With what kind of porridge is it better to start complementary foods for babies, how to cook, recipes. Porridge for children: how to start complementary foods

Modern pediatricians recommend starting to introduce complementary foods after 5-6 months, cereals, according to many experts, are ideal for this. Expanding your child's diet is a crucial moment. Failure to comply with its terms and rules can harm the health of the baby. Porridge has a beneficial effect on the digestive system of the crumbs, is an additional source of vitamins, trace elements and energy.

At what age should you start feeding with cereals? Which ones are more suitable - ready-made or cooked by mom? About what should be the first porridge for feeding, will be discussed in our article.

Breast milk is a source of all substances necessary for the growth and normal development of the newborn. But as they grow older, the baby needs more vitamins and minerals. The child begins to sit, crawl, walk. Such active movements require a lot of energy.

Complementary foods are primarily needed to provide the baby with the necessary vitamins and nutrients, the need for which increases as he grows. It allows you to form a taste and teach him to chew, satisfies the curiosity and interest of the crumbs in the contents of the plates. Thus, the child learns the world around him. This is the second purpose of additional food.

Compared to previous years, we can note the postponement of the introduction of complementary foods. If earlier pediatricians thought that it was time to administer it after 3 months, today WHO recommends starting no earlier than 6 months, provided. For children who are eating, they begin to give additional food earlier, from 5 months.

Until this age, food other than milk or an adapted formula will not benefit the baby, as his digestive system matures at about five to six months.

Features of the introduction of porridge to children up to a year

How to start complementary foods with porridge?

The algorithm comes down to the following rules:

Porridges for the first feeding should consist of one component and not contain milk, sugar, fructose, flavorings and other artificial additives.
The first cereal dishes should be gluten-free. Gluten is a plant protein that tends to be poorly digested by most children under 6 months of age. As the digestive system matures, the difficulties with its absorption disappear, but in rare cases the problem can persist for life. The best porridge for the first feeding is buckwheat and rice. Corn is also gluten-free. But with wheat, oatmeal will have to wait. Complementary foods will be useful if the pediatrician determines which porridge is better to start complementary foods with. It is important to choose the first complementary foods based on the characteristics of the physical development of the baby.
Cereal dishes introduced into the child's diet can correct the baby's existing digestive problems. For example, corn porridge will benefit babies with a penchant for food due to its high fiber content.
When a child absorbs one-component gluten-free cereals well, then after 1-1.5 months, gluten-free dairy can be introduced.
Semolina is not recommended for children under one year old. Babies like its taste, and many parents start giving this dish quite early. But you should not do this. Semolina reduces the baby's ability to absorb calcium.
Whole cow's milk porridge can be prepared for children older than a year.

Feeding porridge at 4 months is recommended only for artificial children who are not gaining weight well. Before this, a consultation with a pediatrician is required. The introduction of new foods into the menu of a baby of such a young age without special recommendations from a doctor can cause an allergic reaction or digestive problems. Porridge for feeding babies is recommended no earlier than 6 months.

How to introduce porridge into complementary foods? The first tasting of this dish should take place with the morning meal. You need to start with one teaspoon, and after it, offer the baby a breast or a mixture.

The correct introduction of porridge into complementary foods involves cooking it in water. Gradually, within 7-10 days, the daily amount is increased, bringing to the full portion of one feeding.

First, prepare a dish at the rate of 5 grams of cereal per 100 grams of water. If the new food is well tolerated by the baby, then after a few weeks you can increase the content of cereals to 10%. Later it is allowed to try another cereal. Within a month, several types of cereals are supposed to be introduced into complementary foods.

Approximate scheme for the introduction of complementary foods:

Types of cereals for feeding

To understand what kind of porridge to start complementary foods with, you need to study their range.

Today you can:

Buy a ready-made instant product in a box.
Prepare porridge for the first feeding with your own hands.
Buy ready-to-eat canned food in a jar. It can be without milk with the addition of fruits, or with milk. This option is very convenient for use on the road.

As a kind of liquid porridge for the first feeding, one can note such a novelty for the Russian buyer as wellings. This traditional Scandinavian meal is a cross between a milkshake and a very thin porridge. You can start giving welling to a baby no earlier than 5 months.

