While it is a staple for several families, parents may have questions regarding the use of wheat for babies. Wheat contains gluten, and gluten allergies are not uncommon. Therefore, many parents may consider delaying the introduction of wheat until the baby is eight to nine months old to prevent allergies. Read this post to know more about the benefits, the right age to introduce, nutritional value, possible side effects, and precautions to take while introducing wheat to your babies.
Is Wheat Good For Babies?
Wheat makes a suitable solid food for babies. It is a leading source of starch, energy, and other essential nutrients, such as protein, B-vitamins, dietary fiber, and phytochemicals (1). It is beneficial to give them whole wheat flour and its products rather than refined wheat products. However, you need to introduce it at the right age to avoid any unnecessary health issues.
What Is The Right Age To Introduce Wheat To Babies?
You can introduce wheat to babies around the age of six months when they are likely to consume other single-grain infant cereals. Parents might want to delay introducing wheat to prevent wheat allergy or celiac diseases. However, several research studies show that delaying allergenic foods beyond six months of age does not guarantee the prevention of allergy (2). If you have a family history of wheat allergy or gluten intolerance, then consult a pediatric nutritionist.
Nutritional Value of Whole Wheat Flour
Whole wheat flour is a whole-grain product that has all the three parts of the grain (germ, bran, and endosperm) intact. It also has a higher nutritional value than refined or processed wheat flour. Below is the nutritional composition of one cup of whole wheat flour against the current recommendations of nutrients for babies (3) (4). Sources: U.S. Department of Agriculture and World Health Organization The diverse nutritional composition of wheat makes it one of the best foods to include in your baby’s diet. The use of wheat germ oil is also prevalent.
Possible Health Benefits of Wheat For Infants
Regular consumption of wheat and its products in recommended amounts could provide the following health benefits to the baby. Wheat can support the healthy development of your baby, if you make it part of a balanced diet.
Possible Side-Effects Of Wheat For Babies
The following are the likely side effects of wheat for babies. Babies with wheat allergy or celiac disease require complete elimination of wheat and wheat products from their diet.
Precautions To Take While Feeding Wheat To Babies
These precautions can help prevent any adverse effects of wheat consumption. While following these precautions, you may add a variety of wheat recipes to your baby’s weaning diet.
Ways To Include Wheat In Your Baby’s Diet
You can try these recipes and various others based on the age of the baby. Below are a couple of simple wheat recipes that you may try for your infant.
Wheat Recipes For Babies
These recipes are easy to prepare and provide nutrition to your little one.
1. Wheat porridge
It can be given to babies who have just started eating solid foods. Along with wheat, this recipe also contains yellow gram and almond powder. You can customize this recipe as per your baby’s preferences. You will need:
2tbsp wheat flour 1tsp yellow gram powder 1tsp almond powder 1tbsp powdered jaggery 1 cup water
How to:
2. Broken wheat porridge (Dhaliya)
Once your baby is comfortable with wheat porridge, you may try feeding broken wheat porridge or dhaliya that is slightly granular. Since this recipe contains cow milk, it is suited for babies older than 12 months. You will need:
2tbsp broken Wheat 1tsp dried fruit powder 1tbsp jaggery powder 2 cup water 1 cup cow’s milk (whole)
How to:
