When can milk porridge be introduced into a child’s diet: features of complementary foods for babies up to a year and later. Porridge for children: how to start complementary foods

If your baby is already receiving fruit and vegetable juices and purees in addition to breast milk, it's time to think about the introduction of milk complementary foods. What cereals are better for children under one year old, and how to cook cottage cheese for feeding a baby? How to introduce dairy products into complementary foods for babies, and what recipes for making cereals and curds for children under one year old do pediatricians recommend?

The most useful cereals for children under one year old: which ones are better?

3-4 weeks after the introduction of vegetable puree, the baby can be given the first milk - porridge. This cereal is best used with cereals that do not contain gluten, which can cause indigestion in some children suffering from intolerance to this substance. Gluten-free cereals include rice, buckwheat and corn.

The most useful porridge for children under one year old is porridge made from buckwheat, richer in iron. At the same time, children of the first year of life are often prepared semolina porridge. Semolina is gluten-containing, as are oatmeal and wheat. Knowing how and when to introduce milk porridge into complementary foods, along with cereals, you can also use special dietary flour, which comes from both individual cereals and their mixture. It is only important to pay attention to what cereals were used to make this flour.

Porridge for baby food can be both dairy and dairy-free, as well as combined - with the addition of fruits or vegetables.

Pediatricians strongly recommend the use of ready-made dry cereals of industrial production in the nutrition of children of the first year of life. These products have a stable composition, are of high quality, as they are made from environmentally friendly raw materials, enriched with all the necessary vitamins, important minerals, including iron, which is extremely necessary for children in the second half of life, when they often have its deficiency, which can lead to the development of anemia.

When preparing cereals at home, you can use the recipes below. At the same time, cereals can be prepared with various additives - fruit juices, purees, fresh fruits and vegetables.

Recipes on how to cook milk porridge for children up to a year

Check out recipes on how to cook porridge for children under one year old.

Baby flour porridge

Ingredients: Baby flour - 100g, milk - 1/2 cup, water - 25ml, sugar - 3g, butter - 3g.

Exit: 100gr.

Cooking:

Bring the milk to a boil and, with continuous stirring, pour the baby flour (buckwheat, rice) diluted in cold boiled water into it, cook for 5 minutes, stirring continuously, add sugar and bring to a boil. Put butter into the prepared porridge.

Pureed 10% cereal porridge

Ingredients: Groats - 100g, water - 50 ml, milk - 1/2 cup, sugar - 3 g, butter - 3 g.

Exit: 100gr.

Cooking:

Pour the previously sorted, washed in cold water cereals (buckwheat, rice) into boiling water with stirring and cook over low heat for an hour. Wipe the well-boiled porridge, add hot milk, a little salt, sugar and, stirring, boil for another 2-3 minutes. Add butter to milk porridge prepared according to this recipe for children up to a year old.

How to cook porridge for feeding a child up to a year

Oatmeal porridge 10 percent

Ingredients: Oat flour - 70 g, milk - 1/2 cup, water - 20 ml, sugar - 3 g, butter - 3 g.

Exit: 100gr.

Cooking:

Bring the milk to a boil, with constant stirring, pour in the oatmeal diluted in cold boiled water, cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly, then add a little salt, sugar and bring to a boil. Put butter into the prepared porridge.

Semolina porridge 10 percent

Ingredients: Semolina - 10 g, milk - 1/2 cup, water - 25 ml, sugar - 3 g, butter - 3 g.

Exit: 100gr.

Cooking:

Boil water with half a portion of milk, add sifted semolina in a thin stream and cook over low heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring constantly, then salt a little, add sugar, the remaining warmed milk and bring to a boil. Put butter into the prepared porridge.

Recipes for making cereals for children up to a year

And another selection of recipes on how to cook porridge for children under one year old.

Porridge "pink"

Ingredients: Cereals - 10 g, milk - 70 liters, water - 25 ml, sugar - 3 g, butter - 3 g, carrot juice - 30 mg.

Exit: 100gr.

Cooking:

Pour fresh carrot juice into ready, slightly cooled 10% porridge (semolina, rice, oatmeal, buckwheat) and mix very thoroughly.

Buckwheat porridge with fruit puree

Ingredients: Buckwheat flour - 10 g, milk - 70 ml, water - 20 ml, fresh fruit - 50 g (or fruit puree - 30 g), sugar - 3 g, butter - 3 g.

Exit: 100gr.

Cooking:

Pour buckwheat flour diluted in cold boiled water into boiling milk with continuous stirring and cook with stirring for 5 minutes, then add fruits cooked and rubbed through a sieve (apples, pears, cherries, plums, etc.), a little salt, sugar and bring to a boil.

Put butter into the prepared porridge. Instead of fresh fruit, you can use canned fruit puree for baby food.

How to cook porridge for feeding children up to a year

Oatmeal with pumpkin

Ingredients: Pumpkin - 50 g, Hercules oatmeal (rice, buckwheat) - 10 g, milk - 70 ml, water - 50 ml, sugar - 3 g, butter - 3 g.

Exit: 100gr.

