Allergy to rice porridge in an infant
When rice is introduced into complementary foods, allergies occur extremely rarely in children. Most often, this is a reaction not to the main product, but to milk or sugar. Therefore, for the first feeding, it is recommended to cook hypoallergenic rice dishes - with water or breast milk and without added sugar. However, there are cases when children are allergic to rice protein. In this case, this product should be removed from the diet.
Could it be an allergy?
Allergies have many varieties and pathogens. A rather rare form is intolerance to the fiber contained in rice. The body can react in different ways - constipation, frustration, nausea, bloating. The diagnosis is made by a doctor after undergoing a series of tests. In this case, a person is prohibited from consuming any product containing fiber, and not just rice.
In general, there is no allergy to rice. It is indicated for a variety of diseases, disorders and food or enzyme intolerances.
Benefit
Rice porridge has the following positive properties:
- This porridge has a balanced composition of essential nutrients, which makes it an easily digestible and nutritious dish;
- The rich vitamin and mineral composition ensures harmonious mental and physical development;
- Rice contains 7 essential amino acids, including tryptophan, which is necessary for the functioning of the nervous system and has a calming effect;
- Rice porridge has enveloping properties, which helps improve digestion and protect the intestinal wall;
- Rice has a sorbent effect and ensures the removal of toxins from the body;
- The substances contained in rice promote the growth of muscle tissue.
- Strengthens the immune system.
- Ensures normal weight gain for babies.
- Strengthens teeth, gums and skeleton.
- Cleanses the body, removes excess fluid, salts and toxins.
- Prevents and helps with heart and vascular diseases, kidney failure.
- Normalizes sleep.
In addition to its composition, another positive quality of rice is its taste. The structure of the rice porridge is tender and homogeneous, it is easy to swallow. Usually kids eat it with pleasure.
The benefits and harms of rice porridge for infants
Rice occupies a leading position among complementary foods for infants for a reason. It has a number of useful and important qualities for a developing organism:
- Gluten free.
- Contains vitamins B and E, which have a positive effect on the growth of nails, hair and the condition of the nervous system.
- It contains 8 amino acids. One of their tasks is the “construction” of the body. By six months, mother’s milk does not contain enough microelements to meet the baby’s needs, so it is necessary to supplement the gaps.
- Contains potassium, selenium, zinc, phosphorus, iron and iodine in moderate quantities that do not harm the baby's body.
- The complex carbohydrates included in the composition help build muscle tissue and replenish energy costs.
- The components of the cereal perform a coating function in the intestines, protecting the walls from irritation.
Rice porridge is indicated for infants precisely because its starch-mucosal components protect the intestines and do not require the active work of enzymes for digestion and assimilation. But in infants, the enzyme base is in the “development” stage. It is not perfect at all, some elements are missing at all, others are in excess, therefore the work of the intestines is not stable and it is easy to “upset”.
Rice porridge has its disadvantages:
- the rice is strengthening. Any easily digestible product strengthens. If a child has problems with stool, with a tendency toward constipation, rice is highly undesirable.
- Rice should not be consumed if you have colic.
- phytic acid, which is part of the composition, interferes with the absorption of calcium and iron.
- Foreign manufacturers process rice grains to destroy parasites and give them a marketable appearance. Any chemistry is contraindicated for infants. Choose your manufacturer carefully, focusing on local companies.
In connection with the above, it is necessary to limit the number of times you eat rice per week to avoid constipation and prevent a lack of calcium and iron in the body.
Rice side dish for babies
Rice goes well with milk, fish, meat, seafood, and dried fruits. A classic side dish recipe for kids, it contains half the amount of cereal and water.
- Use long grain rice as a side dish
- Rinse thoroughly until water clear
- Scald with boiling water
- After the rice is cooked, rinse it with warm water to prevent sticking.
- Season with butter and heat. The crumbly snow-white side dish for the baby is ready
When to introduce rice porridge into complementary foods
Before introducing porridge into complementary foods, you need to understand and remember the general scheme for introducing complementary foods to infants.
It is based on the fact that the enzyme base is extremely weak, and the baby is not able to digest a number of foods. The greatest danger is posed by fatty foods. Don't think that these are fried cutlets. Fat is found in everything. In milk, vegetables, fruits, cereals, meat, but its percentage is small. It is difficult for a baby to process fats, both in the intestines and in the liver. If the level of fat in the baby's diet is not observed, the intestines can be disrupted, which will lead to a variety of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and the whole body.
Thus, the introduction of complementary foods is focused on introducing into the baby’s diet the foods that are easiest to digest and do not require the active work of intestinal enzymes, gradually increasing the pace:
- Zucchini puree. An anti-allergenic product that is easy to digest and prepare.
- Fruit puree. Mostly they start with apple juice.
- Then they make it more complicated - add new vegetables or fruits to the puree. Again, choose those products that are in season and least allergenic. It is better to consult a pediatrician.
- The third product is porridge. Rice, buckwheat and corn. They are light, do not cause allergies, are easy to prepare and contain a lot of useful vitamins and microelements.
- The meat is introduced last.
- The introduction of foods to which allergies often occur, such as citrus fruits, strawberries, plums, etc., into the diet occurs at the age of 2 years.
Additionally : corn porridge for babies - what benefits and harm can it bring to babies?
The process of complementary feeding itself also has features:
- The first time the product is given for testing, no more than one teaspoon, in the morning. During the day, the child is observed to see if there are any allergies (rash, nausea), bloating, problems with stool;
- If the body accepts the new positively, the next day you can give the child 2-3 teaspoons. Under no circumstances should you try to feed your child a full portion at once. An excess of new elements may be perceived negatively. It is necessary to gradually increase the daily amount of food.
