In Soviet times, semolina porridge was a frequent guest on the table of almost every family. The child's menu necessarily included this simple dish. In recent years, the situation has changed significantly, and semolina has lost its popularity. However, even now there are many fans of well-prepared semolina porridge. Breastfeeding women are no exception. Taking into account the lack of time and lack of energy for cooking, semolina porridge during breastfeeding could be an excellent option. The speed of preparation and excellent taste make this dish especially attractive. Is it possible to have semolina porridge while breastfeeding? Will this harm the baby? Let's try to figure it out.
Nutritional value
Includes:
- starch ~80%;
- proteins ~14%;
- sucrose ~ 2%.
The calorie content of ready-made semolina porridge cooked in water is relatively low - only 80 kcal per 100 grams.
The product is rich in “light” carbohydrates and quickly satisfies hunger. But at the same time, the vitamin and mineral composition of semolina is negligibly poor, and a nursing mother needs adequate nutrition. Therefore, semolina during breastfeeding should not become a frequent dish on the menu of a young mother.
Is there any benefit from semolina porridge during breastfeeding?
To figure out whether semolina porridge is beneficial, you need to know its properties and composition. Coarsely ground wheat grains are semolina. There are 3 types of it on store shelves: soft varieties, hard varieties, and a mixture of both. The packaging shows the markings M and T, indicating the variety.
Due to its small grains and small amount of fiber, semolina is quickly digested and absorbed by the gastrointestinal tract. Its percentage composition looks like this:
- starch 80%;
- proteins 14%;
- sugar 2%.
Semolina is rich in microelements: boron, manganese, vanadium, iron, chromium, zinc, fluorine and others. There are vitamins of group B, PP, E. Despite the abundance of these substances in semolina, experts note their small proportion.
Women who are breastfeeding are often afraid to eat this product because they consider it high in calories. It all depends on the size of the portions. If a young mother loses weight due to anxiety, lack of sleep, or fatigue, then semolina porridge will help stop the process of sudden weight loss. And in order to avoid extra pounds, eating 100–200 grams per day will not affect your figure in any way. This serving contains only 98–196 calories. The useful properties don't end there:
- semolina contains a lot of gluten;
- has a beneficial effect on the intestines, does not irritate it, relieves colic, normalizes stool;
- There is no harmful protein, so it is approved for use by people suffering from kidney disease.
The low price of the product makes it accessible to everyone. It is a mistake to consider semolina porridge a useless product. This opinion arose due to the low content of useful substances in it in relation to other types of cereals.
What is the danger of semolina
Semolina contains gluten in large quantities. Many people suffer from intolerance to this component - celiac disease. A newborn baby may also exhibit this feature. In this case, it is undesirable to consume this dish during breastfeeding. Or you need to carefully monitor the baby's reaction after breastfeeding.
What manifestations indicate gluten intolerance in a baby:
- frequent loose stools;
- increased gas formation;
- irritability;
- rashes.
If any negative consequences occur after eating semolina porridge, it is necessary to exclude the dish from the diet. If in doubt, it may be a good idea to have your baby’s blood tested. Gluten intolerance can be congenital or temporary. As your baby gets older, his gut will become stronger and he will no longer react negatively to gluten.
If the child’s behavior does not change in any way after feeding, then there is no negative reaction to gluten. And a nursing mother can easily afford a plate of aromatic delicacy.
However, you shouldn’t get carried away and cook this dish too often. The poor composition makes semolina a far from ideal choice.
Recipe
Semolina for a nursing mother can be prepared using the following recipe.
To prepare porridge you will need:
- milk 100 ml;
- water 200 ml;
- 2.5 tablespoons semolina;
- a pinch of salt;
- 2-3 teaspoons of sugar.
Pour milk and water into a small saucepan and add salt, bring everything to a boil. Add semolina in a stream. To prevent lumps from forming in the porridge, it must be stirred constantly. Cook over low heat for 5-7 minutes, then remove from heat and add sugar. Instead of sugar, you can add a little not very sweet jam or fresh fruit. The small content of semolina and milk in this recipe automatically reduces the risk of the baby developing an allergic reaction.
When breastfeeding, semolina porridge can be introduced into the mother’s diet if a number of simple rules are followed. If it causes allergies or colic in your baby, it is better to avoid it.
Fitin
There is a widespread myth that semolina interferes with the absorption of calcium by the mother's body. In fact, the danger is greatly exaggerated. Phytin, a substance that supposedly reduces the absorption of calcium in the intestines, is found in the shell of wheat grain. When processing the grains, it is removed, and already cleaned grains are used for the production of semolina. Therefore, there is no phytin in semolina.
In addition, on the contrary, phytin is used to normalize phosphorus-calcium metabolism and is sometimes added to medications.
Production and composition of semolina
Semolina is obtained by processing wheat grains. In fact, semolina is the same wheat flour, only more coarsely ground, made from both soft and hard varieties of wheat.
During the cooking process, semolina swells due to the high content of starch, gliadin and glutenin proteins in its composition. It is because of starch that semolina has a high energy value. But the content of fat and fiber in semolina kernels is negligible. The same can be said about most microelements and vitamins that leave semolina at the grinding stage.
