No one will argue that the ideal nutrition for the baby is breast milk. But by the end of the first six months of life, mother’s milk already lacks nutrients, vitamins, fatty acids and a full range of microelements for the increased needs of a growing child’s body. Full-fledged development and growth of a child already requires plant proteins. Therefore, the diet should be enriched with various types of complementary foods. For babies who are exclusively breastfed, the Resolution of the 55th World Health Assembly (2002) recommends starting complementary foods as early as six months, and for artificers as early as five.
Traditionally, cereals for children in most countries are the first product of complementary foods, because they are similar in consistency and taste to breast milk and its artificial substitutes. Cereal-based complementary foods are the primary source of dietary fiber, carbohydrates, vegetable proteins, selenium, iron, fats, B vitamins and others for babies after six months. The nutritional value of cereals for children
grain processing technology and its chemical composition influence.
Answer the question about what kind of baby porridge is better is definitely impossible. So, semolina, most often used by mothers to make porridge for the first feeding, is rich in starch and vegetable protein, but it contains the least nutrients in comparison with other cereals. In barley and pearl barley porridge starch is the same, but the content of vitamins and fiber is much higher. Buckwheat is the most valuable product of
cereals for feeding children. It contains a considerable amount of protein, vitamins PP and group B, as well as necessary for the development of trace elements. In rice, the highest content of starch, protein and minerals is small, and the content of vitamins depends on the degree of purification of the grain. And corn
porridge for children contains less starch, but it contains more iron and protein. Record holder
fiber, fat, vitamins,
vegetable protein and trace elements - this is
oatmeal.It is more economical and affordable to cook porridge for children directly from natural cereals at home. But in the course of recent studies, the shortcomings of such complementary foods were established: a deficiency of a number of vitamins (groups B, E, A), iron, zinc. During cooking "home" porridge, the content of vitamin C is reduced by half, and group B is even more - up to 75% than it was originally contained in grain. Therefore, do not completely exclude cereals from the nutrition of children industrial production.
Now on sale there are a large number of various cereals. They can be monocomponent (from one type of grain), multicomponent, dairy-free or in milk. To improve the taste and increase the nutritional value, some contain powders made from natural vegetables, spicy herbs and fruits. Special gluten-free cereals are also produced for children and patients.
celiac disease in which
allergic to all cereal foods.
Among such an abundance, it is easy to choose porridge for feeding both healthy and children with various developmental pathologies, so that they grow strong and healthy.