Oatmeal with Pear Prunes Apricots and Ginger – baby constipation +6M

Oatmeal or baby porridge is such a lovely choice for little babies: creamy, nutritious and so easy to prepare.

Today I prepared a yummy oat porridge with pear + dried apricots and prunes + vanilla + ginger. A super creamy mix that is a lovely delicate natural remedy for baby constipation and can be enjoyed on a regular basis to simply regularize your baby’s digestive system 🙂

Pending what’s in season you can add any fresh fruit you like to change the taste of the porridge and let your little one enjoy new flavors 🙂

Oats are a nice alternative to rice when starting introducing solids in your baby’s diet at around 6 months of age: oats cause less constipation compared to rice and are easy to digest too.

Also, oats are a good source of calcium, iron, potassium, sodium and magnesium (in addition to B vitamins).

I would suggest using steel cut oats or old fashioned rolled oats over quick cook or instant oats, the first ones are less processed (even if they take more time to cook!! approx 10/20 min)

Interesting facts about oats:

• Oats (like other grains) are not included in the “dirty dozen” food list. That means that buying organic oats is a totally personal choice.
• Oats are NOT gluten free but they contain a different gluten than wheat, that’s why if you are intolerant to gluten you might not be to oats. That being said, always consult your pediatrician if you have a family history with allergies.

The recipe can be stored in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.

A special note for dried apricots: when you buy dried apricots for your baby (and for the whole family) double check that they do NOT contain sulfur dioxide.

It’s a preservative that extends the shelf life of the product, kills bacterias and at the same time maintains the color (yes, that deep intense yellow apricot color!!)

How dangerous is sulfur dioxide…well, it will not kill you nor your baby at the first bite, but in my personal opinion, why adding chemicals to our food if it’s not necessary?

Organic dried fruit do NOT have sulfur dioxide in it, they might last less time in your pantry and have a brownish color, but they are 100% safe and yummy! Also, if you want your organic dried fruit to last longer…simply freeze it! no sulfur dioxide needed 🙂

and…if you are wondering, yes, the apricots in the video recipe are organic…but retouched to pop up the orange and being “easily recognizable” at first sight!!

The baby meal set featured in the recipe is a 100% silicone Oogaa bowl and truck baby spoon

5 from 1 vote

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Oatmeal with Pear Prunes Apricots and Ginger +6M

Ingredients

• 1 cup old fashioned oats
• 1 pear
• 2 dried prunes
• 2 dried apricots
• 3 cups water
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• pinch fresh ginger

Instructions

1. In a medium pot, bring water to boil; add oats, prunes and apricots.
2. Lower heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all the water is absorbed.
3. Chop the pear in small pieces and add it to the oatmeal. Cook for additional 5 minutes.
4. Add the vanilla and 1/4 tsp grated fresh ginger. Stir to combine.
5. If you are serving the oatmeal to your baby, blend everything with an immersion blender to obtain a smooth consistency.
6. If you are serving the oatmeal to your toddler/kid: cut the prunes and apricots in small pieces before cooking and, once the oatmeal is cooked, simply let it cool down for few minutes and serve warm.
7. The recipe can be stored in the refrigerator for 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months