Wheat porridge recipe for babies – Wheat is one of the grains that is very widely used by Indians. It is used to make roti, paratha,halwa, dalia, upma, dosa, snacks and many more. Most Indians consume wheat regularly & our bodies have no issues with gluten that’s naturally present in this grain. However it is different for babies and care must be taken when you introduce wheat to your baby.
This post will guide you in detail on
When & how to introduce wheat to your baby?
The possible reactions after consuming wheat
Health benefits of wheat
How to make wheat porridge for baby?
You can check this post for more Indian baby food recipes.
When to introduce wheat to baby?
Typically a baby is introduced to solids after 6 to 8 months of age. A baby has to be breastfed exclusively until it completes 6 months. Solids are introduced only as complimentary to get the baby used to solids. So until a baby turns 1 year old, breastfeeding or formula is the main source of nutrition.
Single fruit, single veggie and single grain are introduced first. Rice, Ragi and Oats are the grains considered to be the safest and are introduced first.
Wheat is one of the known grains for allergies so do not introduce wheat as a first grain for your baby. It is good to introduce it later after 8 months when you are done introducing other grains.
How to introduce wheat to your baby?
Whole wheat is available in 3 forms in the market. First one is whole grain, Second is flour (atta) and last is broken wheat (dalia). Among all the 3, using whole wheat or broken wheat is the best as they are least processed. But the most convenient one is using flour or atta.
A baby’s first year is very crucial & the digestive system is still developing so it is good to use homemade or milled flour or at least organic flour.
For both my babies I used to carry the milled flour from my mum’s home in India. Since it was hard for me to wash, sun dry and then mill the whole grains here in Singapore.
In this post I have shared a wheat porridge recipe using atta. As you can see in the pictures, the baby food turns out smooth and delicious. You can flavor the wheat porridge with any of the fruits like apple, banana, chikoo (paal sapota) , pear or papaya.
I have shared apple wheat porridge here. Similarly you can can make it with any other fruit which has already been introduced to your baby.
Follow the 3 day rule while introducing wheat
Please follow this post on Baby food chart for 6 months old to know in detail about how to introduce solids or first foods to your baby and how much can you feed your baby.
As with any other foods, follow the 3 day test rule when you introduce wheat to your baby. Wait until the fourth day to make sure your baby is not allergic to it.
Always introduce new foods only in the first half of the day. So it is easy to resolve the issues the same day.
Quantities to introduce
Some babies are extremely sensitive to wheat so start with a low quantity.
8 months old baby – Start with 1 tsp of the wheat porridge on the first day. If your baby does well, increase it to 1 tbsp on the 2nd and 3rd day. You can give about ¼ cup of porridge on the 4th day.
9 months old baby – Start with 1 to 2 tbsp of the porridge on the first day. 2 tbsp of the second & third day. Give about ½ cup on the 4th day.
Possible reactions after consuming wheat
Most babies do well with wheat but it is not suitable to all. Please avoid wheat if a member of your family is allergic to wheat or has intolerance to gluten or has celiac disease.
Following are the most possible reactions with wheat if it is not suitable to the baby:
Itching, hives, rashes on the skin, runny nose, watery eyes and dehydration are some of the symptoms which a baby might show up if wheat is not suitable. Less likely symptoms are diarrhea, colic and lack of appetite.
Please seek medical assistance at the earliest if you notice any of the above symptoms.
Health benefits of wheat
Whole wheat is a rich source of carbohydrates, fiber, iron, vitamins and minerals. If properly prepared it may help to gain weight, beat constipation and prevent iron deficiency in babies.
If wheat is not suitable to your baby, then it may worsen the constipation. So please follow the 3 day test rule.
How to make wheat porridge for baby
There are 2 ways you can make wheat porridge. One with milk and the second one with fruit.
If you prefer to make the milk based wheat porridge then, cook the flour in water. Cool it and then mix it with formula or breast milk to bring it to a consistency.
You can also make wheat porridge with a fruit. Fruits help to boost the appetite and strengthens the immune system of the baby.
