Milk porridges for baby food in packaging can be based not only on cow’s milk, but also on goat’s milk. Despite the fact that their choice is still small, many mothers give them preference, believing that they are more healthy and nutritious.
Indeed, according to some data, goat's milk is absorbed 5 times faster than cow's milk, has a bactericidal effect and has a positive effect on a number of diseases. The composition of goat's milk differs from both the composition of human milk and the composition of cow's milk. The predominance of the casein protein fraction allows cow and goat milk to be classified into one group, while the whey protein fraction predominates in human milk.
Baby food products made with goat's milk should be treated very carefully, as they are not hypoallergenic and are not recommended for patients with an allergy to cow's milk protein. Regardless of whether the child has an allergy or not, goat milk can cause it, since it has a similar set of proteins. It is not recommended to give porridge with goat's milk to a child unless absolutely necessary before the age of seven months.
The benefits of porridge with goat milk
Goat's milk differs from cow's milk in composition. It is more reminiscent of mother's milk, which is important for a child's first year of life. Does not contain cow protein, which so often provokes the development of allergic reactions. It is because of this that not only children, but also nursing mothers are forced to follow a strict diet.
Composition and nutritional properties
Goat milk is rich in antioxidants, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and iron. It contains phosphorus and manganese. Cow's milk has a poorer composition in terms of minerals and nutrients, especially potassium. But it contains a little more vitamins than goat milk. It also contains a high content of lactose, to which intolerance often develops.
Goat milk proteins are absorbed faster, interacting gently with the digestive system. In addition, it has antibacterial properties, which is why it does not spoil for quite a long time.
Recipe for making delicious cottage cheese based on fresh goat milk
Making goat milk cottage cheese for babies is not difficult. The recipe provided describes each step in detail. The reward for the mother will be the smile of her child when he tastes the treat. Tasty and healthy cottage cheese will not leave your baby indifferent.
Step by step recipe
1. Fresh goat milk (1 liter) is poured into a deep enamel pan; it must be heated over medium heat to a temperature of 40 degrees.
2. Slowly add low-fat yogurt (about 700 grams) there, mix everything until a homogeneous consistency is formed.
3. The pan is removed from the heat, wrapped tightly in a warm towel and left to steep overnight.
4. In the morning, when you open the lid, you will notice that the mass has thickened a little. It will need to be stirred again and put on low heat.
5. After 20 minutes, the contents of the pan are stirred again. The intensity of the action depends on the desired consistency of the finished cottage cheese. The more often you stir, the thinner it will turn out.
6. When the mass reaches a temperature of 80 degrees, the pan is removed from the gas and placed in a basin filled with cold water. It is advisable to replace it so that the contents cool quickly.
7. The colander is covered with a thick gauze napkin. The contents of the pan are poured into it. You need to put it in the refrigerator overnight.
8. The whey will be released through the colander, and then the finished curd will remain in the gauze napkin.
Of course, the procedure for preparing goat milk cottage cheese for babies takes a lot of time, but the result is worth it. The product prepared at home will turn out incredibly tasty, and most importantly, healthy.
How to choose the right cereal
Stool in newborns during breastfeeding
Cereals for a child must be chosen carefully so as not to harm digestion.
Note! It is recommended to start complementary feeding with cereals that do not contain gluten, which can lead to allergic reactions.
In the ranking of cereals recommended for starting complementary feeding, the following are in first place:
- buckwheat;
- corn;
- rice
They are easily digestible and rich in vitamins and microelements. Buckwheat should be light and homogeneous; it is better to take unparboiled rice. The main thing is that there are fewer pre-treatments. Such cereals have greater benefits.
And now - let's prepare
It's time to talk about how to cook milk porridge for a child.
- Wash the cereal thoroughly and then dry it by spreading it in a thin layer on a kitchen towel.
- Usually take 2 teaspoons of cereal per glass of milk.
- Oatmeal and semolina are poured into boiling water, the remaining cereals are poured into cold water and put on fire.
- The liquid should evaporate gradually, so cook over low heat.
- To prevent the porridge from burning, it must be stirred constantly.
- Just cool the finished porridge at first. Gradually, you can begin to improve the dish with a small amount of salt, sugar, butter, fruit puree.
Let me remind you that if your baby has a tendency to allergies, gluten grains and milk are introduced into his diet later.
If you want to make do with ready-made milk porridges for baby food, choose those that are appropriate for the baby’s age. Make sure that the product does not contain preservatives, GMOs, flavors, or salt. The minimum amount of sugar is acceptable.