Cooking:

Rinse the pumpkin, remove the skin and seeds, cut into cubes, pour boiling water over it, add sugar and simmer in a sealed container for 30 minutes, then add the previously sorted Hercules oatmeal, pour in hot milk, salt a little and simmer under the lid over low heat 30 -40 minutes. Pour hot porridge through a sieve and bring to a boil. Add butter to the finished porridge.

In the same way, you can cook porridge from buckwheat and rice cereals.

Zucchini soufflé with semolina

Ingredients: Zucchini - 110g, milk -15ml, semolina - 3g, yolk - ¼ pc., sugar - 2g, butter - 2g.

Exit: 100gr.

Cooking:

Peel the zucchini, cut into small pieces, stew in milk until tender, beat with a whisk, add semolina and cook for another 5-7 minutes, then cool, add the yolk of a hard-boiled egg, butter, sugar, a little salt, mix everything, put in a greased form and cook in a water bath for at least 10-15 minutes.

How to introduce cottage cheese into complementary foods for a baby

What other dairy products should be introduced into complementary foods for infants in the first year of life?

From 5-6 months, cottage cheese is introduced into the child's diet, also starting with small doses. On the first day, you can give no more than 3 g of cottage cheese (1/2 teaspoon). Gradually increase the dose and after 3-4 days bring it up to 20 g per day (3-4 teaspoons) in one or two doses, then up to 40 g and by the year - up to 50 g per day. Cottage cheese is given in a well-mashed form, diluted with a small amount of expressed breast milk or formula. Cottage cheese is desirable to give at the beginning of feeding.

Before introducing cottage cheese into complementary foods for a baby, consult a pediatrician.

It is necessary to use only special cottage cheese for baby food, prepared in a dairy kitchen or baby food shop of a dairy plant. In exceptional cases, cottage cheese can be prepared at home from fresh, boiled milk, with strict adherence to hygiene rules. So, how to introduce cottage cheese into complementary foods for babies?

The following are ways to prepare cottage cheese for the first complementary foods at home. This dairy product can be of two types - fresh (calcined) and sour (from kefir).

How to cook cottage cheese for the first feeding at home

Unleavened cottage cheese

Ingredients: Milk - 300 ml, lactic calcium - 1/4 g (2.5 tablets of 0.5 g each) or 20% calcium chloride solution - 3 ml (1/2 teaspoon).

Exit: 50gr.

Cooking:

To cold freshly boiled milk, add calcium lactate or calcium chloride solution purchased at the pharmacy, then heat the milk to a boil in an enamel bowl, immediately remove from heat, cool to room temperature. Pour the resulting mass onto sterile gauze, squeeze lightly. Store in a glass container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

sour curd

Ingredients: Kefir - 300 ml.

Exit: 50gr.

Cooking:

Pour kefir (preferably obtained in a dairy kitchen or prepared in a baby food workshop) into an enamel bowl and heat over very low heat until it thickens. The resulting mass is discarded on a sterile gauze. Store in a glass container in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.

The article has been read 1,530 times.

Feeding your pet is a topic that is regularly raised both on thematic forums and at consultations with a veterinarian. To briefly summarize all that has been said, then dog food can be ready-made or natural. Each of these types of feeding has its advantages and disadvantages. However, most owners are inclined to believe that natural meat and cereals are much healthier than canned food. Moreover, this rule works even if the finished feed is of good quality.

Choosing a natural diet

In this case, you need to immediately determine for yourself what time you will go shopping and cook food for your pet. The basis can be meat broth, and various cereals for dogs. Additionally, you can boil vegetables. All blanks after cooking are stored separately and mixed immediately before eating.

Meat component

Be sure to buy quality meat on the market. It can be good trimmings, liver, lung, spleen and cartilage. Offal should be less, but they are also very important. You can boil them in advance and freeze in portions, then cooking will not take much time. For daily feeding, you will need 40% (of the total daily diet) of meat, and 30% of cereals and vegetables.

From vegetables it is best to take carrots and beets, you can add potatoes and zucchini, onions. Vegetables are best stewed in meat broth until completely softened. Porridge for dogs also plays an important role in nutrition, so we will now talk a little more about the grain component.

How to cook

The body of your four-legged friend is a fragile system that is very dependent on quality nutrition. In nature, predators do not eat porridge, but they constantly obtain complex carbohydrates from the stomachs of their herbivorous prey. At home, they need to supplement their meat diet with cereals.

Porridge for dogs must be prepared every day so that they are certainly fresh. If the meat and broth were cooked and frozen in advance, then you can only reheat it and add the cereal. There are certain rules to follow. Porridge for dogs must be cooked in a clean saucepan, without adding salt and spices. After cooking, the food must be cooled, transferred to an airtight container and put in the refrigerator.

What grains should be avoided

It is important to remember that every pet is unique, and it is very difficult to say what will suit everyone without exception. Each breed has its own characteristics, but it is best to ask your veterinarian about this. A number of chronic diseases also change beyond recognition. However, while we are talking about healthy animals.

