength, for anti-stress support for children during exams or worries.

Linen. Ground flaxseeds are the “golden reserve” of Omega-3 for the body. This includes immunity and normalization of the body’s endocrine, digestive and nervous systems. It has a mild laxative effect, so it is recommended for children prone to constipation. When cooked in hot water, it forms mucus, which coats the walls of the stomach, reducing inflammation.

Soak the grains overnight. In addition to all the minerals, the grain (and mostly in the shell) contains phytic acid, and it is like a good lock on a safe - it does not release minerals, binds them and does not allow them to be absorbed in the body. Wherever there is phytic acid, there is also an enzyme called phytase, which neutralizes the acid. And in order to activate phytase, you need to soak the grain.

Don't cook in advance. Porridge, risotto - and any cereal side dish - must be fresh, “alive”. The aroma of cooking porridge will teach children to love it.

Tomite. If time allows, then there is nothing better than stewed porridge. This takes a long time, but it doesn’t require a lot of work from you - you just need to put the porridge in the oven at a temperature of 70 to 90 degrees for 2-4 hours. I simmer barley, wheat, spelled, oats in a clay pot - and I like to do it in water. Sometimes bringing to a boil at the beginning, then greatly reducing the temperature. Sometimes, on the contrary, the porridge comes to a boil slowly, then the temperature drops slightly. The porridge may contain grated carrots, pumpkin, beets, kale, dried fruits, or nothing but cereal. Spices include cardamom, cinnamon, ginger (if children are accustomed to its spiciness). Barley and oats always boil more than spelled and wheat. The grains seem to open. When the porridge is ready, I like to pour it with butter or coconut oil, and sometimes, especially when the aroma of ginger is felt in it, flavor it with soy sauce.

Brew. For express options, cook the grain soaked overnight in a saucepan. And we even manage to do it in the morning before school/work. For speed, it is better to take crushed grain. After boiling, it will cook over low heat for 15 to 30 minutes.

Oatsand buckwheat boil faster than spelled, barley, and wheat groats.

Wholegrainrice It turns out best when steamed - it remains crumbly. Cooking will take 40-45 minutes.

Quinoa on the same steam will be ready in 15-25 minutes. White cereals cook for 10 minutes, red cereals for 20 minutes, black cereals for 25 minutes.

Amaranth You need to stir periodically, otherwise it will stick to the bottom of the pan.

Green buckwheat turns into mush faster than dark brown. If you need crumbly green buckwheat, then after soaking, rinse it, drain the water and place in a frying pan with the spices over medium heat for a couple of minutes. The buckwheat will absorb the aroma of the spices you choose. Then you can pour boiling water over it and cook for 10-15 minutes.

Only four to six months after birth will the baby be ready to try solid foods for the first time. This will be an exciting time in life for parents as they watch their baby grow and learn to enjoy the taste of solid foods. Most parents choose hot cereal as the first solid food they offer their baby. Although cereal porridges have a very liquid consistency, they are an excellent option for starters. In your search for healthy and nutritious porridge for your baby, you have probably noticed a huge range and variety of brands. This is confusing and makes it difficult to choose the best option. Fortunately, the body of most children can easily digest cereal porridges intended for children, so careful study of the packaging and instructions will be the key to choosing the right product.

Steps

Find nutritious cereals for your baby

Look for cereals with added vitamins. Many medical professionals, including pediatricians, suggest starting complementary feeding with fortified cereals. These foods contain certain nutrients that are more beneficial for your baby's body.

Pay attention to organic products. You can find organic cereals for children on store shelves. Decide whether you will feed your child organic cereals or stick to conventional ones.

• Organic cereals are produced in the same way as other organic products. No pesticides or synthetic fertilizers are used to grow crops. You can limit the amount of pesticides your child consumes by switching to organic cereal cereals.
• There are several types of labels that can be found in the store. The "100% organic" label is used for products that contain 100% organic ingredients (excluding salt and water, which are considered natural). The "Organic" label is used to identify products that contain at least 95% organic ingredients (excluding salt and water). No more than 5% of them can be of inorganic origin. “Made from organic ingredients” means that the product contains at least 70% organic ingredients.
• When it comes to baby food, there is no difference between organic and conventional. The nutrients are identical.
• Health experts recommend choosing organic baby food. In any case, you should focus on finding grains that contain enough nutrients and that your child enjoys.

1. Try making porridge for your child at home. If you couldn’t choose a suitable option for your child in the store, try cooking the porridge yourself. This is not at all difficult, but requires preliminary preparation.

   Choose a cereal that is suitable for your child

   1. Consult your pediatrician for advice. The approaching moment of the need to transfer your baby to solid food is a little scary. Consult your pediatrician to choose the right grains and start complementary feeding on time.

      • Most pediatricians recommend starting solids between four and six months (if the baby is developing normally).
      • Ask your pediatrician which type of cereal is best for your child. Although rice is most often used, your doctor may suggest an alternative.
      • Also check with your pediatrician how often you can feed your child porridge. If the child is not fussy or excessively sleepy, it is recommended to do this twice a day.

   2. Give your child a taste of rice porridge. Rice porridge is the easiest to buy, as it is the most common. You can find white and brown rice on sale.

      Try multigrain cereal. This is another common type of baby cereal. They can be used to introduce several types of grains into a child's diet and provide additional sources of nutrients.

      Prepare whole wheat cereal. 100% whole grain wheat is considered another affordable option for parents. It is the only cracked grain that contains all the nutritional components of wheat.

      • The risk of a wheat allergy does not increase if it is given to a child from early childhood.
      • Whole grain wheat, multigrain porridge and rolled oats do not contain arsenic, which has been found in rice crops (such as brown rice).
      • Look for wheat cereals that are made from 100% whole wheat grains and are fortified with iron.

   3. Prepare oatmeal for your child. If you don't want to feed your baby rice porridge or wheat cereal, try making oatmeal. It contains practically no arsenic and is rich in nutrients.

   Prepare healthy porridge for your child

   Read the instructions on the package. It doesn't matter what type of cereal you buy for your baby, as long as you follow the instructions on the package exactly. This way you are guaranteed to provide your child with the right amount of nutrients.

   Choose a suitable liquid, which you will then mix with the cereals. Mix dry cereal with liquid to make porridge for your baby. At this point, you can add more nutritional components to the porridge.