As you can see, milk porridge is not such a simple, understandable and harmless dish as you probably thought before. But if you prepare it correctly and give it to your child at the right time, observing portion sizes and avoiding excesses (in the form of honey, condensed milk, jam), the risk of undesirable consequences will be minimal, and your baby’s diet will be replenished with many substances useful for its development.
If a child over one year old does not eat well, watch the online course “Eating with pleasure: restoring a healthy appetite to the child.”
- WHO complementary feeding table
- Complementary foods for babies by month when breastfeeding
- Allergies in a newborn baby
When to introduce milk porridges
Why does a child have cloudy urine? Does sediment mean an infection?
Complementary feeding is usually introduced after the baby is 6 months old. Newborns need breast milk or are fed with adapted formulas. They begin their acquaintance with adult food with vegetables, then after 2-3 weeks they move on to cereal dishes.
Sometimes pediatricians recommend introducing porridge first:
- if the baby is slowly gaining weight;
- he is worried about stool disorder.
First, babies are offered gluten-free cereals, starting with small portions. The new product is given before lunch, no more than half a teaspoon.
Introducing new foods
The porridge should be cooked in water without adding salt and sugar, be sure to monitor the reaction. After the baby gets used to the new food, move on to oat and wheat cereals. This usually occurs at the age of 10-11 months. Then you can offer your child milk porridge.
Important! Cow's milk is not recommended for use up to a year; goat's milk, if necessary, can be offered after becoming familiar with gluten-free cereals. However, it is advisable to abstain from it until the age of 9 months. First, boil the milk, diluting it with water.
Rules for introducing porridge into the infant menu
A new product is not offered to an infant if it is unhealthy. A slight malaise is a reason to leave the child on the usual menu. Do not give complementary foods 3 days before and after vaccination.
Buckwheat porridge should have such a consistency that it can be given to a child from a bottle, through a pacifier. The first complementary food is no more than 5-7 grams (about half a teaspoon). Over the course of 7 days, the daily portion is increased and brought to the required volume.
For the next 14 days, the baby receives only one type of complementary food in the same quantity. No new food additives are introduced during this period.
Such caution is necessary to understand the negative reaction of the child’s body to a particular product.
Buckwheat porridge should be given during the second feeding. This will make it possible to monitor the child’s condition. If the baby stubbornly refuses buckwheat porridge for 3 weeks, then consultation with a specialist is required.
How to Calculate Serving Size
The rate of porridge consumption depends on feeding:
- artificial feeding from the first hours of birth;
- early complementary feeding due to lack of breast milk;
- breast milk.
For the first time, all children, without exception, are offered no more than half a teaspoon of buckwheat porridge made from flour. Breast milk or formula is a filler supplement.
Every day the dose increases by 10-12 grams. After two weeks of complementary feeding, the portion of porridge for a baby on breast milk should be 150 grams, for an artificial baby - 180 grams, for early complementary feeding - 180 grams.
Cooking porridge with goat milk
Goat milk porridge for infants is usually prepared from crushed cereals. They can be ground in advance in a blender. The cereals are boiled until softened in water, and at the end milk is added until the desired consistency is achieved. It must first be boiled and cooled.
You can prepare porridge, then blend it with milk in a blender. Up to a year, the dish does not need to be salted or added sugar. It is not forbidden to add butter.
How to cook wheat porridge
Wheat porridge with milk for a child is prepared from the following ingredients:
- Water – 0.5 liters;
- Goat milk – 0.5 liters;
- Wheat cereal – 150-200 grams;
- Butter – 20 grams.
Washed wheat grits are boiled in water until tender. Then butter is added, the dish is filled with boiled milk and mixed. If the child has not mastered chewing skills, the dish is crushed with a blender.
Note! The smallest children should be served food at a temperature no higher than 40 degrees. If the child is older than one year, then you can lightly salt and add sugar.
A multicooker equipped with a special “Porridge” mode will make it easier to cook a simple recipe. All that remains is to prepare the ingredients, and the smart device will finish the job.
Wheat porridge
Names of store-bought cereals
Store-bought porridges for children made with goat's milk are presented in a wide range of products in stores. They are produced on the basis of a whole product or adapted milk formulas. The rating of the best nutrition for infants and newborns is given in the table below.
