If you are a parent, then you know the pains you have to take to make sure your baby is always safe. It is hard work to keep them hale and hearty, and a big part of the task is to prepare healthy, tasty food for them. So, if you are wondering if it is safe to give dalia for babies, you are not the only one.
Dalia, or broken wheat, is nutritious and considered to be very beneficial. But what exactly are these benefits? And are there any side effects of feeding daliya to babies? Is dalia for babies really safe?
This article sheds light on such topics.
What is Dalia?
Dalia is cracked wheat or broken wheat. It is a cereal dish that is very tasty and considered to be beneficial for babies. It is easy to digest and is full of nutrients like protein, iron, and fiber.
Is Dalia Good For Baby?
Dalia is a food that many moms love to choose for their little ones. Giving dalia to babies has been a common practice for quite some time. Why? It is mainly because of how nutritious it is.
Dalia is a rich source of several vitamins and minerals, as well as other nutrients such as protein and dietary fiber. Dalia is also rich in antioxidants. These are all needed for the baby’s healthy growth and development.
So, it is safe to say that dalia can be very good for babies.
When Can I Give Daliya To My Baby?
Dalia is solid food, so you will obviously have to give it to your baby after they reach the age where they can eat solids. Due to its nutritious value, it is a good idea for dalia to be one of the first solid foods you give to your baby.
Related Reading: 10 Indian Baby First Foods 4-6 Months
The ideal time to give dalia to babiesis when they are around 7-8 months old. However, if the baby has a problem with digesting solid food, it is best to wait until they are 10-12 months old, to ensure that their stomach can handle it.
What Are The Benefits Of Dalia For Babies?
With so many nutrients, it is no surprise that giving dalia to babiescan have several health benefits! Here are a few of them:
1. Dalia provides children with energy
Dalia is not only a tasty, filling meal. It is also an excellent source of minerals such as iron, magnesium, and phosphorous, as well as other nutrients. These are essential for the development of the child and are a good source of energy. Mothers often prepare dalia for babies to keep them energetic and healthy.
Related Reading: When Can Babies Eat Eggs?
2. Improves metabolism
Cracked wheat, or dalia, is a rich source of dietary fiber, as well as some other specific compounds. These are crucial for developing the digestive system. They also help improve the metabolism of the baby.
3. Daliya is rich in fiber
As mentioned above, broken wheat is rich in dietary fiber. This makes it very helpful in the digestion process. It makes for easier bowel movements and prevents constipation in babies.
4. Daliya keeps a baby fuller for longer time
A baby that young can get hungry often, especially with all the playing and running around they probably do. As such, it is a good idea to feed them filling foods that will provide them with energy for a long time. Dalia is a food that is more filling than even rice.
5. Helps to combat infections
Other than all the digestive benefits dalia has, it also has many anti-inflammatory properties, making it very helpful for combating infections. This means that giving dalia to babies regularly can help prevent diseases and keep them healthy.
6. Daliya is good for babies’ growth
As mentioned above, dalia has a lot of nutritious value. It provides many nutrients that are essential for the mental and physical development of the baby, including iron, protein, and calcium.
Iron aids in cognitive development, while protein is important for physical growth and development. Calcium is crucial for bone health. Adding dalia to the daily baby menus can help provide all these nutrients and benefits to your baby in one go.
Related Reading: 12 Best Foods For Baby Brain Development
Precautions To Take While Feeding Dalia To Babies
Although there are many benefits to giving dalia for babies, there are still some things you need to keep in mind. So here are a few precautions you need to take when giving dalia to your little one.
- When buying broken wheat, ensure that it is organic. Buy packaged dalia from a trustworthy store of a good brand
- Make sure you wash the dalia before use, as it is to be given to babies. It needs to be as clean as possible
- Only give dalia to babies after you introduce them to other solid foods. Some good solid foods to start with are apple puree and carrot puree
- When you introduce dalia to a baby, it would be ideal to follow the three-day rule. Introduce it to them in small amounts and wait a couple of days in between to ensure they experience no side effects. Then, slowly increase the amount and frequency
- If they show any signs of sensitivity to the food, stop giving them dalia immediately and try again after a few days. If the problem is still there, contact your doctor at once
- When preparing dalia, make sure the texture of it is smooth and consistent. It should be easy to swallow and digest
- At first, you should give them pure dalia, so that they can get used to the taste and texture. Afterward, you can use other recipes to mix them with other healthy ingredients
- If your baby is allergic to gluten or any other component in dalia, or if there is a family history of such food allergies, it is a good idea to consult a doctor before introducing dalia to baby
How To Make Dalia For Babies
When making dalia for babies, there is no reason why you should stick to one recipe! You can make plenty of delicious meals for your little one, with many different tastes. For this, you can use anything from fruits and vegetables, to dry fruits, to other cereals and pulses.
Here are a few amazing recipes to try out!
