Healthy Baby Oats Cereal & Porridge recipe

Oatmeal is one of the healthiest foods. It’s used in a huge number of therapeutic nutrition plans, as it has a number of beneficial properties. Oatmeal can contain gluten, so it’s not suitable for first complementary foods. But from 6 months on, depending on when you start adding cereal complementary foods to your child’s diet, you can try this product, which is wonderful in every way.

Why is oatmeal good for your baby?

  • It’s rich in protein and vegetable fats and an excellent source of slow carbs. It gives your baby energy for a long time and creates a feeling of fullness.
  • The amino acids contained in oatmeal are involved in protein synthesis, building muscle fibers, and creating protective antibodies.
  • Useful fiber has a protective effect on the mucous membrane of the GIT and stimulates bowel movement.
  • Oatmeal naturally combines a variety of vitamins B, E, PP, as well as potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, copper, iodine, zinc, and other micronutrients.

Why giving baby regular oatmeal isn’t a good idea

“Adult” oatmeal is made from unground whole oats subjected to minimal mechanical processing. These grains contain more nutrients but are not suitable for baby food. A baby’s enzyme system isn’t yet ready to break down the coarse structure of regular oatmeal. So the oatmeal porridge based on it will most likely cause digestive disorders. This is why regular oat flakes aren’t suitable for children under 12 months of age.

Baby oatmeal recipe

Ready-made oatmeal porridges such as Holle cereal are easy to find in both offline and online stores. But you can easily make it yourself.

All you need is take 2 teaspoons of oatmeal flakes and grind them in a blender or coffee grinder until they become flour. Then bring 200 ml of purified water to a boil and, stirring, pour the oat flour into the water. Cook the porridge for 5-7 minutes on low heat, stirring constantly.

When the porridge has cooled down to 37-38°C (98-100°F), you can add some milk formula or breastmilk. The quantity of formula and milk will vary depending on the age of your baby and their experience with complementary foods. For example, if your child isn’t yet used to a denser consistency of food, porridge should be diluted until it’s liquid. And if your little one is already used to semi-liquid complementary foods, the volume of liquid components should be reduced.

It’s important to remember the following rules:

  • Cook just enough oatmeal for one feeding: it should not be stored.
  • Be sure to check the temperature of the cooked porridge, and only after you have stirred it thoroughly. It cools unevenly and is always a little colder on top than on the inside.

Oatmeal is an indispensable product in a baby’s diet. It’s an excellent source of fiber and complex carbs and contains the most important nutrients for your baby. It’s better to use ready-made oatmeal and cereal porridges as the first complementary food. But cooking a healthy and filling meal at home isn’t hard either. Just follow all the rules and consult a pediatrician in case of any concerns.