Trademark | Goat milk type | Types of cereals | Features of the composition |
Baby | whole milk | oatmeal, buckwheat | Designed for children who are underweight and often suffer from infectious pathologies. The composition contains prebiotics that promote the formation of beneficial microflora in the intestines. No fruit additives are used |
Bibikasha | adapted milk-based formula | buckwheat, corn, oatmeal, rice | This is an organic, environmentally friendly product. Contains maltodextrin and prebiotics. There are no fruit additives in porridges |
Fleur Alpin | whole milk | oatmeal, buckwheat, rice | For production, environmentally friendly, whole grain is used. There are no fruit additives in the composition. Porridges contain vitamin B1. The carbohydrate component is supplemented with maltodextrin |
Cabrita | adapted mixture | buckwheat, rice | Porridges are enriched with minerals, prebiotics and vitamins. Fruit additives available |
Mamako | whole milk | corn, buckwheat, rice, oatmeal, 5 grains | Baby food is produced using HTUST technology. Thanks to this, the natural minerals and vitamins in the product are preserved. There is no salt in porridge. Contains fruit additives, sucrose, prebiotics, maltodextrin |
Goat milk porridge can be purchased at a store or pharmacy in the baby food department, or ordered online. According to reviews from mothers, the brands of ready-made cereals for infants described above are well digestible, nutritious, and do not cause allergies.
Complementary feeding norms up to one year
Whole milk is not recommended for children under one year of age. Goat milk is easier to digest, so it is sometimes used for making porridges from 9 months onwards. It is necessary to dilute it with water in a ratio of 1:4. When the child gets used to it, usually after 3-4 weeks, you can increase the portion of milk. At 11 months, with a normal reaction, the liquids are mixed in equal proportions.
How often to give
It is not recommended to cook porridge with goat's milk every day for a child, especially for children under one year old. Excessive consumption of the product puts a lot of stress on the baby's kidneys.
Quantity
You need to start with a small portion, gradually increasing it. For the first time, the baby tries 2-3 milliliters of ready-made milk, that is, diluted with water. Therefore, you should start with one teaspoon of porridge. One serving per year is approximately 150-200 grams.
What can be combined with
If the baby is not allergic to cow's milk protein, then from 9 months you can offer him curds. Up to a year, the daily portion should not exceed 50 grams of the product. Cow's milk used for cooking porridge must also be diluted with water and pre-boiled. Remember that you should not introduce the product into your diet for up to a year unless necessary.
Correct inclusion in the diet
This product can be used in different ways - both for preparing baby porridge and for adapted milk formulas
When preparing any dish, it is important to follow the following rules
- When using dry formula purchased at a baby food store, it must be diluted correctly, as indicated on the package. There is no need to add anything extra to it, just water; everything you need is already in its composition.
- If you purchased fresh goat milk, then before cooking it must be boiled for at least five minutes. You can only buy fresh milk, and always ask the sellers about the conditions in which the goat was kept and what it was fed. It will be better if the seller has a certificate that the goat is not infected. And it is better for the parents to drink the first batch to make sure that there is no allergy to it.
- After boiling, the milk is diluted with cold boiled water. When the temperature of the product becomes acceptable, you can give it to your child to drink. Remember that it is hardly worth boiling milk a second time: there will be practically no beneficial properties left in it.
- It is advisable to store milk and give it to your baby in glass or ceramic containers. It is better not to use metal containers.
In what proportion should it be diluted?
Fresh boiled milk for babies under 12 months can only be diluted in a ratio of 1 to 3 in order to reduce its fat content. If after a couple of doses you notice that the baby is starting to get stronger, reduce the concentration, dilute it 1 to 4.
When the baby gradually gets used to it, or he is older, in the second year of life, this ratio can be reduced, taking two servings of water for one serving of milk. After two years, the child can be given the undiluted product to drink.
You shouldn’t experiment too much and increase concentration ahead of time. Even if your baby tolerates large portions of milk normally at first, this does not mean that it does not harm him. Negativity in a child’s body tends to accumulate little by little, and when this cup suddenly overflows, sores can appear immediately and from all sides. And this can happen by the age of 5, and even by the age of 20.
Problems when eating milk porridges
Milk porridges can lead to allergic reactions if introduced into a baby's diet early and in large portions. A fragile body must gradually get used to new food.
Note! Most often, allergies occur to cow protein. If there is a reaction, the child may not tolerate goat milk. The protein composition is similar, despite the low alpha-coseine content.
Goat milk
Signs of allergies
Allergy symptoms include:
- Skin manifestations in the form of atopic dermatitis or urticaria;
- Indigestion. This is a disorder of stool, colic, bloating, which is accompanied by crying, regurgitation;
- Respiratory problems. These include nasal congestion, cough, and the baby wheezes.