Porridges can be dairy-free and with milk. It is better to start complementary foods with dairy-free ones. Their main advantage is the absence of sugar, milk, starch and other components that create an additional burden on the still immature digestive system of the crumbs. Among the dairy-free cereals recommended to start feeding a child, buckwheat, rice and corn can be recommended.

What porridge to choose for the first complementary foods? It is better to start with buckwheat. It is rich in protein, iron, B vitamins and magnesium. That is why buckwheat porridge for the first feeding is the most suitable option.

Rice porridge for the first feeding is especially recommended for babies with insufficient. This product contains a lot of healthy dietary fiber. Many mothers are afraid to give rice porridge for the first feeding, believing that it can provoke constipation in a child. It's a delusion. Constipation can be caused by eating crushed rice. But a product made from rice flour cannot have such a side effect.

Corn porridge as a complementary food is no less valuable product than rice porridge. It is rich in proteins, fiber and trace elements. But it is recommended to introduce it after buckwheat and rice.

Despite the high content of protein, minerals and vitamins, oatmeal as a complementary food is recommended at a later age.

There are single-component (consisting of one cereal) and multi-component (of several cereals) cereals. The first porridge must be gluten-free, dairy-free and consist of one type of cereal.

Purchased or prepared?

Which cereals are better for the first complementary foods - purchased in boxes or cooked on their own from cereals? If we talk about recommendations, WHO advises using the finished product in boxes for these purposes.

This is because he:

enriched with iron, potassium, zinc and other important trace elements;
has a homogeneous consistency necessary for easy assimilation;
does not contain salt, dyes, artificial components;
has a safe composition, does not contain impurities of heavy metals and chemicals;
is carefully monitored.

Starting with a product in a box, you can be sure that it is made from high quality raw materials. Often the decisive argument in its favor is the speed and ease of preparation.

However, from an economic point of view, it is more profitable to cook such food at home. The shelf life of the product in the package is short, and at first the baby consumes a very small amount of complementary foods. Some moms just don't trust the contents of the box and prefer to cook their own.

In this case, it is necessary to strictly observe the rules of hygiene and the proportions of cereals. The easiest way to cook buckwheat porridge. In any case, what kind of porridge to choose is up to mom.

How to cook porridge for the first feeding

Inexperienced mothers may have a question about how to cook porridge for the first feeding. It's not difficult at all if it's out of the box. In this case, you just need to carefully read the instructions on the package. Usually, the contents of the package should be filled with warm boiled water or a mixture and mixed well. Mom does not even have to think about how to cook porridge. The only rule is to cook this product immediately before eating.

If it is decided to introduce complementary foods in the form of cereals from home-made food, then the cooking scheme will be as follows:

Before cooking porridge for the first feeding, the cereal is sorted out, washed and dried. Then it is ground in a coffee grinder into flour.
With regard to cereals for the first complementary foods, it is important to observe the proportions - for 100 g of water, 5 g of cereal.
After cooking, bring the consistency to the desired by adding water, formula or breast milk.
Salt and sugar are not added.

After 8 months, a little butter and diluted baby milk can be added to the finished dish. Whole milk can only be used after one year.

Overview of baby cereals

The modern food industry produces so much baby food that it is not easy for an ignorant person to figure out which cereals are better. Consider the composition of the products of the most famous manufacturers and make a rating of cereals for the first complementary foods.

So, which company's cereals are better for the first complementary foods?

Nestle

Nestlé products take the leading position in our rating. She is loved by kids for her good taste and is in demand among mothers due to her wide range. Nestlé produces milk and dairy-free cereals for the first complementary foods. Raw materials for their production are subject to strict control.

Nestle cereals for the first feeding are completely safe and easy to use. But the products of this company have one drawback - the presence of lecithin in the composition, rarely, but still capable of causing an allergic reaction in crumbs.

Gerber

Many pediatricians recommend Gerber porridge for feeding. The products of this manufacturer are marked "organic". This means that raw materials of the highest quality are used for its production. It does not contain sugar, dissolves very well, has a pleasant texture and taste.

Heinz

The line of cereals of this manufacturer includes four areas:

low allergenic;
dairy-free;
dairy;
with flavor additives.

