At the age of 5-6 months, the child begins to show interest in adult food. He can watch how adults take it, open his mouth, pull a spoon to himself. This suggests that the child’s body begins to give signals about the readiness to change the usual diet. This is also evidenced by the skills of the crumbs, in particular, the ability to take objects with the thumb and forefinger, hold them pieces of food and draw them into the mouth. Most often, cereals are included in baby food, since they are the sources of useful elements for the baby. The article will consider the types of such products and the reviews of parents about it.
Age for feeding
The advice of pediatricians regarding the first introduction of products as complementary foods is based on the recommendations of the World Health Organization and the Russian Ministry of Health. It is recommended to start with hypoallergenic porridge, especially if it concerns children who are prone to negative reactions to any products. As a rule, the introduction of solid food into a child’s diet starts from 4-6 months. This condition is relevant in the case when the baby is ready to receive additional products.
You can understand this by the following signs:
- The readiness of the brain and nervous system (due to the fact that infants up to 5-7 months have a reflex in which solid food is pushed out by the root of the tongue back. By the specified time, it gradually fades away, and the baby begins to react differently when pieces get into the mouth food).
- Maturation of the gastrointestinal tract (by 5-7 months, useful enzymes begin to form in the stomach - enzymes that help digest solid foods).
Other causes, such as age, sitting ability, first teeth, underweight, supplementary feeding should not be taken into account. Many mothers are faced with the template designation of the beginning of the introduction of complementary foods. Doctors suggest starting with a hypoallergenic cereal to minimize the risk of an undesirable food reaction. Moreover, against the background of other products, they are distinguished by good digestibility.
Types and differences
In the retail network you can find a large selection of hypoallergenic baby cereals for every taste. The first three types of cereals are not offered by chance, as they are well tolerated. These are corn, buckwheat and rice. Reviews of pediatricians boil down to the fact that this product is quite energy-intensive for the child's body, and therefore it is used in small quantities. This is especially true for babies who are breastfeeding.
For children who are on artificial feeding, the introduction of hypoallergenic porridge as a feed can serve as an additional source of useful vitamins and minerals. Enriched with valuable components, they carry the probiotics necessary for the developing organism, omega-3 fatty acids.
Especially cereals are distinguished, which in their composition have several different cereals. By their benefits and nutritional value, they can compete with many single-component similar products.
Features of each cereal
It is worth paying attention to reviews of hypoallergenic cereals, in particular, to what benefit those or other cereals have in themselves. Below are the characteristics that are given to these products by the parents of the babies:
- Many produce rice groats. It belongs to the lowest allergenic, helps strengthen and cleanse nerve cells, does not contain gluten, but can strengthen the stool and cause constipation.
- Buckwheat is also gluten-free, it is easily absorbed by the body, does not cause an allergic reaction.
- Corn grits helps to eliminate constipation, cleans toxins, and normalizes the digestion process.
- Barley strengthens the immune system, cleanses the body, is well absorbed.
- Oatmeal contains gluten, but at the same time improves immunity, increases vitality.
- Wheat porridge also belongs to easily digestible, but has gluten in the structure, favorably affects the process of hematopoiesis and improves memory.
- The most allergenic porridge is semolina, but at the same time it is low-calorie, contributes to the proper functioning of the intestine.
Reasons for choosing a special porridge
Each manufacturer tries to describe his product in the best possible way, but there is nothing more reliable than personal experience. Therefore, when choosing a hypoallergenic porridge, many parents rely on the feedback of more experienced ones. This allows you to determine the features and benefits of each product at minimal cost. If we talk about this in general terms, it is worth noting the convenience of preparing cereals from a reliable producer (in particular, it does not require cooking).
In numerous reviews there are comments that cereals undergo careful control in cereals that are specially designed for baby food. This allows you to be sure about the quality of the purchased products. You can also say with confidence that most brands offer cereals based on pure raw materials, without GMOs, artificial additives, salt and dyes.
How to choose a manufacturer
Undoubtedly, it is worth giving preference to well-known and long-established manufacturers of baby food on the market. Do not save on quality, as this may affect the health status of your baby. Nevertheless, questions remain regarding which hypoallergenic cereals are suitable for a baby, how to choose a good product?
The main attention should be paid to the packaging and a full description of the product, its composition, the availability of exact location coordinates and communication with the manufacturer. A warning should be the absence of any of these items, a crumpled or opened box.
We study the composition and age
In products intended for the first feeding, should not be in the composition of flavoring additives, flavor enhancers, sugar. Since the first cereals are introduced into the menu of a baby under the age of one year, this is especially important. The earliest hypoallergenic cereals are rice and buckwheat. Their pediatricians recommend injecting from four months. At five, you can start trying a new corn-based product. Such porridge in finished form is similar to semolina in consistency.
In addition to age, you should pay attention to the following types of products:
- Dairy-free - suitable for children whose body does not digest cow protein from birth.
- Dairy - for babies who do not suffer from food allergies and their body absorbs this product well.
- Based on sour-milk components - you can offer children who are already used to such a diet and an adult wants to make a difference in their diet.
Modern manufacturers offer drinking cereals, which are delivered in cardboard boxes like juice or plastic jars like yogurt. From the first year of life, it is possible to introduce multicomponent products into the baby’s diet, with pieces of berries and fruits, pre- and probiotics.
Dairy free
Choosing a hypoallergenic porridge for children, parents are advised to start with dairy-free. This is due to the fact that the composition of such products is perceived by the child without the risk of a negative food reaction. The cereals that are offered on a dairy-free basis do not contain sugar, flavor enhancers, fructose. This reduces the risk of negative effects on the gastrointestinal tract of the child. Also, do not lose sight of the category of babies that in infancy suffer from infectious diseases of the intestine or lactase deficiency.