Puree rice porridge
Complementary foods begin to be introduced at six months. In case of proper development, the turn of porridge will come by the 7th month. At this time, the body is strong enough and has produced a minimum amount of enzymes to digest adult food.
The exception is children with weight problems, allergies and illnesses. Allergy sufferers and children suffering from serious illnesses are not included in the list of those who can eat according to the generally accepted scheme. Their diet is compiled by pediatricians and nutritionists. Breasts with weight problems are divided into 2 categories - underweight and overweight - and only slightly deviate from the general pattern.
If the child is on the “average” list, rice porridge is introduced into his diet at the age of 6-7 months. After vegetable and fruit purees.
How to cook porridge for babies
Any food in the diet of a one-year-old baby should be served in the form of purees. The easiest option is to dilute purchased flour, crushed into flour.
Advantages:
- quick cooking;
- balanced composition, rich in nutrients;
- Liquid milk porridge is convenient to drink from a bottle.
Flaws:
- for families with average and low incomes - expensive;
- open packaging can be stored for no longer than 4 weeks - at first, more than half of the porridge will go into the trash.
In order to save money, porridges are prepared independently using whole grains. There are 2 “technologies”:
- prepare whole grains and grind them with a spoon/process them with a blender;
- Grind the raw cereal into flour in a coffee grinder.
Features of choosing a rice variety
It is important for a nursing mother to learn to understand the types of cereals. Today, several varieties of rice are very popular. They have a number of external differences. It is necessary to focus on the shape, color and features of grain pre-treatment.
Rice porridge with fruits - tasty and healthy
The following types of rice cereals are distinguished:
- In the long-grained form, all beneficial properties are retained. It has a thin and hard appearance. The grain length does not exceed 8 mm.
- The medium-grained appearance is characterized by rounded grains. It contains a lot of starch, so it is used exclusively for making porridges.
- Round grain rice contains much more starch, so it is not always recommended to give it to children.
Rice can also be classified depending on the degree of processing:
We recommend reading:Semolina porridge for babies
- The unpolished version has a brown bran shell. It is easily recognized by its pleasant nutty smell. It contains the maximum amount of vitamins and minerals. The properties remain intact, so it is considered almost completely natural.
- White milled rice is obtained by carefully processing the grains. It allows you to completely get rid of the bran membrane. Today the product is sold in refined form. The rice of this sample contains 70% starch. However, this does not prevent it from containing vitamins and minerals. For cooking, ten minutes of cooking will be enough.
- To obtain steamed rice, its grains are doused with hot water or steam. Thanks to this, they acquire a yellow tint. It will completely disappear after the cooking process is completed. However, housewives should be prepared to cook it longer - from twenty-five to thirty minutes. This type is significantly inferior to brown rice in terms of vitamins and minerals.
One of the following varieties of rice can be used for feeding infants:
- Basmati is considered the most expensive and longest variety. It is obtained through slight grinding, so the porridge retains all the beneficial vitamins and minerals.
- Jasmine is a rice variety that has a characteristic milky or white color. The product contains a large amount of vitamins and minerals.
- The wild species is easily recognized by its characteristic brown color. It is considered the most useful, because it contains a large amount of vitamins and minerals.
For children under one year old, it is advisable to cook rice in water. Preference should be given to the round or steamed version. A dish of brown cereal is given only to older children. This dish is introduced immediately after buckwheat. For this, the optimal period is considered to be from ten to eleven months. The ingredient is used no more than twice a week. Thanks to it, it is possible to enrich the body with all the necessary vitamins and minerals.
Use a blender to grind rice
Preparing rice broth
The recipe for tasty complementary foods has been used for a long time. With its help, it is possible to create a favorable environment in the stomach. The drink helps restore the digestion process. At the same time, all the necessary vitamins and minerals enter the body. The decoction envelops the walls of the stomach and destroys the environment favorable for the active growth and development of harmful bacteria. Thanks to its regular use, it is possible to normalize the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. The composition is allowed to be drunk only if there is no inflammation in the intestines. The baby can be given no more than 100 ml of decoction four times a day. For newborns, this volume should be halved.
Rice needs to be cooked correctly. Only in this case will it retain all the necessary vitamins and minerals. For the decoction you should take 1.5 tbsp. l. rice and cover them with cold water. The cereal should be kept in this position until it swells. Next, perform the following manipulations:
- Boil 500 ml of water.
- Gradually add the rice to the water.
- The cooking process lasts at least 40 minutes. The composition should be stirred periodically.
- The infusion procedure for the drink lasts from two to three hours.
- After this, the broth is filtered through a sieve.
Rice flour porridge
The recipe for making porridge from rice flour differs from the method of cooking cereals. This flour is sold in stores, but you can make it yourself from cereal. To do this, whole rice grains - round or oblong - are thoroughly washed and dried. After drying, they need to be ground in a coffee grinder. Ingredients for cooking:
- 2 tablespoons (tablespoons) of rice flour;
- 50 ml boiled water;
- 200 ml milk.
Flour is diluted in cold water so that a homogeneous mass is obtained, without lumps. The resulting mixture should be poured in a thin stream into the boiled milk and cook, stirring constantly, for 5-7 minutes. If the porridge turns out to be too liquid, remove the pan from the heat, and after a minute, boil it again or twice. If the consistency is too thick, just dilute it with boiled water.
Useful: How to introduce an egg into complementary feeding for a baby?