At what age can you give cookies to children and for what recipes is it better to cook?

Up to 5-6 months, babies do not need any additional food, except for mother's breast or a specially balanced mixture. When the time comes for feeding, mothers carefully study which products should definitely be included in the menu of crumbs. After cereals, vegetables, fruits and dairy products comes the turn of dishes from flour - crackers and cookies. At what age should children be acquainted with cookies and what types of such pastries are best for children?

• The inclusion of such a product in the children's diet allows it to diversify, because there are a lot of types and recipes of cookies.
• The child will receive carbohydrates, vegetable proteins, vitamin substances, fiber and other compounds from cookies.
• Many types of cookies are enriched with minerals, for example, iodine or calcium.
• Due to its dense structure, the cookies will stimulate the growth of the jaws, as it will force the child to actively chew.
• When teething cookies can slightly relieve itching in the gums.

• Most types of cookies contain gluten protein, to which some babies develop an allergic reaction.
• Because of the sugar content in cookies, babies may refuse other foods, requiring tasty cookies. In addition, the use of excess sugar at an early age badly affects the absorption of vitamins and the condition of the teeth.
• Store cookies are baked on margarine, as well as using different chemical additives, which does not benefit the children's organism.
• High calorie biscuits causes its restriction for overweight children.

Cookies can be included in the diet of an infant from 5-6 months of age, if this is a special baby biscuit that can dissolve in milk and under the action of saliva in the infant's mouth. However, most doctors do not advise even giving such a treat to the age of one.

Many manufacturers of baby food produce special cookies for young children, for example, Heinz baby cookies are offered to give to children from 5 months of age. The manufacturer claims that this product contains only natural ingredients, and is also enriched with vitamins and mineral salts.

Other companies also produce baby cookies, for example:

• Bebika instant biscuits from the manufacturer Bebi, which is classic, with 6 grains and without gluten. Any species is offered to children older than 6 months.

• Cookies "Hippo Bondi", which added iodine, magnesium, calcium or iron. It is recommended for babies older than 5 months.

• Cookies "Baby", presented in the classic version, as well as in calcium enriched or iodine species. This product is introduced into the diet of children 5 months and older.

• Cookies "Grow Big" for ages 6 months and older. The range of this pastry is presented by different tastes - classic, banana, raspberry. Also, the manufacturer offers oatmeal cookies.

• The first cookie from Hipp for babies over 6 months of age. The company also offers pastries for babies 1-3 years old, which include whole grains and no sugar.

• Cookies "DoReMi", produced by Gerber. Such shaped cookies for children with a bear cub are enriched with 5 vitamins and are recommended for a child of 1 year and older.

When buying cookies for children older than a year, pay attention to its composition, as well as its freshness (study the expiration dates). When choosing, consider the following nuances:

• The best option for children is considered to be biscuit, because it contains a minimum of fat and has the simplest composition. This product is low in calories and rarely causes allergies.
• A low-fat variant of cookies can be called a straw, but its brown color is acquired during special roasting, therefore such baking should not be given to children with stomach diseases.
• Oatmeal is also considered a low-fat variant of cookies. It is considered useful, because it allows you to include oatmeal in the children's diet, even if the child does not like such porridge. Choosing this cookie, it is best to get a pale, not shiny and with the correct round shape.
• Shortbread biscuits are high in sugar and fat, therefore less preferable for children’s menus. It should be smooth and not burnt. This type of pastry with fillings is not recommended for children, especially with excess weight.

By making cookies for the child at home, the mother can be confident in his quality, and also prevent allergenic substances from entering the product. Now there are a lot of recipes for cookies for children in haste, so almost any parent can cook tasty healthy pastries for a son or daughter.

You can use these simple recipes:

• Cottage cheese cookies. Mix 200 g of cottage cheese and 2 eggs. Separately, whisk 100 g of slightly softened butter and 100 g of sugar. Combine both mixtures and mix well. Add 1.5 cups of flour and 1/2 tsp of baking powder in portions. The dough should be thick and roll well. Cut dough blanks for cookies of various shapes rolled out to a thickness of 7 mm. Bake for 20 minutes.

• Oat cookies. Mix 200 g of oatmeal with 3 tbsp. spoons of wheat flour and vanilla sugar. Separately, beat one egg with 3 tbsp. spoons of sugar and 100 g of butter. Take another container to mix in it 2 tbsp. spoons of sour cream and 1/3 tsp of soda. Combine all the ingredients, mix well, put a spoon on the parchment and bake for about 15 minutes.

• Carrot Cookies Beat 125 g of butter, softened at room temperature, and 75 g of sugar (you can add a little vanilla). In the mass, add 1 large egg or 2 small ones and continue to beat. Separately, pour a cup of flour into the container, which can be completely wheat or partially replaced with oatmeal or corn flour. Add a pinch of cinnamon to the flour, a pinch of salt and a little baking powder (a teaspoon). Wash and clean 2 medium carrots, then rub on a fine grater. After squeezing the carrot juice, add it to the flour mixture. Place the whipped butter in the dough and mix well. Holding the dough for about 30 minutes in the refrigerator, spread it with a spoon on the parchment, creating small balls 3-4 cm apart between them. Bake for 20 minutes.

• Banana Cookies Mash with a fork or chop 3 medium bananas with a blender. Add to a banana puree 2 cups of oatmeal, a quarter cup of raisins (it should be washed and briefly soaked in boiling water), half a cup of milk and a third cup of butter. After mixing the ingredients, place the small cakes with a spoon on a baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes.

• Pumpkin Cookies Peel and dice 200-250 g of pumpkin, put in foil, sprinkle with sugar on top, wrap and bake until cooked (usually 15-20 minutes). Add the finished pumpkin together with the syrup, which is formed with 50 g of sugar and whisk in a blender. Add a pinch of cinnamon and let the mashed potatoes cool. Pour into the cooled mass half a glass of wholegrain flour and a teaspoon of baking powder. Add 80 g of oil and mix well. Holding the dough in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes, add to it 120-150 g of wheat flour in small portions (add a few spoons and mix well). Finished dough for another 15 minutes in the refrigerator, then roll out and cut out the figures, which bake for 10-15 minutes.

In the video below you can see how homemade cookies you can treat your child without harm to health.

If a child does not tolerate gluten, it is not necessary to deprive him of cookies, since there have long been special recipes for allergies. You can make such hypoallergenic cookies:

• From buckwheat flour. Beat 2 eggs and a third cup of sugar, or 2 tbsp. spoons of honey, add 110 g of buckwheat flour and 1/2 tsp of soda (extinguish it with lemon juice), as well as 2 tbsp. spoons of vegetable oil. Knead the dough, put it on the greased parchment with a spoon and send to the oven for 15 minutes.
• From cornmeal. Pound 100 g of softened butter with 100 g of sugar and 1 large or 2 small bananas. Add 1 egg and 3 tbsp. spoons of sour cream, salt, and then partly enter 220 g of corn flour to make a homogeneous mass. Make small cakes out of dough and bake for about 20 minutes.
• From rice flour. Grate 50 g of cold butter on a grater, add rice flour in a volume of 100 g, two egg yolks and a tablespoon of applesauce to it. Knead the dough and spread it with a spoon on a baking sheet. Bake it for about 15 minutes.

See the following video for a cookie-free cookie recipe.

On the benefits and dangers of cookies, see the program "On the most important thing."