Speaking about whether it is possible to give porridge to a dog, one should immediately mention barley. This coarse cereal is practically not digestible, even if cooked very well. Therefore, pearl barley is the worst option for feeding carnivorous predators.

Buckwheat - the main source of protein

Speaking about what kind of porridge to cook for a dog, first of all, we need to mention this queen of the cereal kingdom. It contains the optimal amount of protein, a set of essential amino acids, is easily digestible and does not put too much stress on the digestive organs.

Before cooking, it is recommended to soak buckwheat in cool water. After about 20 minutes, the water can be drained along with the husk. Now the cereal is ready for cooking. Pour it into a saucepan and fill it with water in a ratio of 1: 2. Cook until the liquid evaporates, then cover and leave to brew. By the way, butter, beloved by all of us, will not be superfluous at all if the cereal is boiled in water. If you are using meat broth, then do not abuse additional fats.

The second basis of nutrition is rice

Speaking about what kind of cereal to give a dog, one should not forget about this valuable product. It is the basis of dietary nutrition and is included in all premium-class ready-made feeds. Therefore, do not forget about it if your dog eats natural products.

It is no secret that the nutritional properties depend on the variety of rice and the way the cereal is processed. It is best to choose unpolished cereals, brown or brown rice. It retains useful fiber, while polished cereals are a source of starch. So which dogs need to be fed buckwheat and rice. They can be combined with each other. You can boil cereals separately, and then mix with meat and broth already in a cup.

If you take unpolished rice, then it must be washed well. It is cooked for about 35 minutes, after which you need to let the porridge brew, otherwise mucus will appear in it. If your dog is picky and does not eat porridge well, then it is better to boil rice in salted water. Proper dog porridge can also be prepared from polished cereals. In this case, a spoonful of olive oil is added to it during cooking. So it turns out more tasty and does not stick together.

or hercules

Is it possible to feed a dog with cereals that are considered healthy for humans? In fact, oatmeal is not suitable as the basis of nutrition. It serves as a scrub for the intestines, as well as a source of beneficial trace elements. Therefore, it is rather a mineral top dressing. Cooking these flakes is not recommended, it is much better to steam them with hot broth and wrap them carefully. So the dish retains all the useful and cleansing properties. Cooking such porridge for a dog should be no more than once a week.

Yachka or wheat

These are the cheapest cereals and are often chosen for pet food based on their price. Barley porridge sticks together strongly after cooking, so it is recommended to cook it only once. Wheat porridge also sins with this, although its composition is more interesting. It is advisable to flavor it after cooking with oil so that it does not stick together too much. In terms of protein and amino acid content, as well as in terms of nutritional value, these cereals are much inferior to those described above, therefore they are recommended to be used as an additional, rather than the main food.

Orientation to the individual characteristics of the pet

When choosing a pet for yourself, be sure to consult a breeder or veterinarian about its proper feeding. A healthy, adult dog without a burdened heredity can eat almost any cereal without compromising health. An example is the German Shepherd, which can adapt to almost any diet.

The correct dog porridge should be chosen much more carefully if we are talking about small puppies or a breed with problematic digestion. These are the majority of decorative breeds that have a long path of genetic mutations behind them. Animals with congenital pathologies, metabolic disorders or severe illnesses are no exception. In any of these cases, the choice is limited to buckwheat and rice. If an allergic reaction is observed (reddening of the ears, skin itching), then the cereal component is limited to brown or brown rice.

Cooking porridge

Having decided on the choice of cereals, you need to start cooking porridge. To diversify the diet, you can take several types of cereals and cook together. For example, a third of buckwheat, a third of rice, and a third of millet in half with a cell or oatmeal. Such a mixture is usually normally perceived by all pets. Now fill it with boiling broth or water and cook until tender. In order for cereals to be normally absorbed by the dog's body, they need to be cooked twice as long as when we cook porridge for ourselves. Accordingly, you need to calculate the amount of liquid so that it is enough. The mixture presented above is laid in a ratio of 1: 5 in a boiling liquid.

At the end of cooking, you can add a few tablespoons of vegetable oil or a piece of butter. It is very easy to check the readiness: scoop up the porridge with a spoon, if it falls into a lump, then you can turn it off, and if it drains, then cook for some more time.

Additives for porridge

In small quantities, you can add flaxseed to the porridge. It contains a large number of trace elements that are beneficial for the dog's body. For a large animal, it is undesirable to use more than 1/3 teaspoon per day. In addition, you can use bran. No more than a pinch of dietary bran is added to the porridge. But bread and pasta should not be used, as they are too high in calories. An exception may be croutons from dark bread in limited quantities. The food is completely banned.

Milk porridge is an integral part of the infant's diet, providing him with a variety of valuable nutrients found in milk and cereals. The high calorie content of milk porridge creates a long feeling of satiety, reducing the intervals between meals. The first acquaintance of a child with cereals begins with porridge cooked in water, and only when it is well tolerated does it come to milk porridge from similar cereals.

