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When to add rice to baby’s meals?
Rice feeds about half of the planet. This shows the “notoriety” of this cereal which, from the earliest times, has traveled to the plates of all families in the world! And the babies were not mistaken: small grains of rice (provided they are well cooked!) stall their stomachs and give them energy to spare! Rice can be placed on Baby’s plate around 7 months, just like pasta and semolina. Initially, it will take add the rice to its finely mixed purees by grinding it well. As your child’s chewing skills develop you will be able to chop him a little more coarsely.
What kind of rice to give my baby?
To vary from the traditional White rice and help your little one develop their taste, once the rice has been properly introduced into their meals, you can incorporate rice with more pronounced flavors such as:
- Basmati rice : originating in northern India or Pakistan, these refined grains have an aroma close to hazelnut and always remain soft after cooking.
- Thai rice : naturally scented, these fine grains are longer and wider than basmati. Very pleasant nature.
Can I give my baby brown rice?
Richer in fiber and minerals and more satiating, whole grains have many advantages. The wrapper around the grain of rice that has been preserved, contains many benefits. However, the other side of the coin is that whole grains and therefore whole rice are more difficult to digest for small intestines that are still immature. You will therefore have to wait until your baby is one year old to introduce brown rice gradually.
A tip: For the whole rice to be better digested, it is advisable to cook it a little longer than the white rice but also to choose an organic whole rice because the rind of the grain contains pesticides.
The different ways to cook rice
- Creole rice (or Indian) : the rice is rinsed, poured in rain in boiling water, cooked then cooled, drained and passed in the oven in a lightly buttered dish. Ideal cooking for preparing appetizers, mixed salads, soup garnishes (or blanquette of veal, American fish…).
- Rice pilaf (or pilaw) : the grains are slightly “pearly” in a sauté pan where we have browned finely chopped onion, then moistened with poultry broth or fish stock and flavored with a bouquet garni. It is then covered and baked for 15 min. Perfect for garnishing dishes with sauce.
- American rice : it is simply cooked in a large volume of water brought to a boil. Cooked covered, it then swells off the heat.
- Milk rice : first rinsed, it is then blanched in water and then poured into boiling milk flavored with vanilla. It cooks, covered, until the milk is completely absorbed. You can add a mixture of sugar, egg yolks or custard.
Ketchup station! A favorite sauce for children, it may (if you are not careful) to be associated with each of their meals. And there, hello calories! Not only is ketchup particularly sweet, it also contains a lot of salt and its acidity promotes tooth decay. So many reasons to “go soft” with this sauce. Rice or pasta with ketchup once or twice a week, that’s not bad… Try instead: 1 tablespoon of 5% liquid crème fraîche and a few drops of lemon juice or fresh tomato puree plus basil. |
10 rice recipes for babies
Introduce Baby to rice in all its forms! Easy and quick ideas to vary the pleasures …
- Apple mousse from 6 months
- Cream of rice with carrots from 9 months
- Rice dumplings with ham from 12 months
- Tuna risotto from 12 months
- Rice puree from 12 months
- Rice and mushroom soup from 12 months
- Veal in rice-broccoli cream from 12 months
- Strawberry risotto from 15 months
- Rice bread with salmon from 15 months
- White mice in rice pudding from 18 months