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Once a baby completes six months, the young one is ready to try new meals, and their taste buds are rapidly evolving. This is the moment at which you may begin exposing your baby to various textures and flavours. When starting solids, a parent is always looking for meals that are easy to give to their children, easily chewable, and easy on the digestive system. Purees, soft-boiled vegetables, soups, and mashed rice may be your go-to alternatives. However, oats are an excellent alternative for adding diversity. They include essential nutrients for baby development.
Provides Nourishment To Gluten-Allergic Babies
Gluten allergies prevent babies from consuming vital nutrients from grains such as wheat, rye, and barley. However, they can eat oats, which are devoid of gluten and have all the vitamins and minerals found in important grains. A gluten-free diet might cause nutritional deficiency in babies. Vital nutrients such as fibre, manganese, copper, and more can be omitted from the diet if the baby is allergic to gluten as grains like wheat and barley are the primary sources of them in a conventional meal; oats help to increase the nutritional value of such diets.
Rich In Fibre
High levels of fibre, magnesium, iron, and zinc are found in oats, according to the US National Library of Medicine. Your baby will require meals that are loaded with vitamins and nutrients as they grow older, which is not adequately available from breast milk or cow's milk. Because oats are soft without sacrificing structure, they are an excellent vehicle for introducing textures. The high nutritional profile will support the baby's healthy growth and development.
Easy To Digest
Unlike adults, a baby's digestive system isn't fully developed, so they cannot digest heavy meals. One meal that is easy for your baby's digestive tract is oats, a single grain as per a study by Oxford Academic. Consuming a bowl of oats porridge or oatmeal helps prevent flatulence and aid in promoting satiety and a healthy appetite.
Complements Other Foods Well
There are no restrictions on how you can make oats for your baby. Adding more ingredients such as fruits and vegetables, give it more flavour and colour. Other foods such as mashed banana or mashed berry, can also be introduced to the baby along with oats and you can either serve it warm or cold. Oats are the perfect everyday meal for your little one because they're so flexible and need such a short prep time.
Boosts Immunity
Because of their growing immune systems, babies are more susceptible to sickness. Luckily, oats include a number of minerals that strengthen the immunity.
The US National Library of Medicine states that oatmeal's beta-glucans aid in a baby's white blood cells' ability to react swiftly in the battle against infections. Additionally, oats contain zinc, magnesium, and selenium, all of which support a baby's immune system.
3 Ways To Prepare Oats For Your Baby
Oats Applesauce Porridge
Applesauce is one of the most fundamental dishes that all parents begin with. The applesauce is a no-brainer because it is simple to prepare, and digest, and tastes good for your baby's palate. Simply steam one apple, remove the pulp, and mash with a fork until it is ready to consume. Add oats to the applesauce to increase its nutritious value.
Grind the oats in a blender. Add a few spoonfuls of oats to one cup of hot water and whisk regularly to avoid lumps. When the oatmeal is done, combine it with the applesauce and mix thoroughly.
Banana Oats Porridge
Once more, only two ingredients are needed for one of the tastiest and most straightforward dishes. To prepare oats banana porridge, use the same recipe as above, but instead of adding applesauce, add mashed ripe banana. By adding date syrup, fig puree, raisins puree, etc., to the porridge, you can make more varieties of oatmeal porridge.
Oats Vegetable Upma
A filling dish for slightly mature babies, who are a bit familiar with veggies and spices. Add some oil or ghee to a skillet and sauté all the veggies you choose to use in the upma. After cooking, add water and continue cooking the vegetables for a little while more to soften them. Toss in the oats and thoroughly combine all the ingredients. In order to prevent lumps from forming or the upma from sticking to the pan's bottom, add water and stir continuously. Add spices like black pepper or raw mango powder, to give your upma additional flavour.