At what age can milk porridge be given

In order to figure out when you can give milk porridge, you need to turn to what is meant by this seemingly simple name. In the traditional sense, milk porridge refers most often to porridge cooked in cow's milk. When it comes to porridge for a baby, it can be porridge cooked in breast milk, artificial mixture and dry or liquid milk porridge for baby food that does not require cooking. All these cereals can be perceived in completely different ways by the child's body, so the answer to the question about the timing of their introduction is ambiguous and depends on the composition.

The beginning of complementary feeding with milk porridge

Homemade porridge from any gluten-free cereal or dairy-free hypoallergenic industrial-made porridge with breast milk or artificial formula that the child receives is the safest, as the possibility of food allergies is minimized. Such milk porridge can be started as soon as the child gets used to porridge on the water from one type of gluten-free cereal recommended for the first feeding (buckwheat, rice, corn). For example, if a week has passed since the start of feeding with buckwheat porridge, the child took it well, then you can try to give him buckwheat porridge with breast milk or a mixture. The optimal age is considered to be seven months old. Homemade cereals at the beginning of complementary foods must be prepared using a mixture of milk and water, and by about eight months of age, dilution of milk with water can be abandoned.

Along with the desire of the mother, there are also well-founded reasons for the earlier introduction of milk porridges:

• lack of mother's milk;
• poor weight gain;
• lack of B vitamins;
• the impossibility of feeding the child with mother's milk or artificial mixture.

The composition and timing of the introduction of milk porridge for baby food

The need to buy milk porridge for baby food is quite controversial. After all, you can always buy or cook dairy-free porridge with the addition of breast milk or an artificial mixture that the baby is used to. On the other hand, the choice, as a rule, is small and there is always a temptation to buy milk porridge with a variety of cereal and fruit composition, in order not only to please the baby with a new taste, but also to facilitate the efforts to prepare it. By and large, if a child receives breast milk or an artificial mixture, eats dairy-free cereals well, there is no need for purchased milk cereals.

The preparation of these cereals is carried out only on water, since milk (cow or goat and products based on them) has already been added by the manufacturer. The timing of the introduction of such cereals largely depends not only on the type of cereal, but also on the type of dairy product in its composition. These may be:

• whole or standardized milk;
• skimmed milk;
• demineralized whey;
• partially adapted milk formula.

In addition to milk, cream is sometimes added to the porridge, which further increases its caloric content.

Vegetable fats are added to cereals on an adapted mixture, including palm oil as a source of palmitic acid. If whole or standardized milk is used, vegetable fats are not added.

Milk porridge can be further sweetened by adding sugars. The addition of honey, sugar, glucose and fructose to milk porridge is limited and, according to the recommendations of the European Committee for Nutrition, should not exceed 5 g / 100 cal for sugar, honey and glucose, and 2.5 g / 100 kcal for fructose.

Otherwise, milk porridge differs little from dairy-free cereals. Almost all of them are enriched with additional supplements of vitamins and minerals needed by the child. Many cereals contain the addition of probiotics (beneficial microorganisms) and prebiotics (dietary fiber), which normalize the intestinal microflora.

According to the degree of readiness for consumption, milk porridges can be dry, requiring dilution with water or ready-made liquid. In addition to the usual milk porridges in the traditional sense, there are their variations.

A special kind of very liquid porridge is valling - the traditional name of the Swedish product of the Semper brand, made from a mixture of grain and milk intended for bottle feeding. Similar products from other manufacturers are also called cereals. Most often, wellings are recommended for evening and morning feedings. They are made on the basis of dairy products (skimmed milk powder, whey, cream) with the addition of vegetable oils, starch, minerals and vitamins.

Another variety of ready-made milk porridges are products consisting of a mixture of fruit puree, cereals (cookies), milk and additives of honey, chocolate and other additives, which are also called desserts ("Hipp").

Porridges with whole or normalized milk

It is clear that by whole cow's milk is meant milk powder, not subjected to any changes. It is different from normalized milk. In the latter, the fat content is brought to a predetermined level. Whole and normalized milk contains quite a lot of minerals, which unnecessarily burdens the child's excretory system, and its protein set is significantly different from breast milk. Among these proteins, there are also allergen proteins, and therefore cereals on whole or normalized milk are not suitable for the first feeding with milk cereals. Such porridges should be approached very carefully, it is better to postpone their intake until the child is 8-9 months old, and if necessary, give preference to porridge for baby food on an adapted mixture. As for goat's milk, in some respects it is closer to breast milk than cow's, but it still needs additional adaptation to the needs of the child.

Attention! Despite the fact that whole cow or goat milk is allowed to be used as part of cereals for children under one year old, it is not recommended to give a child any milk other than breast milk in its pure form.

The timing of the introduction of homemade cereals is similar to the timing of the introduction of cereals for baby food with whole milk.

