At what age can you start giving corn porridge to children and how to cook it?

Corn porridge is not as popular among children and their parents as other types of cereals. But this does not detract from its useful properties. Children who mom prepare such a dish, usually enjoy eating a natural product. Let's find out how useful and harmful maize porridge is, from what age it can be given to a child, and how to prepare it correctly.

The uniqueness of corn porridge lies in the fact that it can be done on almost everything - on milk, plain water, meat or vegetable broth. In any culinary performance, the product will be directly related to a healthy and balanced diet, since no heat treatment destroys the beneficial substances contained in such porridge.

Groats are produced by crushing dried corn kernels. Depending on how finely and carefully the grain will be crushed, the grinding class depends. There is five kinds of corn grits. The fifth one is the roughest, the first one is exceptionally tender, from it, for example, they make not only delicate and tender porridge for toddlers, but also corn sticks loved by children.

Corn separately and in porridges began to use even the Aztecs, the mention of this preserved in historical sources. It is known for certain that it was precisely the fat maize porridge that was met by the conquistadors hospitable Indians even before the hospitality "left them sideways." Columbus brought to Europe not only tobacco, but also corn seeds. In Russia, from the 17th century, it was raised in the Caucasus and in the southern regions, and widespread distribution was made possible thanks to a special love for the culture of Nikita Khrushchev.

Corn porridge is known in all cuisines of the world. Georgians call it gomi, Italians call it polenta. Moldovans and Ukrainians call the product mamaliga.

For a child, corn porridge is a rich source of energy, which children need significantly more than adults. But this does not end the dignity of maize porridge. First, it contains the least amount of gluten in comparison with other cereals - rice, wheat, oats.

Secondly, it is rich in corn grits and vitamins of group B, it contains vitamins A and E. A large amount of fiber in such a dish will help to cope with constipation. Corn "mash" on the water is perfectly weak after many days of difficulties with defecation. Even a large amount of porridge does not fasten at all.

The product is very rich:

• zinc;
• manganese;
• selenium;
• iron;
• copper;
• calcium;
• potassium;
• sulfur;
• magnesium;
• sodium;
• phosphorus.

Porridge is quickly absorbed by the human body, gently digested, eliminates toxins and slags. If you give this porridge regularly to a child from the permitted age, you can see that it strengthens the immune system, nails become hair, hair, teeth and bone become stronger and more beautiful.

Corn porridge is considered an excellent food for the prevention of tumors and neoplasms, as well as for the treatment of anemia, because the mineral composition of cereals increases the level of hemoglobin in the blood. Porridge is useful for hyperactive children because it is rich in magnesium, which is an excellent sedative.

The combination of calcium and silicon makes corn porridge very useful for children's teeth, especially during the period of their intensive growth, and then when changing their milk teeth to permanent ones. If a child eats corn porridge regularly, he will not recover, as is the case with semolina. Balanced composition and rapid digestion of the corn product helps to maintain weight and reduce it, even with an impressive declared calorie content.

Despite all the benefits of the product, nutritionists and pediatricians are not advised to introduce corn porridge in the form of crushed cereals for infants. Enzymes that would help such porridge to digest faster with the maximum benefit for the child's body, at an early age, the baby does not produce enough, and the corn porridge will be somewhat heavy for him. An exception is the special children's dietary corn porridge, which is actually sold in finished form with the label "for baby food". It can be dairy-free and milky. Dairy-free is more suitable for feeding, since it is less likely to cause allergies, in particular, to milk protein.

It is recommended to buy cereal in a store and boil porridge from it no earlier than 8 months. Eight-month baby porridge is administered gradually, starting with small portions. You need to carefully monitor the reaction to this product. If redness of the skin, itching, signs of indigestion, diarrhea or constipation, abdominal distention, belching appear, it is better to postpone the idea of ​​feeding an 8-month-old baby with this porridge until a later age.

Children with allergies, which are prone to food and other types of allergies, should not be administered corn porridge up to 1 year. After this age, the product can be given in small portions. First, in its pure form, then, in the absence of a negative reaction of the body, you can give maize porridge with fruit, with berries.