Heinz porridge for the first feeding is not suitable for everyone. Yes, the product range of this company is diverse, the food is tasty, it is well diluted with water. But the products contain many additives that are not suitable for every baby.

hipp

Feeding porridge at 5 months can be safely started with the Hipp brand. The products of this manufacturer are distinguished by the addition of decoctions of herbs that soothe the baby, and a hypoallergenic milk component.

Thinking about what kind of porridge you need to start complementary foods with, you can trust the products of this manufacturer. Hipp produces both dairy and dairy-free cereals, as well as the Good Night series. After 8 months, babies can enjoy nutrition with cookies, cocoa and fruits.

Friso

The products of this brand are of high quality and diverse assortment. But for the first complementary foods, it is not recommended, since sugar and vanillin are present in the composition. You can recommend the use of cereals of this brand from 6 months, and even better after the baby reaches the age of one.

"Baby"

Feeding with porridge "Baby" can be safely started from 5 months. Nutricia's products are diverse, including dairy and dairy-free, mono-cereal and multi-cereal cereals, with various additives.

The advantages of Malyutka products are low price and a good assortment. Among the disadvantages, it can be noted that sometimes lumps form during the preparation of complementary foods.

"Diaper"

Among the domestic manufacturers of baby food, I would like to note the products of the Spelenok brand. Of the advantages - a wide range, high quality ingredients. The disadvantages include the presence of sugar in the composition. Therefore, it is better to start complementary feeding with "Spelenok" porridge at 6 months, even if an earlier age is indicated on the box.

The introduction of complementary foods in the form of cereals can be started from 6 months, for artificial babies, the period for introducing it can move a month earlier. For the first experience, it is best to cook buckwheat porridge. Later, the peanut menu can be varied. Regardless of whether the mother will use ready-made cereals or cook it herself, if all the rules are followed, this food will benefit the baby.

Useful video about the introduction of complementary foods

Answer

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.

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Milk porridge is a tasty and healthy food that saturates the body with vitamins and useful elements, improves immunity, gives strength and energy. But pediatricians do not recommend giving milk porridge in the first months of complementary foods, since cow and goat milk are hard to digest. Such a diet can cause digestive problems, stool disorders and allergies. Especially if it's a breastfed baby.

But milk porridges perform a number of important functions and help solve the following problems:

Slow gain or lack of weight. How to calculate the normal weight of the baby, see the link;
Deficiency of vitamins of group B. In children, the condition of hair, teeth and nails worsens, growth and development are slowed down, material metabolism is disturbed;
Lack or absence of breast milk;
Allergy or rejection of formula milk.

In the article, we will consider when and how you can give milk porridge for children up to a year old. We will find out when and what cereals to include in complementary foods for a child.

What porridge to start complementary foods with

The first complementary foods begin with gluten-free cereals on the water. Babies on artificial feeding begin to be given adult food from four months, they give porridge for babies from six months. The most optimal is buckwheat, which is characterized by hypoallergenicity and easy digestibility. It is rich in iron, magnesium, phosphorus and B vitamins.

A week later, rice porridge is introduced, and a week later - corn porridge. These cereals do not contain gluten, are well absorbed and rarely cause allergies. If complementary feeding is successful, gluten cereals are started. They are more difficult to digest and can cause allergies, but they effectively cleanse the body and remove toxins, strengthen the immune system, positively affect the functioning of internal organs, and contribute to the full development and proper growth of the baby.

Among gluten cereals, they first include oatmeal, then they give wheat, barley, and after 11-12 months - semolina. Semolina porridge is considered the most useless and dangerous porridge, as it often causes allergies and leads to excess weight. However, if the baby has a lack of mass, it will effectively help the baby.

Rules for introducing porridge into complementary foods

The introduction of porridge begins with 0.5-1 teaspoon. Each time, the portion is increased by one teaspoon until it reaches 120-150 grams;
At eight months, the daily norm of porridge is 160-170 grams, at nine - about 180 grams, per year - 200 grams. But these are conditional recommendations, when choosing a portion, rely on the development and needs of the child;
When introducing a new product into the baby's diet, carefully monitor your well-being. Adult food can cause stool disorders and food allergies, the signs of which appear within two days. Read more about food allergies in babies;
Continue to give the baby the product if there is no negative reaction. If you feel worse, stop taking and contact your pediatrician. Do not self-medicate! By the way, even if a child has a food allergy, with proper treatment and diet, it will pass by 4-5 years;