List of cereals with whole or normalized milk

"Baby"

• They are of great variety.
• Prepared on the basis of whole milk with the addition of sugar, vitamins, minerals.
• Milk porridge "5 cereals with apricot and raspberries, enriched with prebiotics" has added dietary fiber (prebiotics), which stimulate the beneficial microflora of Beneo Prebiotic (oligofructose, inulin).
• Cereals of the "Premium Snack" series contain the addition of biscuits, fruits and berries. Another series includes Premium milk porridges, consisting of the three most nutritious cereals (rice, oats, corn), sugar supplements, prebiotics, minerals, vitamins and lemon balm or chamomile extracts.
• For children from 12 months old, milk porridges are developed on whole milk or cream with airy cereal flakes, which develop chewing skills.

"Heinz"

"Fleur Alpin"

• They are whole grains (the whole grain is used, including the shell), without added vitamins (with the exception of vitamin B1 in rice, oatmeal, wheat porridge) and minerals.
• Cereal cereal is an organic product grown without the use of artificial fertilizers and synthetic substances.
• Made with whole goat or cow milk with maltodextrin.
• The line "Alpine goat" is represented by rice, buckwheat, oatmeal and spelled porridge without fruit additives. Goat milk cereals are less allergenic than cow milk cereals due to the absence of a special casein fraction that can cause allergic reactions.
• The line "Bavarian cow" is represented by rice, buckwheat with apple, oatmeal with pear and multi-grain porridge.

"Frutonyanya"

• Prepared with whole milk or mixed with skim milk, with added sugar, 12 vitamins, 3 minerals.
• Most cereals contain cream, some cereals with fruit fillings.
• Milk rice porridge, buckwheat contains the prebiotic inulin.
• In addition to dry cereals, there are liquid ready-to-eat cereals based on whole milk powder with the addition of maltodextrin, fructose, starch, inulin prebiotic with and without fruits.
• Another option for ready-to-eat milk porridge is Millet Milk Porridge with Fruit, made from boiled wheat flour, several types of fruit puree, milk and fructose.
• Ready-made cereals do not have additional additives of minerals and vitamins.

"Bellakt"

• Prepared on normalized cow's milk with the addition of sugar, minerals, vitamins.
• Some types of cereals with fruit fillings.
• Dairy cereals of this manufacturer do not contain the addition of the prebiotic inulin, unlike dairy-free ones.

"Clever Girl"

• Made on whole milk powder with added sugar, salt, minerals, vitamins and vanillin, some cereals with fruit fillings.
• In addition to dry cereals, there are liquid ready-to-eat cereals made from wheat, rice, oatmeal and a mixture of 5 cereals in a mixture of whole, skimmed milk and cream with the addition of fructose, starch, inulin prebiotic.

"Agusha"

• Milk dry cereals are made on the basis of whole milk powder with the addition of fructose, salt, vitamins and minerals.
• "Rice-corn porridge with banana and milk" in addition to the fruit filler contains prebiotics (fibregam, FOS).
• Ready-to-eat porridges are represented by the "Zasypayka" series. which includes "Milk-buckwheat porridge" and "Milk-rice with apple and pear". Made on the basis of normalized milk with added sugar, prebiotic fibers (fibregam, FOS). In the last porridge there is an additive of natural flavoring. Dairy-free cereals are not available from this manufacturer.

"Winnie"

• Made on the basis of whole milk powder with the addition of sugar, minerals, vitamins.
• There are cereals with fruit fillers and prebiotics, which is indicated on the package.

Porridge with skimmed milk

If the manufacturer adds skimmed cow's milk to the milk porridge (with almost no milk fat), then the composition additionally includes vegetable fats that contain polyunsaturated fatty acids that are useful for the proper growth and development of the child. That is, porridge becomes adapted for the fat component. However, it retains almost the full range of protein substances of milk and is not very suitable for the first feeding with milk porridge.

List of cereals with skim milk

Nestle

• Cereals based on gluten-free cereals may contain traces of gluten.
• Probiotics BL are introduced into the composition of cereals, which improve the microflora and enhance immunity.
• They contain an additive of 10 vitamins and 5-7 minerals, sugar (with the exception of "Corn porridge", in which there is no sugar and "Multi-cereal porridge with honey and apricot pieces", where honey is added instead of sugar).
• Large selection of milk porridges with fruits.
• Yoghurt milk porridges of the Pomogayka series will help improve digestion and strengthen the defenses of the child's body due to the simultaneous presence of bifidobacteria BL (probiotics), live yoghurt cultures, vitamins and minerals.
• Milk porridges of the Shagayka series are suitable for children aged 10-12 months and contain pieces of fruit so that the child learns to chew.

"Humana"

• Made with skim milk.
• Contains 13 vitamins and minerals.
• All milk porridges with fruits, finely chopped crackers and biscuit flour are added to some, sucrose is added to some porridges.

Porridges on an adapted mixture or whey

By removing casein from milk, the likelihood of allergic reactions is reduced, but for a child with a tendency to food allergy to protein, this porridge cannot be called completely safe. Such children are recommended cereals with breast milk or dairy-free cereals.

List of cereals based on adapted milk formula

"Hipp"

"Baby"

• Prepared on the basis of a partially adapted milk formula with the addition of vitamins, minerals, sugar, maltodextrin.
• Some types of cereals with fruit filling.

