What is healthy about mushrooms?
First of all, they have excellent nutritional properties. In terms of protein content, they can be compared to meat. Mushrooms are sometimes called "forest meat".
Mushrooms contain a lot of fiber, which is not only difficult to digest, but can also interfere with the absorption of other important microelements, including protein. Therefore, when serving dishes to a child, the mushroom must be finely chopped or chopped in a blender.
Mineral composition:
- potassium;
- magnesium;
- zinc;
- vitamins A, C;
- a lot of phosphorus and potassium, even more than in vegetables and fruits;
- oleic and stearic acids (allow you to fight infectious diseases and strengthen the immune defense).
Mushrooms also contain the substance chitin. By the way, chitin is part of the shells and shells of crustaceans. Just imagine how difficult it is to digest such a product, especially for a child’s body.
All these substances are found mainly in the caps of mushrooms; the least amount is in the stems.
Children are our happiness, our wealth, for their sake we are ready to do great deeds, ready to do anything to make our children, and therefore us, happy. Healthy food is always selected for children, such that it is easy for the body, healthy, low-fat and, most importantly, tasty, so that the children eat this dish with great pleasure.
My daughter really liked the mushroom soup, the recipe for which I am sharing with you today.
Mushroom champignon soup for children has a delicate creamy structure, the taste of all ingredients is well balanced and turns out very pleasant. My daughter loves to eat this soup with croutons, so I suggest you prepare homemade croutons in the oven for the soup. Crackers will be a great addition to soup, especially for kids who love to chew on them.
You can also involve your child in preparing the soup, and then he will definitely eat it with pleasure, because he will help prepare it. Every mother, knowing the character of her child, will be able to decide how to captivate him. So I wish you good luck and cook with pleasure, the soup, although simple, is very tasty.
To prepare mushroom champignon soup for children, you will need:
white onion – 1 pc. butter - 1 tbsp. l. wheat flour – 2 tbsp. l. hot water – 1 tbsp. whole milk – 2 tbsp. fresh champignon mushrooms - 250 g cream 10% fat - 200 ml sea salt - to taste ground black pepper - a pinch fresh parsley - a bunch
How to prepare mushroom champignon soup for children:
1. Peel, wash and finely chop the onion. Peel and wash the mushrooms, cut them as desired, or you can grate them. 2. Place a soup pot on the stove, put butter in it and melt. Add onion and sauté until soft, about 3-5 minutes. 3. Add flour and simmer for a minute, remove the pan from the heat. Take a mixer, add a couple of tablespoons of water to the pan and beat everything with a mixer into a fluffy mass, gradually pour in the remaining water, then add milk and pepper, return the pan to the stove and bring to a boil. 4. Reduce heat and cook, stirring, for several minutes. 5. Add the mushrooms to the pan with the soup and cook for 15 minutes. 6. Then pour in the cream, stir and add salt to taste, bring to a boil, simmer for a couple of minutes over low heat. Puree the soup with an immersion blender, wash the parsley and chop finely. 7. Serve immediately, sprinkle with parsley or dill, and serve homemade croutons with the soup.
Bon appetit!
Types of mushrooms
Mushrooms are divided into forest and grown in an artificial environment. Forest mushrooms are milk mushrooms, honey mushrooms, boletus mushrooms, saffron milk caps, porcini mushrooms. These types of mushrooms ripen in natural conditions, in the grass, in the sun. Of course, such mushrooms are much healthier.
But it should be borne in mind that the spongy structures of the fungus can accumulate harmful substances. Therefore, if you decide to give your child such a mushroom, then it is better to go mushroom hunting on your own, and not buy them from unfamiliar people on the highways or at public transport stops.
Mushrooms that are grown artificially are the most common type: champignons, oyster mushrooms. The taste, of course, cannot be compared with milk mushrooms or chanterelles, but you don’t have to worry about their purity, since they undergo full quality control.
You can start introducing the child to a mushroom dish with oyster mushrooms and champignons, and then let him eat porcini mushrooms and saffron milk caps.
Is it possible to give mushroom soup to my 2.5 year old son?
Julia asks: “Hello. My son is 2.6 years old (not allergic). Is it possible to give light mushroom soup at this age?
There is no consensus on the timing of introducing mushrooms into children's diets. According to some experts, they are approved for use from the age of 3. Others claim that only from 5-7 years of age, or even from 10 years.
The reason for the disagreement is explained by the composition of the product, which is undoubtedly beneficial and nutritious for the child’s body. Mushrooms contain a lot of vegetable protein (which allows us to call them “vegetable meat”), vitamins PP, A, group B, ascorbic acid and minerals necessary during the growth period (calcium, phosphorus, potassium).
On the other hand, they contain chitin and fiber, which are practically not digested and cause digestive problems even in adults. But the main thing is that mushrooms grow quickly and, like a sponge, absorb all the environmental “garbage” from the environment.
In six months, your baby will reach the acceptable age limit for preparing children's dishes with mushrooms. Take your time, as other products offer the same benefits without putting as much strain on your digestive system.
The first acquaintance, as you wrote, is better to start with a light soup. More precisely, cooked in a decoction diluted with water, but without the mushrooms themselves. Using the broth as a basis, you can also offer your child a sauce for the main dishes.
A few tips will help you avoid mistakes in selection and preparation:
- Buy mushrooms grown in artificial conditions. While their range is small, but safe: champignons and oyster mushrooms.