Between the introduction of a new cereal or product, make intervals of one to two weeks so that the body gets used to and reacts calmly;
For children under one year old, food is prepared without sugar, salt and other spices. You can add breast milk or vegetable oil to the porridge. After 7-8 months, soaked chopped dried fruits, boiled hypoallergenic vegetables and butter are placed in the dish. After 9 months - boiled fruits and berries in a puree consistency;
You can introduce cereals from several cereals after each ingredient is included in the child's diet. The same applies to cereals with other additives (fruits, vegetables, etc.);
Porridge should be liquid and without lumps, the consistency should resemble mashed potatoes. Feed the baby only with a spoon, do not use bottles!

When and how to introduce milk porridge

Some parents think that it is better to choose goat's milk, as it is closer in composition to breast milk. But this product is digested and absorbed longer and more difficult, so these cereals are allowed for children over 18 months old. Goat milk is recommended for lactase intolerance or allergy to cow protein.

Before cooking, the cereal must be ground to the consistency of flour and then boiled in water. Milk mixture or breast milk is added to the finished mass. After each cereal is introduced into the diet of the baby, breast milk (mixture) is replaced with whole cow or store milk. Choose a low-fat product. If it is a natural homemade drink, dilute it with water 1 to 1.

It is advisable to cook a new porridge each time. The finished dish can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than a day, and then heated in a water bath. If you do not want to cook yourself, you can buy ready-made milk porridge. The finished product contains the most balanced and adapted composition, which is ideal for complementary foods.

Today, manufacturers offer a wide range of products for children. Choose cereals without flavorings, GMOs and preservatives, preferably without salt and with a minimum sugar content. Before buying, carefully study the composition and expiration date, check the integrity of the package. Choose food according to the age of the child. Let's look at the most popular brands of baby food.

What milk porridge to choose for a child

Nestle is the most popular type of baby food, which is one of the top three baby cereals. Safe hypoallergenic composition with the addition of bifidobacteria, which has a beneficial effect on the digestion and microflora of the child. A wide range of. But be careful, as gluten-free cereals contain traces of gluten!;
Agusha contains a large amount of vitamins and minerals. The product is made on the basis of powdered milk using fructose and salt;
Baby contains whole milk and sugar, cream and vegetable fats. It has a high diversity;
Humana is distinguished by its high cost and natural safe composition. Made with skim milk and sugar free, includes 13 vitamins and beneficial minerals;
Bellakt is made with milk powder, vegetable fats and cream without salt. Wide range of products and reliable composition;
Winnies are cooked with whole milk powder with added sugar and salt, vitamins and prebiotics. Contain calcium and iron;

Semper is made from whole grains using a special processing of cereals, which improves the absorption of calcium, phosphorus, zinc and iron. Includes vegetable fats, vitamins and minerals. Some products include sugar and fructose, prebiotics and vanilla extract;
Heinz is a safe composition without salt. Includes milk powder and cream powder, sugar, 12 vitamins and beneficial minerals. A wide range, including ready-to-drink cereals;
Fleur Alpin is an organic whole grain product that is grown without artificial additives. Made with whole milk without vitamins and minerals;
Hipp is another organic product made with powdered infant formula. A wide range of products, including the Good Night line with herbal preparations. They effectively soothe and improve sleep;
FrutoNyanya is an affordable product at an inexpensive price. A wide selection of cereals with the addition of fruits and berries. Rich vitamin and mineral composition. Contains sugar and cream;
Nutrilon is a product with a balanced composition, which includes vitamins, minerals, prebiotics without salt. It is distinguished by high quality, careful selection of each ingredient and a wide range of products for each age category;
The baby is made on a partially adapted milk formula without the addition of salt. Contains vitamins, minerals, sugar and maltodextrin.

Even the most natural porridge, which has received the most positive reviews, may not be suitable for your baby. After all, each child develops individually. If the brand doesn't work, try a different one. If you have found a suitable porridge that does not cause deterioration in well-being and that the baby eats with pleasure, do not change the product!

Nutrition is an important element in the life of any living organism on Earth. More than half of all diseases and pathologies occur in unbalanced diet and unhealthy foods.