Among the representatives of baby food companies are: Frutonyanya, Nestle, Baby, Babushkino Lukoshko, Hipp, Bebi, Heinz, Fleur Alpine Organic, Baby Sitter, "Winnie", "Agusha." At the time of purchase of porridge of a particular brand, you should pay attention to the composition. Some manufacturers indicate a slight presence of milk in their products. This may be an important factor in refusing to purchase this porridge for those consumers whose children suffer from lactose intolerance.
Milk based
Much easier is the case with the introduction of porridge for complementary foods for children who are not dependent on food reactions or lactase deficiency. Therefore, in this case, it may turn out that every hypoallergenic porridge is the best. And this is a definite plus, as the choice for parents is not limited to any one producer or type of cereal. Here you can pay attention to the preference of the baby.
On a milk basis, cereals are offered by the following manufacturers: Agusha, Frutonyanya, Nestle, Bebi Premium, Bibikol, Nutrilon. These manufacturers have positively recommended themselves not only in terms of sales estimates, but also parental reviews. It is worth noting that the main feature that mothers pay attention to is the good solubility of porridge, the absence of lumps in the cooking process, sugar and aromatic additives. Another important factor is the price, which determines the choice of a brand.
Gluten free
A separate product category is the absence of gluten in porridge. This is a protein that is of plant origin. Its high content is noted in cereals such as oats, millet, wheat, barley. Despite the fact that it is useful for the body, at the same time it is a product that is difficult to digest. Therefore, infants up to a year, it is better to exclude the presence of this ingredient.
As one of the side effects after eating gluten-containing products, symptoms of gas formation appear. A baby may begin to have an upset stomach, bloating.
There is also a small percentage of people whose body is unable to metabolize gluten. A disease that has an established diagnosis is called "celiac disease." The peculiarity lies in the hereditary nature of this ailment. Therefore, parents who have this disease have a history of carefully choosing a gluten-free cereal.
Judging by the reviews of mothers, the following brands can be distinguished: “Baby Sitter”, “Vinnie”, “Grandmother’s basket”, “Frutonyanya”, “BelLakt”, “Agusha”. Begin with buckwheat, rice or corn porridge, the age of input as complementary foods is from four months.
Fleur alpine
It is worth highlighting a wide range of products from the manufacturer "Fleur Alpine": hypoallergenic buckwheat porridge, rice (including based on cow and goat milk), wheat on goat milk. They are available for input as a complementary food for children from four months. A little later it is recommended to introduce: oatmeal in goat milk, as well as with a pear; corn with prebiotics. Since six months, the manufacturer has been offering an option from a mixture of two cereals: oat and barley flour. The product contains whole milk powder and maltodextrin, whole grain spelled (spelled) flour. Starting from ten months of age, porridge based on wheat and oat powder mass, with the addition of slices of apple and banana, vitamin B1, is offered.
Nestle
Numerous reviews by experienced users boil down to the fact that hypoallergenic porridges “Nestle” are preferred: buckwheat, rice, corn. This manufacturer offers three categories of cereals that can be selected for kids of any age:
- Dairy-free: buckwheat, corn, oat, multigrain (5 cereals) and rice.
- Dairy: corn, buckwheat, rice, wheat, oat (as well as with a banana and pear), multi-cereal (with apple, raspberries and blueberries, with peach and pear, with an apple and banana).
- “Help” dairy-free cereals: with the fake color of Happy Dreams, 5 cereals, wheat and oats with prunes. This line also contains yogurt dairy products with 3 types of cereals and various toppings (apple and pear, strawberries and bananas).
- "Shagayka", from twelve months, milk and 5 cereals: peach, apple, garden strawberry, raspberry, pear.
Ready to Eat Porridge
To help a mother on the road or an adult while caring for the baby can cereal is already cooked and packaged in small containers such as jars or boxes of tetra pack. In their composition, they can have fruits and berries, yogurt, cottage cheese, several types of cereals. It is necessary to take a responsible approach to the selection of such a product. The peculiarity is that this porridge has a short shelf life, and in the open form only a few hours.
Finished products are very convenient to take with you on the road or going on a visit. Among the brands that are popular with moms, one can distinguish:
- "Frutonyanya" - 5 cereals with prunes (recommended from six months, before bedtime, improves digestion); oatmeal - with a banana, apple and berries; rice - apple and apricot, wheat and fruits, apple and buckwheat; "Before bedtime" - rice with raspberries, wheat.
- “Agusha” - with prebiotics and a vitamin complex: oatmeal with raspberries, wheat with pumpkin, cereals.
- “Filling” - pear and banana, rice;
- "Themselves with a mustache" - in milk with inulin rice, wheat (including pumpkin), 5 cereals, rice-corn with a banana.
- “Bellakt” - buckwheat (including dairy-free), multi-cereal;
- "Heinz" - 5 cereals.
The above products include milk.
Opinion of parents
Reviews of parents in most cases are based on the recommendations of doctors. It should be borne in mind that it is necessary to start introducing adult foods into food with dairy-free hypoallergenic cereals: buckwheat, rice, corn, as described above. Only after looking at the child’s reaction can other cereals be added.
Many note the positive experience of taking hypoallergenic porridge "Nestle", "Vinnie", "Frutonyani" and other popular brands.
Doctors advise paying attention not only to the price, but also to the composition. It determines the admissibility of making this product in the baby’s diet. Particular attention should be paid to shelf life when it comes to the finished product, the integrity of the packaging and the absence of swelling of the lid. Any signs indicating poor quality or spoilage of products should alert the buyer.