- Use mushroom caps to prepare children's dishes. They have more nutritional value, less chitin and mushroom threads.
- Before cooking, oyster mushrooms and champignons should be finely chopped if they are intended for feeding a child. This way you will also chop the mushroom threads, which give the product density.
- Children digest and absorb pureed soups more easily.
- Mushrooms should be a rare guest on the menu. It will be enough to treat your child to soup 2 times a month.
When can children be given champignons?
Do not buy oyster mushrooms and champignons from private individuals or in spontaneous markets, since it is almost impossible to obtain reliable information about the conditions for their cultivation.
Do not risk your baby's health by offering him mushrooms grown in the natural environment. Even confident experts on edible mushrooms can make mistakes.
At what age can a child eat mushrooms?
At what age should mushrooms be given?
Doctors differ in their answer to this question. According to many sources, mushrooms should not be given to children under 3 years of age. This is due to the fact that the digestive system is so immature that it is very difficult to digest the mushroom composition. Also, in the future, with such a food load, problems with the enzyme composition of gastric juice may appear.
Some doctors advise not to introduce mushroom dishes at all until the age of 7 years.
How often should I serve mushrooms and in what dishes?
A child’s menu should not include a mushroom delicacy more than once a week. Mushrooms should not be combined with dough, that is, it is not recommended to give pies or pancakes with mushrooms to children at all. This is a huge burden on the digestive tract.
We begin to introduce mushrooms as a flavoring additive in the form of sauces and broths. To do this, you need to boil the mushrooms, add a little sour cream, and chop with a blender. If after taking it there is no loose stool or vomiting, or an allergic reaction does not occur, then you can cook mushroom soup. Next, mushrooms can be mixed with vegetables.
You should not give children fried mushrooms in vegetable oil. This is not very beneficial for the delicate mucous crumbs.
Marinated, salted mushrooms are a taboo for children. They contain a large percentage of salt and vinegar, which have an irritating effect on the mucous membrane of the digestive tract. In addition, such mushrooms lose nutritional value.
Since ancient times in Rus', mushrooms were considered almost the main food on a child’s menu, so to speak, for all occasions. But in Rus' there was no such difficult environmental situation as in the modern world.
Why are mushrooms harmful?
It is well known that mushrooms are a tasty, nutritious and healthy product. But it’s no secret that this forest delicacy can also be poisonous and cause irreparable damage to health.
The mushroom is a kind of detector; it absorbs heavy metal compounds and other substances harmful to the body from the environment. Also, these representatives of forest flora and fauna, even if they are “cultivated,” have a lot of indigestible dietary fiber. And it interferes with the absorption of other beneficial substances.
The second significant “minus” is the presence of chitin in a relatively high concentration. Quite hard chitin, which protects the body of many insects, is not digested in the human stomach, especially in children. It can also be a catalyst for an allergic reaction. For this reason, giving forest gifts to little gourmets is not recommended at all.
At what age can you give your child champignons or oyster mushrooms? It’s best to ask your pediatrician. However, there are general recommendations for introducing this unique product into a child’s diet; we will consider them below.
Most of the nutrients are found in the mushroom cap. Chitin is concentrated in the legs, and they also contain the least amount of useful elements. Mushroom legs should not be used in children's menus.
At what age can mushroom soup be given?
Many pediatricians agree that it is best to start introducing mushroom soup to children at age 5. By this time, the digestive system completes its formation. It is better to cook soup from champignons.
First, the mushrooms need to be washed under running water, then boiled for 30-40 minutes. You can add chopped potatoes, carrots, and onions. Sautéing in oil is not recommended.
Says Dr. Komarovsky: “Of course, a growing body needs protein as a building material for muscles. I am not against introducing mushroom dishes into the diet of children, but I do not recommend introducing them to children under one year old. Some mothers manage to give mushrooms as first complementary foods, which is absolutely not allowed. Start from the age of 3 gradually, with oyster mushrooms or champignons, in the form of broths, sauces, and then you can be allowed to give a full-fledged mushroom soup, and then your child will not face digestive problems.”
Where to begin?
The best age to introduce mushroom soup to a child’s menu is considered to be 7-8 years old. Many, at their own peril and risk, give this dish to children over 5 years old, but even in this case, you should not offer soup that was cooked for the rest of the family. It is necessary that the first soup in a child’s life does not contain mushrooms themselves, but only a broth made from them with a set of vegetables that the baby is already accustomed to. This could be, for example, puree soup. In addition, mushroom broth should be diluted with water to prepare it. The aroma of mushrooms is so pronounced that it will definitely attract the baby’s attention to an unfamiliar product.
What to do if you are poisoned by mushrooms?
If for some reason a child eats a large amount of mushrooms or finds them on the street and tries them, poisoning may occur.
Symptoms of poisoning:
- dizziness;
- nausea, vomiting, loose stools;
- increased body temperature;
- weakness in the body;
- hallucinations.
If you notice any of the above symptoms in your child, call an ambulance immediately.
As they say, everything is good in moderation. Of course, mushrooms are healthy and contain a lot of essential microelements. But in children's practice, it is better to observe the age limit for the introduction of mushroom dishes and the frequency of feeding mushrooms. And therefore, the answer to the question whether children can eat mushrooms is certainly positive.