Porridges based on several dairy products

"Semper"

What is the best milk porridge

1. Despite the fact that many manufacturers recommend the introduction of gluten-free milk cereals starting at 4 months, do not rush to buy them and give them to the child in accordance with the recommended age. Remember that the first complementary foods start with a hypoallergenic dairy-free porridge made with formula that the baby receives or breast milk.
2. The most preferred option among cereals for baby food in a package is cereal with the addition of partially adapted milk formula or demineralized whey, since in this case adaptation takes place both in terms of the fat and protein components of milk.
3. Milk porridge with fruit fillers is not recommended to be given to a child until complementary foods from this type of fruit in its pure form (mashed potatoes or juice) have been introduced. Recommendations for the introduction of fruit, depending on the age of the child, can be found in the table below.
4. For an artificial baby, choose milk porridge from the same manufacturer as the formula that the baby receives.
5. Milk porridge must be freshly prepared, which will prevent the reproduction of harmful microflora in it.

The timing of the introduction of fruits depending on the age of the child

In contact with

The transition to solid food is one of the most important steps in the first year of a child's life. Proper and timely introduction of complementary foods is the key to healthy growth and full development. The first serious dishes in the children's diet are usually milk and dairy-free cereals. Dishes with a convenient texture, hearty, have different tastes depending on the selected product. With all the wealth of choice, parents often do not know what kind of porridge to start complementary foods with.

Deadlines are always set individually. If the baby has enough milk, weight gain, development is within the normal range, then the introduction of porridge into the diet can be postponed until 7-8 months. In other cases, complementary foods can be started earlier, but only after 4 months (critical mark). Until this age, the digestive system does not produce the necessary enzymes.

Indications for the introduction of cereals up to 6 months:

1. Artificial feeding. The digestive system of a child who eats a mixture is better prepared to receive porridge than that of infants.
2. Lack of mother's milk. The introduction of a liquid mixture can lead to breast failure. If the child is 5-6 months old, then it is wiser to introduce mashed potatoes and dairy-free cereals as supplementary food.
3. Lack of formula, baby or breast milk. Situations are different. Porridges are cheaper, more satisfying than most infant formulas.

The preparation of the child is of great importance. If the baby begins to show attention to adult food, reaches for a spoon, then it is important to support him and diversify his diet.

Video: Pediatrician about the age at which it is better to start the first complementary foods

Difficult choice: ready-made or homemade cereals

There is still a lot of controversy around homemade and purchased instant cereals. Pediatricians unanimously support industrialized food. No matter how great the desire of young mothers to cook their own food, it is recommended to listen to the opinion of experts.

Advantages of feeding with instant cereals:

1. Baby food undergoes strict quality control. Raw materials for making cereals are tested in laboratories and undergo special processing.
2. Dishes are enriched with vitamins, mineral salts, do not require additional additives to improve the taste.
3. Porridges have a homogeneous texture, tender and uniform. Such dishes are ideal for children's digestive system, the risk of indigestion or stool disorder is minimal.
4. Fast cooking. Any complementary foods are introduced in small portions. Cooking 1 tsp porridge (which the child can also spit out) is inconvenient. Any amount of powder can be diluted with water.

Important! Finished milk porridge always diluted with water. The liquid is boiled, cooled to the temperature indicated on the package. It is unacceptable to add formula or breast milk to such a dish. Combining different foods can lead to trouble: colic, indigestion, and broken stools.

How to choose a purchased porridge for complementary foods

Only one-component dairy-free cereals are suitable for the first feeding. Additives in the form of fruits, prunes, vegetables in the product should not be.

The main criteria for a suitable porridge:

• lack of gluten;
• compliance with the age indicated on the package;
• without GMO;
• does not contain sugar, fructose and other additives.

Before buying, you need to evaluate the integrity of the package, check the expiration dates, storage rules. No need to buy porridge of one type for the future. Perhaps the child will not like it. Also, do not give up the type of cereal if you do not like it right away. Food from different manufacturers differs in texture, aroma and taste.

Why is gluten dangerous?

Often on packages of baby food you can see the mark "gluten-free". When choosing porridge, it is very important to know what it is. Gluten is a plant protein found in grains. The substance is useful, but not for everyone. In some cases, it can bring irreparable harm to the child's body. With individual intolerance, vegetable protein causes a serious disorder of the digestive system and an incurable disease, celiac disease.

Which grains contain gluten:

• rye;
• wheat;
• oats;
• barley.

The main difficulty is that an allergic reaction to gluten can manifest itself only after 2-3 weeks in the form of abdominal pain, flatulence, and heaviness in the stomach. The child is naughty, crying. The first signs of celiac disease will be noticeable even later, in most cases the diagnosis is established only after the examination. Therefore, the choice of food should be taken seriously.

Attention! Gluten can be found not only in cereals. Vegetable protein is also present in baby biscuits. The introduction of flour products requires a different approach, it should not coincide with cereals.

Cooking homemade porridge for complementary foods

If the choice of parents fell on homemade porridge for the first feeding, you need to cook according to all the rules. You can buy special flour for baby food at the store or make your own. The first porridges are always cooked on the water.

