At what age can you give a child millet porridge and how to cook it?

Many people mistakenly believe that millet and wheat are one and the same.However, in reality, millet groats are millet seeds. Since this product has a large number of useful vitamins and microelements, as well as less often causes an allergic reaction, millet porridge is often used as a baby complementary food. In this article we will look at the benefits to the child’s body, possible contraindications and recipes for millet porridge.

As a rule, all cereals have a significant load on the digestive system, but not millet groats. This property explains the addition of this product to the diet of people with diseases of the stomach. Most of the composition of millet is allocated to starch. It is about seventy percent, which includes fifteen percent of protein and vital amino acids (valine, leine, lysine). The content of fat in the composition of millet grains can vary from two and a half to three percent. Sugar takes only two percent.

Of the trace elements can be noted a significant content of silicon. This substance is extremely useful and necessary for the proper development of the bones and skeleton of a person, especially for a small growing child's body. Phosphorus, which is present in the composition of wheat, enhances the action of silicon and is conducive to brain activity. It also plays an important role in strengthening the heart and blood vessel walls. Thanks to the complex of B vitamins, the brain is activated, the immune system is strengthened and carbohydrate metabolism is stimulated. In terms of fat content, millet cereals are significantly inferior to oatmeal. The greatest amount of protein in millet than in the same cereal from rice or barley. Vitamin B9, contained in millet porridge, is much more than in cereals made from corn or wheat cereals. Also, wheat is essential for deficiency of iodine in the body or diseases of the thyroid gland. The composition of millet is still rich in zinc, sodium and bromine.

For babies - children in 1 and 2 years, such porridge is undesirable.

First of all, millet porridge is useful for the baby because of its rich content of protein and amino acids. It is thanks to them that the intensive development of muscle fibers occurs, as well as the strengthening of bones and skeleton. The presence of fiber, helps to cope with constipation in the baby. Millet, from which millet groats are produced, has special substances that help to remove antibodies from the body that form during the course of a disease. In this regard, the doctor injected into the diet of a sick baby this product. Millet porridge is a kind of additional tool in the treatment, where antibiotics are already involved. This type of cereal helps, does not reduce the effect of the drug, but also does not allow excess toxic substances to accumulate in the body. The great benefit brought by the use of millet is explained by the presence of a lipotropic effect, which it has on the human body.

The beneficial properties of millet are as follows:

• it contributes to the removal of excess fluid and removal of edema;
• has a diuretic effect on the human body (it is recommended to use it in the presence of such a disease as dropsy);
• when an inflammatory process occurs in the pancreas, it is necessary to use millet at least once a day;
• promotes healing of injured bone, cartilage and various wounds;
• there is an improvement in the condition of the skin if millet is added to the diet (this is due to the rich content of vitamins and minerals, and the skin becomes elastic, elastic, resistant to various types of inflammation)
• the presence of a vitamin B complex in the composition of millet groats helps reduce the nervousness and temper of a restless child;
• that with regular use of wheat, the baby has an appetite (this is noted by many parents);
• millet is a rich source of trace elements such as iron;
• its excellent compatibility with the group of vitamins B improves blood formation in the human body;
• copes well with the removal of toxic and toxic elements (heavy metal ions) from the body.

As mentioned earlier, cereal crops are a fairly common cause of an allergic reaction. Millet is the weakest allergen of all possible croup used to make porridges. As a rule, an allergic reaction occurs exclusively in children. This is due to the fact that the baby's digestive organs are not yet strong enough.

Experts recommend the baby's parents to introduce millet porridge in the supplements, after he was taught to eat buckwheat or rice porridge. A baby who is on an artificial diet may begin to use millet porridge already in the seventh or eighth month. With natural nutrition, it is recommended to inject millet from eight months to nine months. Despite the fact that millet groats rarely cause an allergic reaction in a child, it is still desirable that the first portion be no more than one tablespoon. Later, the portion of millet must be increased, naturally, in the absence of any unpleasant reaction on the part of the child’s body. In the end, you should get a portion, the volume of which will be one hundred fifty - one hundred seventy grams per meal.

