At what age can you give semolina to a child

2024 Author: James Gerald | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 14:00

Semolina is not included in the top of the most valuable cereals and, on the contrary, tops the list of the most useless. However, many mums and grandmothers find semolina porridge ideal for baby food. Is this really so, and at what age can it be given to a child?

Harmful or useful

When it comes time to introduce complementary foods, many parents choose to use cereals such as oatmeal, buckwheat or rice for this purpose. But semolina has recently been treated with great caution, some are even sure that it can harm the health of the baby.

In fact, this is not the case. Yes, semolina is not included in the number of useful products, but it also cannot bring much harm if used correctly.

Some vitamins and microelements are still present in cereals, albeit in minimal quantities. The fact is that the main part of valuable substances is concentrated in the shell of grain (wheat), and semolina is already processed, that is, a crushed wheat product containing only residual traces of useful elements.

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Semolina contains:

• vegetable proteins;
• vitamins B and PP;
• minerals.

The advantages of this cereal include energy intensity, saturation and speed of preparation.

Semolina porridge saturates the body with energy, which is very important, especially for mobile children of any age. But you can give it only in small quantities, so as not to provoke problems with the gastrointestinal tract.

Disadvantages:

1. The indicators of the nutritional value of semolina are lower than those of other types of cereals due to the lowest content of vitamin and mineral compounds.
2. The phytin present in the composition interferes with the absorption of iron, as well as vitamin D and calcium. Therefore, such porridge is called rickets and it is recommended to limit its consumption to children under one year old.
3. Semolina contains a large amount of gluten, an indigestible protein that also causes allergies in many children.
4. The cereal contains gliodin, a substance that has a negative effect on the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, which is especially harmful for children under one year old.
5. Semolina is a very high-calorie dish, so its frequent use can lead to obesity.

At what age can you give semolina

Pediatricians do not recommend starting complementary foods with semolina. And E. Komarovsky is generally convinced that semolina is a useless product that should be used only for the sake of energy, since cereals are rich in carbohydrates.

In any case, you should not completely exclude semolina from the children's diet, but every mother needs to know at what age it can be given to the child and in what quantities.

1. Up to 12 months. Until this age, experts do not recommend giving semolina to a child due to the imperfection of his digestive system, which may not be able to cope with such a load, because semolina contains a lot of gliodin, gluten and phytin.
2. From one to three years. Semolina can already be introduced into the baby's diet, but only in minimal quantities and given no more than 1 time / week. At this age, children are best suited for porridge with a liquid consistency, which they eat with great pleasure.
3. Over three years old. The restrictions associated with the use of this product can be removed, but you should not abuse chopped wheat. The frequency of feeding with semolina can be increased up to twice a week. A child at this age can eat both liquid and thick porridge.

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Possible problems

Gluten (gluten), which is part of semolina, is essentially a healthy vegetable protein, but in the case of babies, it can cause problems with the gastrointestinal tract. The fact is that it glues the villi of an incompletely formed intestinal epithelium, which threatens the development of inflammatory processes due to a violation of the absorption of nutrients.

In addition, this protein can provoke allergies, so pediatricians recommend abandoning semolina in favor of corn or buckwheat.

Gliadin is another protein component that also promotes adhesion of the villous epithelium, which can lead to intestinal tissue necrosis and the development of celiac disease in a child with a genetic predisposition to this disease. Over time, many experts are sure that chronic inflammation can transform into a malignant tumor.

The phytin contained in semolina is an excellent antioxidant that has a beneficial effect on liver function. But for a growing organism, this substance is more harmful than useful. The fact is that phytin interferes with the absorption of such valuable elements as magnesium, calcium and zinc.

In addition, it slows down the absorption of vitamin D and iron, which creates favorable conditions for the development of rickets. Although the opinions of experts differ on this score, there is very little phytin in the semolina, so it can only serve as an additional factor.

How to cook properly

The kid will be happy to eat semolina porridge, if cooked correctly. For very young children, it is best to give food in liquid form so that it is convenient to drink from a bottle. A child from the age of one year can be offered already thick porridge.

Regardless of the consistency of the product, it is recommended to cook cereals no more than 1/4 hour.

1. First, the water is brought to a boil, after which, stirring constantly, pour the cereal. For convenience, you can use a plastic funnel. This method of preparation avoids the formation of lumps.
2. After 8-10 minutes of continuous cooking, add milk and sugar (if necessary) to the dish, bring to a boil and immediately remove from heat.
3. To make the porridge more healthy and tasty, you can add berries or pieces of fruit to it.

Summarize

Questions regarding feeding babies have always come first before parents. But now it is difficult for modern mothers to make a choice in favor of one or another product because of the huge range of baby food offered by the food industry.

Nevertheless, experts are sure that it is better to feed a child with porridge, but they do not advise choosing semolina for this, since it contains few valuable elements. At the same time, it is very nutritious and rich in carbohydrates, which provide the growing body with energy.

It is recommended to start feeding semolina porridge when the child reaches the age of 12 months, not earlier. It is best for small children to give semolina in liquid form; for children 2-3 years old, you can cook thick porridge.