Introducing complementary foods is an exciting milestone. For your child, it means trying something new beyond their usual milk and discovering countless new flavors. For you, it’s a joy to watch this next developmental step as your baby slowly becomes a toddler. In this article, you’ll find three varied porridge recipes to guide you through this special time.

Why porridge at all?

The introduction of complementary foods, usually in the form of baby purée, is an important part of a balanced diet. It helps ensure your baby’s growing nutritional needs are met optimally as they develop and a milk-only diet gradually becomes insufficient. Experts recommend starting complementary foods at the earliest in the fifth month and at the latest in the seventh month . However, the right time is very individual and can be determined by the so-called signs of readiness for solid foods . You can find out what they are and how introducing complementary foods works in our article „ Introducing solid foods step by step ".
Since babies’ and toddlers’ digestive systems are even more sensitive than adults’, it’s important to introduce your little explorer to new foods gradually and give them time to adjust. Especially in the first year of life, you should also avoid salt, sugar, and unnecessary additives such as colorings and preservatives in your little one’s meals. Once your child has gotten used to eating porridge, you can gradually introduce firmer foods as well. As an alternative to traditional complementary foods, many parents offer their child finger foods from the beginning, or alongside porridge—foods they can suck on or chew with their jaws. You can find out more about this nutrition concept in the article "". Baby-led Weaning ".

Baby Food Recipes

Grains contain plenty of iron as well as plant-based protein, and they’re easy to incorporate into your daily routine.

Ingredients

• 200 ml whole milk / breast milk / infant formula / oat milk
  

• 20 g whole grain semolina
  

• 20 g fruit purée (sugar-free)
  

• sliced fruit such as banana, apple, pear
  

Preparation

Step 1: If you’re using whole milk, pour it into a small pot and bring it to a boil.

Step 2: Stir the semolina into the boiling milk and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes, until it thickens slightly.

Step 3: Mix the semolina porridge with the fruit purée. You can use ready-made, sugar-free fruit purée or make your own from cooked fruit. Finally, add the sliced fruit.

For babies under one year, cow’s milk can be difficult to digest and should therefore be avoided as much as possible. During the transitional phase for children over one year, you can use a mixture of 100 ml water, 100 ml whole milk, and 1 tsp rapeseed oil. As alternatives to pasteurized whole milk, you can use breast milk or infant formula. However, be sure not to boil them—only warm them before stirring in the semolina. Oat milk is also a good alternative and provides your baby with nutrients.

Sweet potato mash with peas from 8 months

Sweet potatoes are rich in vitamin A, while green peas contain plenty of vitamin B1. This recipe is therefore not only delicious, but also healthy.

Ingredients

• 1 medium-sized sweet potato
  

• 450 g peas
  

• 30 ml water
  

• 1 ml plant oil (for example, linseed oil)
  

Preparation

Step 1: Peel the sweet potato and cut it into cubes.

Step 2: Steam the cubes (in a pot with a steaming insert or, if you have one, in a pressure cooker) until soft.

Step 3: Add the frozen peas to boiling water and cook for about 5 minutes.

Step 4: Combine the peas and sweet potato with the 30 ml of water, then mash everything with a fork or an immersion blender. Add a little more water if needed so the purée doesn’t become too thick.

Step 5: Stir the vegetable oil into the mixture.

Porridge with pears from 12 months

Oats are rich in fiber and support digestion. This recipe is therefore especially suitable for experienced little eaters from one year old onwards, who are gradually eating more solid foods.

Ingredients

• 200 ml pasteurized whole milk or plant-based milk
  

• 20 g oats or semolina
  

• 1 pear
  

• 5 g butter or vegetable margarine
  

Preparation

Step 1: Heat the milk in a pot and stir in the oats.

Step 2: Bring it briefly to a boil, then reduce the heat and let it soak for a few minutes.

Step 3: In the meantime, wash and peel the pear.

Step 4: Finely grate the pear and mix it into the oatmeal along with the butter or margarine.

Step 5: Let the oatmeal cool to room temperature before serving it to your baby.

As you can see, it’s easy to prepare delicious, varied porridge meals for your baby. We hope these three tasty porridge recipes support you and your baby on this exciting journey—and above all, we wish you: Bon appétit!