Porridge is one of the best foods when you are looking for a satiating breakfast or snack option for your little one. It is highly nutritious and versatile food item that can be teamed with numerous other ingredients to make it even more delicious and healthy. You can try following porridge recipes for babies.
When can you introduce your baby to porridge?
You can introduce your baby to porridge as soon as the baby is ready for solid food options. This is usually around six to seven months of age. Oats and Ragi porridge make for good choices for infants when you want to wean them off.
What are the benefits of porridge for children?
Here are some prominent benefits of porridge for babies and kids:
- Porridge has very high fiber content per serving. This helps to aid the digestive system of babies and toddlers. It is a great way to find relief from constipation in children and adults both.
- It is an easy-to-make, quick cooking, filling, and nutritious morning food for school going children. It is especially a yummy dish for the winter months.
- A healthy bowl of porridge prevents children from frequent snacking and keeps their tummies full for longer periods.
- Porridge boosts metabolism and yields instant energy for active children.
- You can cook it with an array of ingredients to make both sweet and salty dishes to suit your little one’s moods and tastes.
- Porridge can be made with different base ingredients such as oats, rice, ragi or barley which are individually of great nutritional value to your child.
11 Easy and Healthy Porridge Recipes For Babies
- Banana Apple Rice Porridge
- Carrots and spring onion porridge
- Barley carrot kheer
- Peach and Sweet Potato Barley Porridge
- Apple and Oats Porridge
- Masala Oats (Kids over 12 years of age)
- Mango, Banana, and Sattu Porridge
- Ragi Porridge
- Jowar and Vegetable Porridge (For children over 12 months of age)
- Instant Bajra Porridge (For kids over 12 months of age)
- Carrot Broccoli and Foxtail Millet Porridge
Rice Porridge Recipes for babies
Image Source: serious eats
Also read: 7 food charts (Bonus Recipes) for 0-2 year babies
One of the first foods introduced to children is rice. The benefits of including rice in your child’s diet include:
- Rice is a non-allergen food.
- Rice is a great source of B-complex vitamins.
- It keeps your child feeling energetic.
- It is very easy for babies to digest.
- It soothes conditions like eczema.
- It is a popular cure for dysentery and diarrhea.
#1. Banana Apple Rice Porridge
This recipe offers a nutritious mix of iron, Vitamin A, dietary fiber, Vitamin B-6, and healthy carbohydrates. It is a yummy, fruity twist on the regular porridge.
Ingredients:
- Peeled and chopped ripe banana – 1
- Peeled and chopped ripe apple – 1
- Ground cinnamon – ½ tsp.
- Cooked rice – ½ cup
- Breast milk or baby formula
Directions:
- Steam the peeled apple in a pressure cooker.
- Transfer the steamed apple and banana into a bowl.
- Add cinnamon and mash with a fork.
- Blend the apple and banana mixture with the rice in a mixer.
- Add the breast milk or baby formula to get the consistency that you want.
- For children older than 1 year of age, you can use cow’s milk or soy milk as other options.
#2. Carrots and spring onion porridge
This recipe is suitable for children above one year of age. It contains Vitamin A from the carrots and iron from spring onions. It also offers ample dietary fiber and healthy carbs from the porridge.
Ingredients:
- Rice – 1 cup
- Spring onion – 3 stalks
- Carrot – 1
- Water – 5-8 cups
- Salt to taste
Directions:
- Soak the rice in water.
- Slice the spring onion into big pieces.
- Dice the carrots.
- In a pressure cooker, cook the rice, spring onion, and carrots until they are soft.
- Make sure the spring onion is removed before feeding the child.
- The carrot chunks should be mashed before feeding the child.
Barley Porridge Recipes
Image Source: healthyhappyhelping
Barley is one of the most nutritional grains available. The benefits of barley for children include:
- It provides your child with a good source of fiber.
- It contains phosphorus and calcium that makes the bones stronger.