Despite the fact that dogs have a fairly powerful digestive system, they can digest both animal and vegetable food, they also have certain restrictions and rules, which will be discussed later.

The raw material for wheat porridge is wheat, which, passing through the grinding process, turns into cereals of various grinding.

Millet porridge is prepared from millet groats, which are obtained from the fruits of plants of the genus Millet, by ordinary grinding. A more common food product, usually cooked with water or milk. By the way, this cereal is not recommended to feed a pet.

Is it good to feed a dog grains?

Before we understand whether it is possible for a dog to have wheat porridge, let's look at General Benefits of Feeding Cereals:

Kashi - the main excellent carbohydrate source, which is involved in the metabolism of all mammals. In the dog's body, carbohydrates are processed, turning into monosaccharides (they are used to provide energy to cells) and polysaccharides (glycogen, which is found in the muscles and liver and is consumed during intense physical exertion).
Contain a large amount dietary fiber (fiber), which is involved in the digestion process, helping to absorb other nutrients and facilitating the absorption of nutrients by the intestinal walls.
Minerals and trace elements, which is rich in wheat and all cereals, are also important for the normal growth and development of dogs. Since, in the wild, dogs do not consume salt, it is necessary to add it to food with caution, and to maintain the water-salt balance, include porridge in the diet.
Full complex of vitamins, without which your pet will look exhausted and weakened. For example, vitamin E deficiency makes the dog lethargic and passive, although the diagnosis of the body will not show any diseases.

REFERENCE! Because dogs are omnivores but are closer to carnivores in the food chain, their gut length is 2.5 times their body length.

Based on this, it's hard to choose cereals with a high glycemic index, that is, those that will be digested quickly. This includes:

Cereals with a low glycemic index may not have time to be digested and assimilated completely, having passed the entire stomach and intestines. With the systematic nature of this phenomenon, the body loses the ability to effectively digest any food.

These include:

barley;
barley;
barley;
semolina.

IMPORTANT! In order to digest any porridge, you can resort to a little trick: increase the glycemic index by adding sugar, flour, starch to it.

What breeds can be given?

As mentioned above, the longer your pet's body, the more effectively it will absorb different types of porridge. For example, dachshunds, dobermans, greyhounds will easily and willingly consume large quantities of cereals, while pit bulls, bulldogs, sharpei, decorative tame dogs more likely to get a malfunction in the gastrointestinal tract and a violation of the intestinal microflora, if the share of cereals in the diet is more than 40%.

Age and other features

Dogs at any age should receive carbohydrates from food, since normal digestion is impossible without them. Puppies and growing ups need a lot of protein and animal fats to grow and develop normally, so the amount of cereals should not exceed 15% of the total amount of food eaten per day.

Pregnant and lactating dogs they can consume up to 50% of porridge, since their body is already formed, moreover, it requires more energy to look after the offspring.

old dogs they need less energy and digest plant foods worse, so carbohydrates for them should come exclusively from cereals on water and broth, not exceeding 10% of the total diet.

IMPORTANT! Porridge is a liquid food that adversely affects the health of the pet's oral cavity. It is recommended to give porridge with the addition of bones, crackers, dry food. In order to keep the muscles of the jaw in good shape and avoid atrophy.

First of all, check if your dog eats porridge in general? Prepare several types of cereals and serve with broth during the day. If you find that the dog only drinks the broth and leaves the porridge, then there is not much point in pushing an unloved product into it by force.
If you have determined which variety your pet likes - give it in small amounts so that it can be canceled without serious consequences in case of poisoning or allergies.
When the variety is selected, determine the amount of cereals in the diet, depending on the activity of the pet from 5% (inactive) to 40% (very active).

Additional Ingredients

They certainly will not interfere, because dogs also feel the taste and smell and will not eat tasteless, insipid food.

What can be added:

Green herbs (dill, parsley, basil) - they will enrich the porridge with fiber;
Potatoes, tomatoes, tomato paste (in small quantities) - starch, which is in the composition, also regulates digestion processes and is food for bacteria in the intestines .;
Any types of cabbage (sea, white, cauliflower) - it is easily digestible and will give a pleasant aroma to porridge;
Meat supplements with which the dog will receive complex nutrition with each meal;
A small amount of cottage cheese, which will serve as a lactose-free alternative to milk;
Egg yolk is a source of healthy animal fats.

