Porridges are introduced into the diet of children after 6, 5-7 months, at first they are dairy-free and gluten-free. If your baby is over 8 months old and already eats gluten-free porridge - it's time to try oatmeal.
Oatmeal, in comparison with other cereals, contains the largest amount of vegetable fats, and oatmeal is in second place after buckwheat in terms of iron, potassium, magnesium and phosphorus content. It is useful for children with digestive problems, as it improves the digestive tract and normalizes metabolism. Oatmeal literally envelops the baby's stomach, making it easier for digestion and helping to cleanse the intestines. Oatmeal also contains a large amount of protein, B vitamins, PP and C vitamins.
Like any new product, oatmeal should be given for the first time in the morning, at the second feeding, in order to be able to observe the baby's reaction during the day. On the first day, offer the baby one teaspoon of oatmeal before another, already familiar porridge, on the second day two, then three. From the fourth day, you can give an already full portion or cook a multi-grain porridge by mixing cereals familiar to the child.
In the first week of acquaintance with oatmeal, you need to cook it in water, you can add a little expressed milk to adapt the taste. The oatmeal should be rinsed, dried and ground in a coffee grinder. To prepare dairy-free porridge, you need to take two tablespoons of ground cereal in half a glass of water. Boil water, add oatmeal to it and cook over low heat, not forgetting to stir. It is not recommended to add salt or sugar to baby porridge.
If the child does not have an allergic reaction, after a week you can try to cook porridge with an adapted infant formula. In no case should the adapted mixture be heated, much less boiled, therefore it is better to add it to the already cooked and slightly cooled porridge. For 100 ml of water and 2 tablespoons of cereal, put 1-1, 5 measuring spoons of the mixture.
When your baby is 11-12 months old, the sucking reflex will begin to give way to chewing, now you can try giving oatmeal without grinding the flakes before cooking. Also, after a year, the porridge can already be boiled in whole milk and a piece of butter can be added.
Parents are often confused by the label “Contains gluten” on the packaging. Gluten is the gluten found in cereals. Recently, more and more parents are faced with childhood gluten intolerance, which is why parents, in order to prevent this problem, should correctly introduce gluten into the baby's diet, starting with one teaspoon, and carefully monitor the body's reaction.