- The copper content in barley enables better absorption of iron.
- It keeps the liver healthy.
- It helps prevent any fungal infections in the body.
Read More: 7 Best (& Proven) Home Remedies to Treat Low Iron in Kids
#3. Barley carrot kheer
Ingredients:
- Carrot, peeled and cubed- 1
- Coarse barley powder- 2 tablespoons
- Water- As needed
- Breast milk or formula- ½ cup
- Cardamom powder- a pinch
- Jaggery- ½ tbsp.
- Ghee- 1 tbsp.
Directions:
- Soak the barley for 10 minutes.
- Puree the carrot with some water.
- In a pot, cook the barley until you have a smooth mixture.
- Add in the carrot puree and mix for about 2 minutes on a low flame.
- Mix in the jaggery and cardamom powder.
- Let the excess water evaporate. Take it off the heat.
- Mix in the breast milk or formula and ghee before serving.
- If your child is over 1 year of age, you can replace the jaggery with sugar or honey.
- You may also make the carrot puree with cow’s milk directly.
#4. Peach and Sweet Potato Barley Porridge
Ingredients:
- Cooked and peeled Sweet Potatoes- 1 cup
- Peach puree- ½ cup
- Cooked barley- 1 cup
- Ginger-1 pinch
- Nutmeg- 1 pinch (for babies over 8 months of age)
- Cinnamon- 1 pinch
- Breast milk or formula (for babies under 12 months) / Cow’s Milk (for babies over 12 months)
Directions:
- In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients together.
- Mash them well until you have a smooth paste.
- Mix in the breast milk/cow’s milk/formula as per the consistency that you prefer.
Oats Porridge Recipes
Image Source: veg Recipe of india
You might also like: Food Chart for 6 months baby
Oats are the easiest to cook. They are also extremely filling. The health benefits of oats for your baby include:
- Oats tend to retain all the nutrients even after being cooked. This is because oats are a full grain food.
- They provide a great source of fiber that improves bowel movements in babies.
- It is one of the richest sources of iron. With just quarter cup of oats, your child can get about 8% of the daily-recommended dose of iron.
- Oats provide zinc and iron that are of great importance to keep the baby’s appetite healthy.
#5. Apple and Oats Porridge
Ingredients:
- Peeled and chopped apples- 1
- Cereal oats- 3 tablespoons
- Breast milk/Formula for children under the age of 12 months
- Cow’s milk for children over the age of 12 months
Directions:
- In a saucepan, boil water and cook the oats in it.
- In a pressure cooker, steam the apples.
- In a blender, puree the apples after they are cooked.
- Mix the cooked oats and the pureed apples.
- Add the breast milk or cow’s milk to get the consistency that you need.
Also Read: Read the Benefits of RAGI AS A SUPER FOOD for your Baby
#6. Masala Oats (Kids over 12 years of age)
Ingredients:
- Chopped onions- 1
- Chopped tomato- 1
- Chopped garlic- 1 clove
- Cumin Powder- 1 pinch
- Turmeric powder- 1 pinch
- Cereal oats- 3 tbsp.
- Oil- 1 tbsp.
Directions:
- In a pot, heat some oil. Sauté the onions and garlic until the onions are pink.
- Add the tomatoes and allow them to cook slightly.
- Mix in the dry spice powders and stir until the oil leaves the sides.
- Add the cereal oats and stir gently.
- Pour in water enough to cover the contents of the pot.
- Close and let the oats cook. Stir occasionally to avoid lumps.
- You can serve with a tbsp. of ghee or even a dollop of butter.
Sattu Porridge Recipes
Image Source: worldofmoms
Sattu porridge is a traditional food given to babies in India. It is meant to help the baby gains weight. The benefits of Sattu for your baby include:
- Sattu is a great source of protein.
- Magnesium in sattu helps better absorption of calcium.
- Sattu keeps the energy levels high.