What not to add:

Seasonings (especially spicy) - they only irritate sensitive receptors on the tongue of dogs, as well as the gastric mucosa;
A large amount of oil and fat - this will disrupt the natural metabolism and can disrupt the digestion process;
Sausages, sausages and other products of unknown nature of origin;
Margarine, which causes general harm not only to dogs, but also to humans;
Mayonnaise, ketchup and other harmful dressings.

How to cook?

Soaking grains can be compared to a pre-digestion process, during which gluten is partially broken down, the dry mass of grains absorbs moisture and becomes easier to swallow. Porridge cooks faster, which means it retains more useful elements and vitamins.

Soaking time for different cereals:

- 9 hours;
Rye - 7 hours;
Brown - 12 hours;
White rice - 9 hours;
Wild rice - 5 hours;
Barley - 6 hours;
- 5 o'clock;
- 5 o'clock;
Amaranth - 3 hours;

Calculate and weigh the required amount of porridge. Multiply the dog's weight by 120 (an average number that expresses the energy requirement of 1 kilogram of body weight).

Multiply the resulting number by the percentage of carbohydrates chosen, depending on the activity. Divide this number by 4, as 1 gram of carbohydrates, when broken down, releases 4 kilocalories. You have a number, focusing on which you need to choose the amount of porridge.

Example: The dog weighs 10 kg, the activity is average (we choose the share of carbohydrates in 25% of the total calorie content). We multiply 10 by 120, we get 1200. Then we multiply 1200 by 0.25, we get 300 kcal. We divide 300 by 4 and we get 75 grams of carbohydrates, which roughly translates into 100-110 grams of rice cereal.

This formula is used by professional nutritionists. to calculate the ideal nutritional formula for dogs doing hard work (snoops, hunting breeds, patrol and police dogs), as well as for those who participate in exhibitions.

Step-by-step instruction:

Boil in a small amount of water or milk, porridge should have a dense structure so that the dog does not perceive it as water or liquid and does not choke.
You can add a small amount of butter or melted fat.
The porridge should not be too hot, let it cool down.
If the pet did not eat everything at one time, be sure to warm up the porridge, breaking up the lumps so that the structure is as homogeneous as possible.

You can cook on water, milk, broth, whey.

REFERENCE! The best choice would be milk, as it is a favorite treat for dogs, but contains lactose - milk sugar, which should not be present in the diet in large quantities. Porridges cooked in milk will have a high glycemic index, which will allow you to use any cereal for their preparation.

In other words - the basis of nutrition is fiber and minerals, which are just rich in cereals and cereals, so do not be afraid to experiment in the cooking process, delight your pet with culinary delights and masterpieces, and he will definitely appreciate not only the dishes, but the very fact of care. It is possible that just such elements are not enough in the diet of your pet.

In contact with

Porridge is a complementary food dish with a high energy value. Porridge refers to complementary foods on a grain and grain-milk basis and is one of the main sources of carbohydrates, vegetable proteins, fats, dietary fiber, minerals and vitamins. In accordance with international recommendations, complementary cereal products (flour and dry cereals) are enriched with calcium, iron and essential vitamins.

Porridge for the first feeding

Porridge is a food
with high energy value

Porridge for the first feeding is introduced into the diet, taking into account the developmental characteristics and health of a particular child from 4.5–5 months as an additional source of energy children with reduced body weight, frequent stools. It is especially advisable to prescribe cereals as the first complementary foods for a child diagnosed with malnutrition (this is a chronic eating disorder characterized by a lack of body weight in relation to height and age). With viral diarrhea (for example, with rotavirus infection), dairy-free cereals on rice water are used as complementary foods. Such children are shown high-calorie nutrition, and porridge for them is the most optimal first food dish.

Porridge as a second food

If you have already introduced the first vegetable complementary foods, your child feels and develops normally, then the time has come for the second complementary foods. It is advisable to introduce a second complementary food after the complete replacement of one feeding with the previous complementary food - vegetable puree. Porridge from cereals begins to be introduced approximately 3-4 weeks after the start of the introduction of the previous (first) complementary foods.

