Cereals on baby’s plate

Perfectly suited to the menus of toddlers, cereals are suitable for countless savory or sweet preparations… There are indeed very few foods with which these little seeds do not adapt, and they are excellent in baby’s diet!

Why should I put – and how do I integrate – cereals in my infant’s bottles?

In general, the introduction of cereals in baby’s diet begins with the addition of cereals specially designed for the needs of infants, in the form of flakes and enriched with iron, in baby bottles. They are also a source of carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals. It is advisable to favor whole-grain infant cereals.

When to start infant cereals for the first age?

Infant cereals for the first age are introduced in parallel with the start of food diversification, between the 4th and the 6th month of baby, when it begins to need more energy and nutrients.

Recipes made with millet, barley or oats: which cereals to give my baby and at what age?

Cooked in water or steam, cereals retain all their nutritional qualities for our infants. Cooked this way, their flavors are also preserved and the grains do not stick together. From 8 months, they can be introduced into baby’s diet. On the other hand, to avoid the risk of Wrong way, it is important, at the beginning, to mix them roughly in its purees.

Millet, spelled, quinoa, so many delicious easy-to-cook cereals, which join oats, wheat semolina (couscous) or even bulgur, to buy in “organic” stores but also in your supermarket, often on the shelf. dietetic.

Oats: flaked cereals for the little gluttons

Rich in phosphorus, potassium, calcium, iron and zinc, this cereal from the Orient is added to fruit purees for babies, favorably calming the stomachs of the most greedy.

For example, you can cook a porridgeoat based and bananas for your baby from 9 months.

Sprouted wheat (or bulgur): a very digestible cereal for children

Bulgur is often known to mothers who consume dietetic products … or lucky women who know the recipe for “real” Lebanese tabbouleh! And if your baby is not more inspired by diet than by the “famous” tabbouleh, here is an example of a recipe more suitable for him: carrot bulgur (from 12 months)

Couscous (or durum wheat semolina): to cook in baby’s desserts

From fine semolina for the little ones to couscous (medium grains) for the adults, it is THE essential cereal for family menus. Sold “pre-cooked”, its preparation is extremely easy and quick.

For example, you can cook a cinnamon couscous for your baby, from 9 months.

Spelled: instead of rice in baby’s dishes

Instead of cooking a handful of rice to accompany baby fish and meats, try this cereal cultivated in Antiquity and brought up to date by the greatest tables in Provence. Its asset: be even richer in protein than wheat.

Thousand : cooks like semolina (same recipes)

Millet is a bit like wheat semolina, only better! Cultivated in Africa, this seed indeed contains even more minerals and vitamins B6.

People : tasty small round grains

It is its fine and sweet flavor that has made this cereal associated with many children’s dishes. Particularly digestible, millet can even be used alternately with oatmeal in the first porridge. It is cooked in three times its volume of water over low heat, 30 to 40 minutes. And don’t panic if you don’t see it changing its appearance: it doesn’t swell!

For example, you can cook a millet ratatouille for your baby, from 18 months.

Barley : the “granny” of cereals

Slightly sweet, it is one of the oldest cereals which, not very demanding on the climatic level, grows all over the world. So, no problem finding it in the “organic” section! Used in cooking in “pearl” form (after a special shelling process), this grain is ideal for making croquettes. With a beaten egg, an omelet and grated cheese, it changes the breaded fish.

Quinoa: “The rice of the Incas” which babies love

Cultivated at nearly 4 meters on the Bolivian Altiplano, these tiny seeds are served hot, as an accompaniment to vegetables or fish, or cold, in salads, like Taboulé. Their strengths: contain more protein than most other grains, be rich in fiber and thus facilitate the transit of children. But beware: during cooking (about 10 minutes), the grains release a foamy resin (natural phenomenon) which is better to remove with a skimmer.

For example, you can cook a quinoa tabbouleh for your baby from 12 months old.

Buckwheat (or kasha): to awaken baby’s taste buds

Some children with well-seasoned taste buds will surely appreciate this cereal. Also called “buckwheat”, it is eaten grilled in Eastern countries (we speak of “kasha”) or cooked in water. It is its flour which is at the origin of the famous Breton savory pancakes: buckwheat pancakes.

For example, you can cook a dish made with buckwheat and milk for your baby from 9 months.

Cornmeal (or polenta): full of vitamin A for babies

In Mexico, they make pancakes, the famous tortillas, which are used as bread. In Italy, it is cooked to make polenta: the semolina is cooked in boiling water, eaten as a soup, topped with milk, cream and grated cheese, or cut into pieces after cooling and served grilled with a meat dish. Perfect for toddlers, it’s the only grain that contains vitamin A (the vitamin that supports growth). It also contains fiber.

For example, you can cook a dish made with polenta and Comté for your baby from 9 months or polenta pancakes with tomato and mozzarella (from 12 months).

How to cook cereals?

By order of cooking time : polenta, buckwheat and couscous semolina (15 to 20 minutes), bulgur and millet (20 to 25 minutes), quinoa (35 to 40 minutes).

A tip to reduce cooking time: you can soak the cracked wheat and spelled the whole night. And we do not hesitate to cook them in this same water.

Can we give my baby cereal in the morning or in the evening?

It is quite possible to thicken baby’s bottles or cook him cereal-based dishes at any meal of the day. In fgeneral easy to digest, cereals remain a food very filling since they are made up of slow carbohydrates. In the evening, they can then help to appease baby’s hunger during the night and prevent him from waking up too often!