- It is one of the best sources of fiber.
- It contains several vitamins that aid the better development of your child’s body.
#7. Mango, Banana, and Sattu Porridge
Ingredients:
- Sattu powder – 3 tbsp.
- Water – ½ cup
- Jaggery dissolved in water – 1 tbsp.
- Breastmilk/Formula for children under the age of 12 months
- Cow’s milk for children over the age of 12 months
- Chopped mango – ½
- Chopped banana -1
Directions:
- In a saucepan, boil some water and add the sattu powder.
- Allow it to cook until it is smooth.
- Keep stirring until it is of porridge consistency.
- Add the breast milk/formula/cow’s milk and mix well.
- If your child is under 12 months of age, puree the mango and banana and mix it in.
- For older children, you can mash the fruits and add them in.
Millet Porridge Recipes
Image Source: genious kitchen
Millets are known to be the first grain consumed by mankind. In India, Jowar, Ragi, Bajra, Korra, Senwa, Sama, Arke, and Chena are the eight types of millets used. They are completely gluten-free and have several health benefits for your child such as:
- They contain several vitamins and minerals such as iron, phosphorus, and calcium.
- They are among the best sources of fiber.
- Millets contain a great amount of protein.
- They also improve the function of the kidneys, strengthen the muscles, and aid the production of hormones and enzymes.
#8. Ragi Porridge
Ingredients:
- Fresh ragi – ½ cup
- Jaggery – 2 tbsp.
Directions:
- Wash and clean the ragi.
- Soak it in clean water overnight.
- The next morning, blend the soaked ragi in a mixture.
- Heat some water in a pan.
- Add the pureed ragi and allow it to cook. Once it is done, take it off the heat.
- In a cup of water, dissolve the jaggery.
- Mix the cooked ragi and the jaggery syrup together to make porridge.
#9. Jowar and Vegetable Porridge (For children over 12 months of age)
Ingredients:
- Powdered jowar – ½ cup
- Oil – 1 tsp
- Chopped mixed vegetables (Include cauliflower, green peas, carrots and French beans) – 1 cup
- Mustard seeds for seasoning
- Asafoetida- a pinch
Directions:
- In a bowl, boil the water.
- Add the vegetables and the salt to it.
- Cover and let the vegetables cook till they are tender.
- Mix in the jowar powder and stir until it is cooked. Keep stirring to avoid lumps.
- In a separate pan, heat some oil.
- Add the mustard seeds and the hing. Allow the mustard seeds to crackle.
- Season the jowar pudding with the mustard and serve.
#10. Instant Bajra Porridge (For kids over 12 months of age)
Ingredients:
- Cooked bajra – 1 cup
- Buttermilk – 2 cups
- Salt as per taste
Directions:
- In a bowl, mix the cooked bajra and the buttermilk together.
- Mix in some salt.
- If your baby is not 12 months old, you can skip the salt and just make porridge with buttermilk and bajra.
Also Read:21 Weight Gain Foods for Babies
#11. Carrot Broccoli and Foxtail Millet Porridge
Ingredients:
- Chopped Carrot – ¼ cup
- Foxtail Millet or Millet powder of your choice – 2 tbsp.
- Garlic powder – a pinch
- Ginger powder – a pinch
- Cumin powder – a pinch
- Water – 1 cup
Directions:
- Wash and clean the broccoli and carrots.
- In a pot, boil water and add the millet and the vegetables.
- Allow it to cook until the vegetables are tender and the millet is soft.
- Smash the food or run it in a blender before you serve it.
Porridge is a perfect solution for mums who constantly worry about their little one’s nutritious intake. It is also a great food option for the mothers who are short on time and yet want to give something quick and wholesome to the baby without compromising on the health benefits.
Porridge can easily become your kiddo’s comfort food that you can give almost every day and your child will not tire of it. So go ahead, try out these recipes, and share your feedback with us.
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