For a baby on an artificial diet it is recommended to boil millet in milk with not very high fat content. For a baby who is breastfed - porridge should be boiled in water.

There are several tips for introducing this product in baby foods:

• For the first tasting, it is advisable to cook the millet porridge in such a way that there is a liquid consistency. To do this, increase the amount of water or infant formula.
• For the first time, it is recommended that millet be served to the baby for breakfast. So you will have the opportunity during the day to observe the body's response to this product.
• In the absence of an allergic reaction, a portion of millet porridge should be approximately doubled with each meal.
• In order to diversify the diet of the child, cook millet instead of cereal - soup.

When the child is two years old, boiled pumpkin, prunes or various fruits can be added to the millet. And from millet to cook the most delicious casserole. For an eight-month to ten-month baby, it is recommended to grind the millet grain before cooking. To do this, use a coffee grinder.

For the traditional recipe of millet preparation, you need to get: two hundred grams of cereals, thirty grams of cold-pressed vegetable oil, four hundred nonfat milk, two tablespoons of granulated sugar (or honey), four hundred milliliters of boiled water and a pinch of salt.

The algorithm for cooking millet is as follows:

1. The croup is thoroughly washed two to three times in water until water is clear. Since it is common for millet groats to have a bitter aftertaste, before boiling it, it is advisable to soak it for thirty minutes in cold water. This will get rid of unpleasant taste. Next, cleaned millet is poured into a saucepan with a tight bottom and is filled with water. Burner power should be average.
2. When boiling water, you will need to remove the foam and reduce the power of the burner. Continue cooking the millet until the water begins to evaporate.
3. Meanwhile, boil the milk separately, and pour it into the cooked porridge with a small stream. Reduce the heat again.
4. While the croup has not had time to swell, add salt and granulated sugar (or honey). Cooked porridge becomes very thick, because sweeten the dish must be in advance.
5. Then remove the pan from the stove and fill with vegetable oil, since wheat is usually obtained with a dry texture.

When cooking millet for a baby for less than one year - it will be necessary to increase the volume of milk used almost by half, or to reduce the amount of millet.

In order to diversify the diet of the baby - try to cook for him a tasty and healthy soup using millet and vegetable broth. From the ingredients you need to acquire: three medium-sized potatoes, small carrots, parsley, two hundred milliliters of milk, one tablespoon of millet, dill, a pinch of salt and twenty grams of sour cream with a low percentage of fat.

To get a tasty soup, you must strictly follow the sequence of the following actions:

1. Millet groats are washed and poured into a saucepan. Then water is poured. It is necessary to wait until the water boils.
2. Meanwhile, in a saucepan of a slightly larger size, you need to boil the previously finely chopped vegetables. In order for the broth to turn out to be fuller, it is advisable to take a smaller volume of water, so that it barely covers the vegetables.
3. Then boiled vegetables and millet are poured into the bowl of the mixer and carefully crushed to obtain a puree consistency.
4. The resulting mass is poured pre-boiled milk and brought to a boiling state. After that, the finished soup is removed from the stove.
5. Add salt preferably at the end of cooking. Depending on your preferences - you can add greens. Sour cream is added before you feed the baby.

Another tasty and healthy option is to add pumpkin to millet porridge. From the ingredients you need - one hundred and fifty grams of pumpkin, a tablespoon of butter, a pinch of salt, milk (or water) - two hundred milliliters, half a glass of millet. First, do not forget to thoroughly wash the cereal and vegetable. Then the pumpkin is cut into small cubes and placed with the millet in the pan. The contents are poured with water (or milk) and brought to a boil.

As in the first recipe, you will need to remove the resulting foam and add a pinch of salt. Then you need to wait until all the liquid has evaporated. Then you can add pre-boiled milk, it should be hot. Be sure to cover the pan and leave the contents to simmer for the next ten to fifteen minutes. Before feeding the baby, it is advisable to fill the millet with a spoon of butter. Porridge will be delicious and nutritious!

Learn more about how to cook millet porridge, you will learn from the following video.