The allergenic component of corn grits is rather conditional. It is believed that the body’s immune response can be triggered by natural substances that paint the grass in a beautiful yellow-golden color. It should be noted that children are rarely allergic to this natural dye.

Nevertheless, it is believed that it would be better if the child starts to eat such a product after eating its digestion adapts to some other cereals, and therefore cornstroke should not be considered for the first feeding.

The glycemic index of this tasty and healthy dish is quite high. This should be considered mothers of babies with congenital and acquired diabetes. Dietary table for these guys does not provide for the presence of corn at all, either in the form of grains or in the form of cobs. Such a product will only harm.

If a child has an individual intolerance to corn and products from it, such cereal should also be abandoned in favor of another, which the pediatrician and allergist will allow.

Some diseases of the gastrointestinal tract do not imply the presence of maize porridge in the menu. First of all, we are talking about peptic ulcer, inflammation of the pancreas. In this case, a dish of corn can be taken only after removing the exacerbation of the disease with the permission of the attending physician.

Choosing cereal for the child, you should pay attention to the degree of grinding. If the child is not even a year old, it is best to buy corn grits of the first degree of grinding, the smallest. From it turns out ready porridge of a uniform consistence, without large fragments. It does not cause an increase in the acidity of the stomach, does not lead to fermentation processes in the intestine during digestion, and therefore the tummy will not become numb with such a porridge.

Porridge for children from 2-3 years may contain more large fractions. Suitable bright yellow coarse grind, such is used for the production of cornflakes. The particles of crushed grain in it have different sizes, but for a child who already has a mouthful of milk teeth, this is not a problem.

It is possible to give preference to ground corn grits. It also has different sizes, but the grain particles are smoother, because after crushing grinding is performed, therefore, the porridge from such cereals is more tender.

If the porridge is first introduced into the baby feeding up to a year, you can cook it only on water. Do not consider any options implying the presence of butter, milk and cream for babies. The simplest and most useful porridge for a baby is prepared very simply:

• groats - 2 tablespoons;
• water is a glass.

Porridge is cooked over low heat for a little over half an hour, with occasional stirring. After that, it should be wiped with an immersion blender until homogeneous.

Whatever porridge you cooked from maize, remember the basic rules for cooking this cereal:

• Always rinse the grits thoroughly and choose foreign foreign inclusions if they show up;
• cook porridge longer than other types of cereals, because undercooked corn grits will be quite tough;
• for cooking, use only dishes with thick walls and bottom, otherwise your porridge will quickly burn to a thin bottom or walls, and it will be very difficult to wash the dishes;
• You can store the finished dish for no more than a day in a container with a tight lid; it is best to warm it up to a child in a water bath.

Correctly prepare corn porridge is a snap. Here are some recipes that will surely come in handy for a mother of a child of any age.

This dish should be cooked in milk. But for starters, it is advisable to boil hard grits on water. Put the cereal in a saucepan, cover with water and boil over low heat until the water boils out completely. Then add milk and stew porridge under the lid for at least half an hour. Before serving, it is advisable to add butter and let the cooked dish stand a little more under the lid. The result is a tender, beautiful milk porridge, which can be decorated with anything - fresh berries, raisins, dried apricots, prunes.

For a full and healthy breakfast for the whole family you will need: 2 glasses of water, 1 glass of milk, 140 grams of corn grits, 30 grams of butter, sugar, salt to taste, as well as everything that you consider appropriate to decorate the finished dish when serving.

Today, when such a useful kitchen appliance as a slow cooker is in almost every home, the task of cooking maize porridge is greatly simplified. Put this porridge stew and go for a walk with the child. In order to prepare the dish correctly, it is not necessary to stand at the stove.

Put the clean cereal in the bowl of the device, immediately put the sugar, salt and a piece of butter, if it is planned in the finished dish. Mix the required amount of water and milk together and pour it into a bowl. It is possible to boil porridge in the “Rice” or “Milk porridge” modes with the consistently set heating function.An hour later, a tender, tasty meal for you and your child will be ready.

To learn how to make porridge for your child, see the following video.