Proper food preparation:

1. Rinse the grits. If rice is used, then at least 5 times. Rinse the cereal until the water is completely transparent.
2. Dry cereal for porridge in a natural way on a napkin or in the oven.
3. Grind until flour.
4. Pour 100 ml of water into a saucepan, put on the stove.
5. Mix 1 tsp. cooked flour with 2-3 tablespoons of water.
6. Put the prepared mixture into boiling water, stir.
7. Boil until done. Insist 15-20 minutes, cool.

Store flour for making porridge in a dry glass jar with an airtight lid.

Rules for the introduction of complementary foods

The reaction of the child's body to a new product is unpredictable. Regardless of the type of dish, you need to start complementary foods correctly. Allergies, indigestion, stomach pain - these are just a few of the troubles that can happen.

Basic Rules:

1. A new product is introduced into the diet only for a healthy child. It is unacceptable to combine the introduction of solid food with travel, vaccinations, teething.
2. Start complementary foods with one-component dairy-free cereals. It is allowed to dilute a dairy-free product with breast milk or a mixture familiar to the child.
3. The first serving should not exceed 1 tsp. Gradually, within 7-10 days, bring the volume to 120-150 g per day.

If within 4 weeks after the introduction of the first complementary foods, the child does not develop allergies, any rash, he is calm and healthy, you can try a new type of cereal.

Video: School of Dr. Komarovsky: what is complementary foods and how to introduce it correctly

What cereal to start with

Even if there is no hereditary predisposition to allergies and the child is completely healthy, you need to start complementary foods with gluten-free cereal. The most suitable and safe are 3 types of cereals.

Buckwheat

Buckwheat is an ideal cereal for the first feeding. It contains proteins, fiber, amino acids, mineral salts and vitamins. Main useful properties:

• low level of allergenicity;
• increases hemoglobin;
• makes the intestines work;
• relieves constipation.

In some cases, buckwheat can cause increased gas formation. The croup has a slight tonic effect. Therefore, the product is introduced into the diet of children with neurological disorders carefully.

Rice porrige

It is recommended to introduce this cereal after buckwheat. Otherwise, there is a high probability that after rice the child will not want to take another porridge. If buckwheat for some reason did not fit, then you can start with this cereal.

Beneficial features:

• the only cereal that contains 8 amino acids;
• helps to cope with diarrhea;
• low level of allergenicity;
• contains lecithin, useful for the brain.

Rice porridge is contraindicated in children prone to constipation.

Corn porridge

Corn porridge has a pleasant taste, aroma, beautiful color. Children eat it with pleasure, but it is recommended to introduce the dish into complementary foods after buckwheat and rice. Dishes are prepared from flour, which is well absorbed, soothes the tummy, relieves increased gas formation.

Beneficial features:

• rich vitamin and mineral composition;
• positively affects the blood, the immune system;
• relieves constipation.

The optimal age for the introduction of this product is 7-8 months. Gradually, closer to the age of 10 months, 1 year, the corn dish can be diluted with vegetables, fruits, meat and fish, used as a children's side dish.

When the age of the baby approaches the cherished mark of “6 months”, many mothers begin to worry: is it time to introduce complementary foods? Is the child ready for it? How to introduce complementary foods correctly so that the path to the “adult table” is not only without tears and countless persuasions, but also without allergies and tummy problems? Actually, you shouldn't worry. To understand whether the baby is ready for the introduction of complementary foods, you will be helped, firstly, by the consultation of a pediatrician who observed the baby, and secondly, by himself.

It is imperative that you consult with your doctor. Breastfeeding babies are recommended to introduce complementary foods from 6 months, and artificial ones - a little earlier, after 5 months. This is due to the fact that it is at this age that the formation of the digestive system in infants ends, and it begins to secrete the enzymes necessary for the processing of "adult" food.

However, each child develops differently. Based on them, an experienced pediatrician can tell if your child is ready to get acquainted with adult food, as well as which foods in your case you should start with. If the baby is sick a lot, has a tendency to allergies, was born small or premature, the timing of complementary foods may shift.

And the choice of the first products depends on the state of the baby, the rate of its weight gain and the level of psychomotor development. Today, no one will insist on apple juice as "the very first". On the contrary, juice most often becomes the third or even fourth in the line of complementary foods.

The baby himself, by his behavior, will also tell the attentive mother whether he is ready for the introduction of complementary foods or not. It is difficult to miss this “readiness”: a child who has grown up to “adult” food will actively reach for his mother’s plate, and, having reached it, enthusiastically send pieces from it into his mouth and carefully examine their taste ...

First meal of porridge

Today, for the vast majority of children, doctors and specialists in child nutrition recommend starting food with porridge or vegetables. Fruits contain many acids and sugars, have a pronounced taste, and after them it is difficult to “persuade” the baby to eat more insipid food. Vegetables are recommended for calm kids. And it’s better for smart and mobile people to start with cereals - they will energize and give strength for new discoveries.

