Rice porridge for babies is one of the first dishes introduced into his diet. Rice is well absorbed even by the smallest, so it is included in the first complementary foods. In addition, it is a gluten-free product that has a positive effect on the intestinal mucosa.

Allergy to rice porridge in infants

With the introduction of rice in complementary foods in children, allergies are extremely rare. 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 - in water or breast milk and without added sugar. However, there are cases when children are allergic to rice protein. In this case, this product must be removed from the diet.

How to cook rice porridge for babies?

When purchasing factory-made formulas for babies, just look at the instructions for their preparation. It is indicated by the manufacturer on each package. It also shows the cooking time and the ratio of ingredients. If you decide to cook your own complementary foods from ordinary rice, then there is nothing complicated here either.

There are several varieties of porridge:

• Dairy-free;
• on breast milk substitutes;
• on breast milk.

The basis for cooking can be cereals or flour. The recipe varies depending on the base.

Babies for the first feeding should not be cooked in cow's milk, as it differs in composition from mother's milk and the baby cannot yet absorb it.

To make rice porridge, you need to stock up on the following ingredients:

• a quarter cup of rice cereal;
• half a glass of milk;
• half a glass of boiled water.

Round rice is best, as porridge from it turns out to be more viscous. During the period when the baby is just beginning to switch from liquid to solid food, it is better to use mother's milk or prepare from dry milk mixtures - mother's substitutes. For a later age, you can take cow's or goat's milk.


Step by step cooking recipe

1. Rinse the rice thoroughly, changing the water several times until it becomes clear.
2. Pour the washed cereal with water and put on fire.
3. After boiling, reduce the fire and cook the rice for another 15-20 minutes.
4. Add milk and keep on fire until the porridge thickens, about 15 minutes, stirring constantly with a spoon.
5. After that, cover the saucepan with a lid and let the rice steam out. This will take another 15 minutes.
6. Pass the cooked rice through a sieve or grind with a blender to a puree state.
7. Dilute the mashed mass with boiled water to the desired consistency. For babies 6-9 months old, it should be liquid, only slightly thicker than milk. Older children can cook thicker cereals.

Rice flour porridge

The recipe for making porridge from rice flour is different from the method of cooking cereals. Such flour is sold in the store, but you can make it yourself from cereals. 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. Cooking Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons (table) rice flour;
• 50 ml of boiled water;
• 200 ml of 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 boiled milk and boil, stirring constantly, for 5-7 minutes. If the porridge turned out to be too liquid, we put the saucepan off the heat, and after a minute we boil it again or two. If the consistency is too thick, it is enough to dilute it with boiled water.

Dairy-free rice porridge

Dishes prepared without milk are the best option for the first complementary foods and accustoming the child to solid foods. In the case when a child is allergic to milk protein, dairy-free porridge becomes an uncontested option. You can cook it according to the above recipes, replacing milk with water.

If porridge is cooked from cereals, it is poured in the ratio of a glass of water or fruit broth to a quarter cup of rice. After boiling, rice should be cooked for about half an hour, until fully cooked. Then the rice "reaches" under a closed lid for another 15 minutes, after which it can be wiped.

Rice flour is diluted with cold boiled water in a ratio of 5-10 g per 100 ml of water. The amount of flour depends on the age of the baby. Those who are just starting to get acquainted with solid food are given a 5% porridge - 5 g of flour per 100 ml of liquid. Later, you can double the dose. It is necessary to dilute the flour with cold water, otherwise it will clump. The resulting mixture is brought to a boil and boiled for up to 10 minutes. At the same time, it must be constantly stirred.

Fruits and flavors for babies

For the first feeding, it is recommended to cook rice without various additives. When the child grows up a little, you can start adding salt, sugar, fruits and butter. From 8 months, it is recommended to add chopped fruits to the porridge. They contain fructose and acids. Thus, porridge becomes not only healthier, but also tastier, the child eats it more willingly.

• Apples go great with rice, but they are best added to dairy-free dishes. This is due to the fact that the iron found in apples does not "get along" with milk.
• Pears should not be added to rice, because they, like rice, have a binding effect.
• Apricot is an ideal fruit for dairy rice dishes.
• Banana is combined with any cereals.

Dried fruits are soaked, then crushed and boiled before being added to the porridge. Fresh fruits are mashed to a puree state and added to chilled porridge.

Butter significantly increases the nutritional value of rice dishes. If the child is not gaining weight well, you can start introducing oil into the diet along with the first cereals from 5-6 months. If the baby's weight is normal, it is better to wait a little with this product and add it to the porridge no earlier than 9 months, starting with 1 g (at the tip of a teaspoon) per day.

Sugar and salt are flavoring additives that significantly increase the attractiveness of dishes for a child. But it is better to introduce them into the diet as late as possible. If the baby has a good appetite, then it is better not to add salt and sugar to rice porridge. It is especially not recommended to cook porridge with sugar if fruit is supposed to be added there.

Choosing which recipe to cook porridge and what to add there, each mother focuses on the characteristics of her child, his age and taste preferences. In any case, high-quality products and mother's care will be the key to tasty and healthy porridge.