Introduction rules
How to correctly introduce semolina porridge into the menu of a nursing mother:
- Semolina dishes during breastfeeding should not be present in the mother’s diet until the child is 3-4 months old. And only then can you carefully try to introduce semolina into your mother’s diet.
- It is advisable to cook porridge in water or dilute milk with water. Don't cook the porridge too thick.
- When trying a new dish for the first time while breastfeeding, you need to carefully monitor the baby’s reaction. If there are no changes, then semolina is allowed.
- Due to the low nutritional value of the product, you should not include porridge in your diet more than twice a week.
Despite the fact that for many, semolina porridge is a childhood nightmare, there are still big fans of this simple dish. When prepared correctly, you can get a very tasty result. A young mother often lacks the twenty-fifth hour in the day, and a simple and quick recipe for a hearty dish will more than once help out during the difficult days of the baby’s first year of life. Although semolina porridge will not bring much benefit, there is no harm from it either. From time to time it is quite possible to indulge in such a delicacy.
FAQ
“Is it possible to have semolina porridge while breastfeeding? A friend claims that there is nothing useful in it, especially during breastfeeding.”
Answer: “The statement that this is a useless cereal is incorrect. It contains a large amount of vitamins and microelements. But during breastfeeding it is better to refuse it. Because it provokes gas formation in the baby and causes allergies due to gluten.”
“I have repeatedly heard a lot of bad reviews about porridge, especially during breastfeeding, but I can’t deny myself it. How to use it so as not to harm the baby?
Answer: “If you cannot deny yourself it, then you should adhere to several rules. It is better to cook it no more than once a week, in small portions. It is advisable to consume it before lunch to monitor the baby’s reaction. It’s better to cook with milk and water, in the ratio of 1 serving of milk to two servings of water.”
“Can nursing mothers have semolina porridge with milk? If not, what should replace it?”
Answer: “Semolina cooked with milk can be eaten, but only if the newborn is not allergic to milk. If it is present, then semolina should not be consumed. In other cases, it is possible to cook semolina in milk and water.”
“Can semolina harm the baby while breastfeeding?”
Answer: “Semolina contains gluten, which can cause allergies in the baby. In order to avoid this, mothers are advised to refrain from eating semolina.”
“What is fetin and what is its harm?”
Answer: “Fetin is an antinutrient found in some plants, including semolina. When they enter our body, they attract microelements such as iron, zinc, magnesium and calcium. Accordingly, by removing these substances from the mother’s body, we deprive the child of them. And they are very important for both the mother and the baby.”
“My grandmother is ready to feed semolina porridge not only to me, but also to my child. He says that previously infants were only fed milk porridge with semolina. Why not now?
Answer: “Your grandmother is right, that’s how it used to be. But times are changing, nowadays more and more children are allergic to cow protein and gluten. Therefore, now they are trying to avoid this porridge, especially in the first months of the baby’s life. You can safely feed your child this porridge, but only after a year.”
Rules for eating semolina porridge for a nursing mother
After weighing all the pros and cons, you can come to a general decision that semolina porridge does not provide any particular benefit. But, despite these disadvantages, you should not completely abandon this hearty and tasty porridge. To ensure that the presence of semolina in the diet does not harm either the baby or the nursing mother and that all the disadvantages of this cereal can be easily minimized, you need to follow simple recommendations for eating and preparing porridge:
- It is necessary to completely stop eating semolina in the first couple of months of the baby’s life, when his digestive system is still too sensitive and is just beginning to adapt to the new diet.
- If after 2-3 months the baby suffers from colic, then you should postpone eating semolina until he is 4-5 months old.
- Like any other product, mommy needs to introduce semolina porridge into her diet in the form of a small portion, and then observe the baby’s reaction throughout the day. If there are any signs of allergy, you should avoid this type of cereal.
- You need to cook semolina porridge in water and do not add too much sugar. If the child’s reaction is good, you can dilute the water in which the semolina porridge is cooked in half with milk.
- Try to give the semolina porridge the most liquid consistency. So there will be very little semolina in the finished dish, which means it won’t do much harm.
- Eat semolina porridge for breakfast no more than 1-2 times a week. This diet during breastfeeding will not harm either the baby or the nursing mother, because porridge is absorbed better on an empty stomach, which is why the unpleasant consequences of its consumption will be minimized.
Why is semolina porridge harmful when breastfeeding?
The main danger of semolina porridge is its gluten content, a substance that not every body can tolerate. If you are allergic to gluten, you should avoid semolina porridge. What else is harmful about semolina porridge:
- Semolina contains phytin, which contains phosphorus, which binds calcium salts and prevents its absorption by the body. That is why it is recommended to eat semolina porridge with foods that contain calcium: dairy products, sesame seeds or almonds.
- 100 g of semolina contains approximately 360 kcal, so mothers who want to quickly get rid of extra pounds gained during pregnancy should not overload. Adding sugar and butter to porridge will only increase the calorie content of the dish.
- A large amount of semolina in the diet of a nursing mother can cause bloating in the baby, so you need to know when to stop.