Porridge for a son or daughter can be prepared independently. However, this “approach” has one plus – material. It is clear that a child cannot overpower a large box of porridge. Indeed, at first, he will need to give only one teaspoon of a new dish, and the shelf life of an open package is 20 days.

Based on this, many mothers believe: first I will feed the crumbs with ground cereals. Cooked on my own, and then, when the child grows up and eats 100-200 g each, I will switch to industrial-made cereals. In fact, it would be better for the baby if you did the opposite. After all, pediatricians recommend industrial-made cereals precisely because they are specially balanced, they retain all the useful nutritional components, and at the same time they are brought to a state in which they can be assimilated as easily as possible by the infant ventricles and the entire digestive system.

The complex carbohydrates in these cereals are broken down into simpler ones, which preserves the sweetness of the grain (which means children will like the taste of cereal without added sugar), and also makes it easier to digest, which is extremely important for the imperfect digestive system of babies.

Porridges of industrial production are characterized by guaranteed safety indicators, since during the manufacturing process the safety of both raw materials and the final product is strictly controlled and ensured (absence of heavy metal salts, aflatoxin, pesticides, adequate microbiological indicators). Therefore, do not spare money and start with “factory” products, and after a year already switch - if there is such a need - to “homemade” cereals.

First porridge

The first porridge should be from cereals that do not contain a special gluten protein (rice, buckwheat, and later corn and millet). Complementary foods should be started with monocash, i.e. porridge should be prepared from only one type of grain, and in no case should you take a mixture of cereals. The first porridge should be without sugar and salt, and dilute it with water, mother's milk (if the baby is breastfed) or a milk mixture familiar to the child (if the baby is artificial). Mixed-fed babies are also recommended to dilute porridge with breast milk.

For the first two or three times, it is enough to give the baby literally one teaspoon of milk, in which there will be a little cereal mixture. If this product does not cause an allergic reaction, you can safely double the serving volume for each complementary food, bringing up to 100 g of liquid porridge within a week.

If porridge is the very first complementary food, one type of cereal should be given for 10-14 days, then do the same with the second type, then with the third, etc. If, before porridge, you have already tried vegetables, fruits or meat, then in the absence of allergies, after a week they can be mixed with the tested porridge. Remember, you can’t store cooked porridge for more than 30 minutes! Always feed your baby fresh formula!

Kashi healers

A huge advantage of cereals is that they contribute to the proper formation and functioning of the baby's digestive system. This is especially true for children who are constantly faced with problems with the tummy: sometimes gaziki, then diarrhea, then swelling; as well as for babies with various types of allergies.

We, adults, also often use this property of cereals. For indigestion we cook glutinous rice, for stomach pains - soft oatmeal, enveloping and soothing the mucous membrane; with high activity or stress, we advise you to eat buckwheat - it contains a lot of iron, and if necessary, clean the stomach and intestines - corn porridge.

When deciding what kind of porridge to cook for a child, remember the beneficial properties of various cereals. In buckwheat a large amount of protein, minerals (iron, zinc, magnesium, copper), vitamins B1, B2, PP, dietary fiber, plus there is no gluten, which often causes allergies in babies. Therefore, it is often recommended to start complementary foods with it - in terms of nutritional value and ease of assimilation, buckwheat is unrivaled.

in rice the largest amount of dietary fiber, and the content of vitamins and trace elements depends on the degree of grain cleaning. At home, you are unlikely to be able to boil brown rice to such a state that the baby can eat it (besides, it will require such a long heat treatment that all the vitamins will die). Factory technologies cope with this task much better.

Oatmeal has a high nutritional value. It is rich in vegetable protein. Minerals (magnesium, calcium, iron, copper, manganese, zinc) and vitamins (B1, B2, PP), contains the maximum amount of fat for cereals (on average, 6 times more than in other cereals) and fiber. Due to the high fat content, oatmeal is especially recommended for underweight or very mobile children.

Barley and barley cereals are produced from barley, they contain the same amount of starch as semolina, but much more fiber, are relatively rich in vitamins B1, B2, PP.

millet groats rich in vegetable protein and starch. Already at 5 months, babies can be given cereals not only from gluten-free cereals, but also from wheat.

Many commercially produced cereals are specially enriched with pro- and prebiotics, bifidobacteria, which help to normalize digestion and the growth of beneficial intestinal microflora, reduce the risk of developing gastroenteritis and diarrhea, the risk of contracting rotavirus infection, and, with regular use, provide immunity strengthening.

Also, children's cereals are made hypoallergenic, vitamins, microelements, and dietary fiber are added to them, which will help babies grow up healthy and strong. Tots who have already mastered monokashi can be offered mixtures of several types of cereals or cereals with dairy, fruit, and vegetable additives.

Additives in the form of fruit and vegetable fillers increase the nutritional value and improve the taste of the product. The inclusion of crumbs of such cereals in the diet will diversify baby food and make it more complete. Do not forget about the psychological aspect. The richer the baby's diet in the second half of the year, the easier the child will continue to relate to various innovations in his life. Indeed, from the first spoonfuls, the baby will learn that the new is not scary and not disgusting, but tasty and interesting!