What are porridges

Porridge, as a type of complementary foods can be:

dairy-free. Especially this type of cereal is indicated as complementary foods for a child suffering from lactase deficiency and in the acute period of intestinal infections (AII).
dairy. Ready-made milk porridges of industrial production are administered to a child after dairy-free cereals.
gluten-containing: oatmeal, barley, wheat, semolina;
gluten-free cereals: rice, buckwheat corn;
dry, need to be boiled;
dry instant (instant) instant porridges that do not require cooking - the most modern form of industrial production of porridges;
muesli type for children over 9 months of age with various additives and additional components;
vallings- drinking, liquid milk-cereal porridge, which is offered to the child first from a bottle, and then from a cup. Wellings help children who have difficulty accepting solid foods to smoothly transition from liquid food to more dense complementary foods - cereals.

What to choose porridge for the first feeding

Grain based complementary foods should be started from gluten-free dairy-free monocomponent cereals(rice, buckwheat, later corn) and such cereals should not contain any additives. Porridge is diluted with water, breast milk or infant formula. That is, the first porridges are bred (if the porridge is instant) or cooked from only one type of cereal without adding salt and sugar (it is undesirable to add sugar and salt to porridge for up to 1 year).

In children with atopic dermatitis and food allergies in the first year of life, the introduction of milk porridges and cereals from cereals containing gluten is not recommended.

Children with a tendency to constipation need an increased intake of dietary fiber, and it is advisable to introduce into their diet, first of all, buckwheat and corn porridge, avoiding rice.

Children with unstable stools should use more rice porridge in their diet, limiting the consumption of oatmeal and buckwheat porridge.

After the introduction of dairy-free cereals, you can gradually switch to gluten-free milk porridge. The nutritional value of milk porridges increases significantly, since milk is a source of protein, fat, calcium and vitamins. And only then they introduce porridge, containing gluten- oatmeal, wheat, semolina. Moreover, it is semolina porridge that has the most minimal nutritional value, which is very popular with the older generation, but is not recommended by pediatricians of our time for children under one year old. Semolina porridge is low in protein, dietary fiber, B vitamins, potassium, phosphorus, iron, and there is practically no iodine. That is why doctors also call semolina porridge “empty”.

Gluten-free and gluten-containing cereals from a mixture of 3 or more grain components administered to children, not earlier than 6 months of life (in case of receiving the first complementary foods at the age of 4-5 months).

Little by little, after 8-9 months, when cooking cereals at home, at the end of cooking, it is recommended to add berries, fruits (dried fruits) or vegetables to them.

After 1 year, when preparing cereals, you can use whole cow's milk and only in cases where the child is not allergic to it.

Grain-based complementary foods also include specialized instant biscuits for baby food. Soluble biscuits, which are very close in their properties to porridges, easily dissolve in water or breast milk, turning into almost porridge that can be given to babies.

Rules for the introduction of complementary foods with cereals

For the first feeding, a 5% porridge is prepared (5 g of cereal per 100 g of water). You need to give porridge with a teaspoon, it is better in the morning for breakfast. On the first day, give the baby ½ teaspoon of 5% porridge, then for 5-7 days bring the volume of porridge of the same percentage to the full amount of feeding (150 g): on the second day - 1-2 teaspoons (5-10 g ), on the third day - 3 teaspoons (15 g), on the fourth day - 4-5 teaspoons (20-25 g), on the fifth day - 50 g, on the sixth - 100 g, on the seventh - 150 g. With good tolerance, porridges of the same cereal are prepared, but already at a 10% concentration (10 g of cereal per 100 g of water). The child is allowed to get used to 10% porridge in the same way for 5-7 days. Only after that you can introduce a new cereal (in the form of 10% porridge) or the next complementary foods. Although some pediatricians are of the opinion that 5 and 10% of porridge should not be present in the child's diet.

An example of the introduction of cereals

First, give the child 1-2 teaspoons of buckwheat porridge, then supplement with breast milk or formula. Provided that the porridge is well tolerated, the next day we increase its volume and in five to seven days we bring 5% buckwheat porridge to the age norm. We give the child 10% buckwheat porridge for another week and completely replace the morning feeding with porridge. The next day, we offer ½ or 1 teaspoon of porridge from another cereal - rice; then we feed up to the age norm with buckwheat porridge. Gradually, we increase the amount of rice porridge every day, displacing buckwheat porridge.