It is good to introduce wheat along with a fruit that has already been introduced to your baby. Banana, apple, chikoo and pear are the fruits you can try with.
If your baby has constipation, then consider adding a ripe banana or papaya to the wheat baby food.
More baby food recipes
Baby rice cereal
Oats milk porridge
Apple rice cereal
Apple oats porridge
Wheat porridge recipe for babies
Wheat porridge recipe for babies | Homemade apple wheat baby food
Homemade wheat porridge recipe for baby. This recipe uses whole wheat flour to make the baby food. Alternately you can use whole wheat grains, soak them overnight and blend to smooth. Then make the wheat porridge. Suitable for 8 months old and above.
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For best results follow the step-by-step photos above the recipe card
Prep Time2 minutes minutes
Cook Time10 minutes minutes
Total Time12 minutes minutes
Servings1
AuthorSwasthi
Ingredients (US cup = 240ml )
- 3 tbsp Wheat flour or atta (organic if possible)
- 200 ml water
- 1 small Apple – low acid variety – sweet
- 1/8 tsp ghee homemade only (refer notes)
Substitutes for apple
- 1 small Ripe banana
- 3 to 4 small Ripe chikoo or paal sapota
- 1 small pear
Instructions
Optional step – Dry roast 1 cup of wheat flour on a medium flame until it smells good. Cool this completely. You can sieve the flour if it has bran. Transfer to a air tight jar. Use this when ever needed.
Make wheat porridge
Add wheat flour to a pan and pour water. If you pour water to hot flour it will turn lumpy. So cool the flour first and then pour water.
Stir well with a spoon until smooth.
Begin to cook on a medium heat stirring often until the mixture thickens.
Turn off the stove. Add ghee. Stir and keep covered for at least 5 mins. Cool this.
Meanwhile wash and peel the apple or any other fruit you have already introduced.
Cut to pieces and add it to a blender. Make a fine puree.
Pour this to the cooled wheat porridge. Mix well. If you haven’t been giving raw apple yet to your baby then, pour the pureed apple to the hot wheat porridge. Do not cook further. Just mix and keep the pot covered for a while. The apple gets cooked slightly.
Cool the apple wheat porridge completely and then feed your baby.
Notes
Please Consult your pediatrician before you introduce wheat to your baby.
Firstly try to use milled flour as the grains can be washed, sun dried and then milled to our liking. If that is not possible, try to use organic flour.
You can skip roasting the flour. Roasting brings in an aroma but babies will like it otherwise too. I had never roasted the flour for my babies.
Please taste the flour before using. Avoid rancid smelling or rancid tasting flour.
Do not use milk if using fruit.
If you wish to skip the fruit, cook the wheat flour in water and then mix formula mix.
The quantities mentioned above is good for a 8 months baby. Please scale down the flour but not the fruit if making for a younger baby.
As your baby grows, you can increase the quantity of flour and keep the fruit same.
Homemade ghee is best for babies. Avoid store bought ghee.
Limit wheat porridge to 3 servings a week. Include a variety of grains like rice, oats and ragi.
Alternative quantities provided in the recipe card are for 1x only, original recipe.
For best results follow my detailed step-by-step photo instructions and tips above the recipe card.
NUTRITION INFO (estimation only)
Nutrition Facts
Wheat porridge recipe for babies | Homemade apple wheat baby food
Amount Per Serving
Calories 164Calories from Fat 9
% Daily Value*
Fat 1g2%
Cholesterol 1mg0%
Sodium 11mg0%
Potassium 159mg5%
Carbohydrates 37g12%
Fiber 4g17%
Sugar 15g17%
Protein 2g4%
Vitamin A 80IU2%
Vitamin C 6.8mg8%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
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About Swasthi
I’m Swasthi Shreekanth, the recipe developer, food photographer & food writer behind Swasthi’s Recipes. My aim is to help you cook great Indian food with my time-tested recipes. After 2 decades of experience in practical Indian cooking I started this blog to help people cook better & more often at home. Whether you are a novice or an experienced cook I am sure Swasthi’s Recipes will assist you to enhance your cooking skills. More about me
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