Oatmeal for children

Oatmeal is very popular with many adults and is considered a healthy food. And when the time comes to feeding on cereals, mothers are interested in how old you can give oatmeal to a baby and how to cook such a dish correctly for a small child.

• From oatmeal the child receives complex carbohydrates, providing him with the necessary energy for activity and development.
• Such porridge contains vegetable proteins and dietary fibers, as well as many vitamins (B9, PP, H, E, and others) and mineral compounds (iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, silicon, chlorine, and others).
• Introduction of oatmeal in the children's menu allows you to diversify it. Moreover, such a cereal is quite nourishing and eliminates hunger for a long time.
• The use of oatmeal has a positive effect on the nervous system, the condition of the skin and hair.
• Oatmeal includes healthy vegetable fats, thanks to which cholesterol levels normalize.
• In oatmeal, the properties of improving intestinal peristalsis are noted, therefore, it is recommended for people with a tendency to constipation.

• Due to the presence of gluten in oatmeal, cereal due to it can cause allergies.
• Porridge can not be used for celiac disease.
• Due to the content of phytic acid in oatmeal, its too frequent consumption leads to problems with calcium absorption. Such a negative effect of oatmeal can be minimized if you give it no more than 2-3 times a week, and also take into account how much porridge there is at a certain age.
• Since oatmeal is high in calories and contributes to an increase in glucose level, such a dish is limited for obesity and is not recommended for diabetes.

Oatmeal porridge for a child can be dairy-free if it is boiled in water or diluted with clean water, as well as milky, if milk is used in its preparation. When cooking milk porridge for children 10-11 months cow's milk diluted with water by 2-3 times until the baby is one year old. A one-year-old child can boil the porridge in whole milk, if the crumb tolerates this dairy product well.

Like any new product, baby oatmeal should be given for the first time in an amount of not more than one spoon. With normal tolerance, the volume of the dish is gradually increased to the age required. First, oatmeal is given in the form of a single-component dish, and when the child becomes fully accustomed to it, such cereal can be mixed with other cereals, fruits, and even with vegetables.

Oatmeal, which is given to a child of the first year of life, can be not only cooked independently, but also out of the box (industrial production). To dissolve the finished gruel for a baby who tries it for the first time, usually use breast milk or infant formula. If the child is going to be given milk porridge out of the box, purified water is also used for its cultivation, which is allowed for baby food.

To cook the first oatmeal porridge at home from oatmeal, it should be crushed into flour. In a boil 100 ml of water pour out a teaspoon of such flour and stir constantly for 20-30 minutes. In the cooled dish add 15-30 ml of the baby’s usual mixture or mother’s milk.

Milk for cooking oatmeal begin to use from 7-8 months of age. First, the child cooks porridge from cereals, which is crushed into flour, and from year to year you can use flakes and whole grains.

Here is a recipe suitable for cooking oatmeal for a child older than a year:

• Pour into a saucepan about 100 ml of water, salt and bring to a boil.
• Pour one spoonful of boiling water 7 tbsp. spoons of oatmeal.
• Boil the dish over medium heat with constant stirring until the oatmeal boils.
• Next, pour 250 ml of baby milk into the gruel, bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes over a small fire under a closed lid.
• Pour a little cold porridge into a plate and add a piece of butter to it, as well as berries or fruit pieces to taste.

Also, milk porridge from oatmeal is very convenient to cook in a slow cooker, because with this preparation there is no need to constantly stir the dish and make sure that the porridge does not “run away”.

Some kids like to eat raw oatmeal. It is not dangerous and does not harm children's health, but may indicate a deficiency of B vitamins or reduced hemoglobin. Therefore, if your child is constantly asking for raw oatmeal, take a referral from a doctor for a blood test.

You will learn more about the properties of oatmeal by watching the “Live Healthy” program.

Find out what is more useful - buckwheat, oatmeal and rice, you can from the next transfer.