Dalia Khichdi for babies
Dalia khichdi for babiesis a very nutritious and filling meal. It contains healthy ingredients like moong dal and vegetables, which make up for the nutrients dalia lacks. This means having dalia khichdi can provide all the vitamins and minerals a baby needs. How do you make it?
Ingredients:
- Dalia – 2 tbsp
- Moong Dal – 1 tbsp
- Ghee – half tsp
- Mixed vegetables – quarter cup, finely chopped
- Garlic – 1 clove
- Turmeric powder, pepper, and cumin seed – one pinch each
- Salt (if the baby is older than a year) – as needed
Preparation
- First, wash the dalia and moong dal and dry roast them, separately
- In a pressure cooker, heat ghee and add the cumin seeds. Heat it until it crackles
- Then, add the dry roasted moong dal to the pan and fry the mixture for about 2 minutes
- Add the chopped vegetables along with garlic and stir
- Add the dalia and mix it well
- Add the turmeric powder, pepper, and (if applicable) salt. Stir
- Add water and bring the whole mixture to a boil
- Then, close the lid. Let it cook in low-medium flame until you hear the third whistle of the pressure cooker
- Once the pressure is released, open the cooker and mash it
The dalia khichdi is done! Feed it to your baby while it is still warm.
Dalia khichdi is a fairly simple dish that is nonetheless filling and tasty. It is also easy to digest. For these reasons, your baby will probably not fuss too much when offered this dish. Many mothers consider dalia khichdi to be a great traveling food.
A great way to use dalia khichdi is to prepare a dalia khichdi mix. It will be very useful when you need to make food for your little one while traveling.
Ingredients For Dalia Khichdi Mix
- Dalia – quarter cup
- Moong dal – one-eighth of a cup
- Cumin seeds – one-eighth of a cup
Preparation
- Wash the dalia and moong dal separately.
- Dry it in sunlight for an hour or so, until you are sure it has dried completely.
- Dry roast the dalia in a pan. When an aroma starts to appear, you can stop and let the dalia cool down.
- Now, take the moong dal and the cumin seeds and dry roast those in a pan. Do this in a low flame, until some of the moong dal turns into a golden color. Let it cool down
- Finally, grind all three (dalia, moong dal, and cumin seeds) together to make a fine powder
- After the powder cools, you can store it in a clean, airtight container. It will be safe to use for about a month, as long as you store it properly
1. Dalia Kheer recipe for babies
Babies love sweet food. It is no different in the case of dalia! If it is sweet, the baby would probably like it even more! So, naturally, you may be searching for sweet dalia recipes for babies. If so, we have something perfect for you.
This dalia kheer recipe for babies will have them salivating. It is delicious and healthy. Here is how you make it:
Ingredients
- Dalia – half cup
- Milk – 2 cups
- Jaggery – half cup
- Ghee – 2 tsp
- Cardamom – 1
- Water – 2 cups
- Raisins and cashews – according to your wish, if you want
Preparation
- In a pan, roast the nuts and raisins (if you are using them) with the ghee, and keep them aside
- In a saucepan, heat the jaggery and water together (the jaggery should be completely immersed)
- After it has melted, pour it through a strainer to get rid of impurities or lumps. Keep it aside
- Wash the dalia thoroughly
- Put it in a pressure cooker along with 2 cups of water, and let it cook in medium flame until you hear 4 whistles. Open the pressure cooker after the pressure has been released
- Add the jaggery water from before to the dalia and mix thoroughly
- Crush the cardamom and add it to the mixture
- Cook it in a low flame for about 5-7 minutes
- Stir it while it cooks to ensure the bottom doesn’t burn
- Now, add the milk to the mixture and stir. Keep the mixture cooking until the consistency becomes a little thick
- Finally, add the nuts and raisins and mix them well.
Your dalia kheer is done! Your baby is sure to love it.
Conclusion
For any new mother, or an old mother with a new baby, introducing healthy solid foods is a major concern. The food has to be safe, easy to digest, and given at the perfect time. Many amazing foods can make the transition from breast milk to solely solid foods easy. Dalia is one such food.
It is incredibly beneficial for the growth and development of the baby. However, it is important to take some precautions when giving dalia to babies. Once you do that, there are many dalia recipes you can try out.
They will all introduce new tastes to your baby and have them waiting for the next meal.
FAQ’s
When introducing food to a baby for the first time, it is important to ensure it is easy to swallow and digest. For that reason, it would be ideal to use a small-grained variety of dalia for babies.
The recipes described above, of dalia khichdi and dalia kheer, are also very soft and easy to swallow, making them good foods to give babies.
Dalia powder for babies is a very useful thing to have when you are traveling with a baby. It is incredibly easy to prepare and still retains its deliciousness.
In order to make the powder, all you need to do is wash and sun-dry dalia, roast it and grind it into a fine powder. It can be stored in an airtight container. To prepare it, you just have to add some water to it and stir it to a smooth consistency over a low flame for 5 minutes. Adding puree to it will make it even tastier for your little one.
This easy dish is very convenient for mothers everywhere who have to travel a lot.