Whatever the reaction, even if you are sure it is a food allergy, you should consult your doctor. He will not only give nutritional recommendations, but will help eliminate unpleasant symptoms.
Milk porridge for children is an indispensable breakfast or dinner. It should be introduced into the diet in a timely and gradual manner. Take care of the quality of cereals and monitor the child’s reaction. Remember that up to six months the baby needs exclusive breastfeeding; earlier, complementary feeding should be introduced only on the recommendation of a pediatrician. Milk is offered to a child closer to one year, always in diluted form. The whole product is introduced into the diet after two years.
How to breed
They say that whole, uncooked milk retains all its vitamins. Do you need to boil goat product? It all depends on the age of your child. Be sure to boil it for up to a year. This way you will protect the immature body from all kinds of infections and pathological microflora. Indeed, under poor conditions for keeping a goat, the milk acquires an unpleasant odor and can be a source of development of intestinal diseases if the product has not undergone heat treatment.
From the age of one year, it is not necessary to boil milk, but this is allowed under the following conditions:
- If you purchase a dry version of the product, then carefully look at the expiration dates on the packaging.
- Whole milk must be of different quality. It is better to order the product from one person, making sure that the animal is kept in good conditions and the quality of the liquid product. Be sure to ask what the animal is fed, and whether they provide chemical additives of questionable quality.
- If the quality of the dairy product is okay, do not forget to dilute the contents for feeding to an infant.
Step-by-step instructions for introducing goat's milk into the daily diet of an infant
- For infants up to one year old, be sure to boil milk and water: collect the foam and remove it.
- Strain through two layers of cheesecloth and cool.
- If an infant from 5 months is just getting acquainted with the taste of a product produced by a goat, dilute the fat content of the latter in proportions of 1x5 (one part milk to five parts water).
- As the baby gets older, dilute the mixture in lower concentrations. For a robust one-year-old, dilute 1x3.
- From one and a half years, the drink is diluted 1x2, and after two years, undiluted is suitable.
- The milk mixture is stored in the refrigerator for no more than 2 days. After this period expires, the beneficial substances of the product are lost.
Cow's milk for newborns: to give or not to give
It was said above that cow’s milk, in its protein composition, belongs to the casein group, and not to the albumin group. It is unacceptable to feed it to a newborn, since the baby’s digestive system is simply not ready for such food. But besides this, there are a number of arguments against the use of cow's milk in the diet of infants.
- It has almost 3 times more protein. Which leads to an increase in the growth of adipose tissue in the infant who consumes it. And in the future, as a result of metabolic disorders in the body, it may lead to excess weight and even obesity.
- And about the same number of times more mineral salts (calcium, potassium, phosphorus, sodium, chlorine). This puts additional stress on the baby's liver and kidneys. And in the future – the development of chronic diseases of these organs.
- But there are significantly less vitamins A, D, E, C and carbohydrates in cow's milk than in mother's milk. The same as essential fatty acids.
- Lack of iodine in cow's milk can affect the child's mental development and the function of his thyroid gland.
- Due to iron deficiency, the baby faces anemia. The hemoglobin level in his blood will be quite low.
- Breast milk contains more lactose, which helps the growing baby's body absorb calcium.
- As for the unique protective components found in breast milk, cow milk does not have them at all.
- And one more important point. Allergy to milk in infants. It also happens that if it is introduced early (or incorrectly) into the baby’s diet, the baby develops individual intolerance to cow’s milk. Subsequently, the child will not be able to eat fermented milk products.
For more information about why cow's milk is not suitable for feeding newborns, watch the video below.
Dry formula based on goat milk for infants
Infant formulas for small children are produced using the latest technologies. For babies who are deprived of natural feeding, this is an excellent alternative. The composition of the product is very similar to human milk, so it is useful for newborns.
The benefits of dry formula based on goat milk
1. Helps strengthen bone tissue.
2. It is well absorbed and does not burden the kidneys and gastrointestinal tract.
3. All dry mixtures have a quality certificate and undergo thorough testing.
4. It contains many nutrients important for the child’s body.
5. Normalizes stool, reduces the risk of abdominal pain and child pain.
6. The composition contains prebiotics that improve the functioning of the digestive system.
The introduction of mixtures made from goat's milk into the diet is recommended in several cases:
• the functioning of the digestive system is disrupted;
• there is no possibility to feed the child with breast milk;
• if little ones gain weight poorly;
• for constipation;
• in case of individual intolerance to milk protein.