It certainly does not take a genius to make oatmeal for a baby. It's just so easy. But there are a few things I did differently from the way I would usually make for myself. First, I added lots of water. The instruction says add 2 cups of water for 1 cup of oats, but I added 3 to 4 cups for a cup of oats. Then, I cooked longer than usual just to make it extra soggy. Say, 20 minutes? That's all.
So let me talk a little bit about what kind of oats I bought. When I went to a supermarket, I went to the baby food section to find oats, and found a box of oats for babies. But it was not organic oats. "Not organic?! Then I don't want to buy it," I said to myself. (Yes, I admit that I have become an organic food fanatic and I hate myself for that.) So I wandered to a different section to find organic oats. Even with just regular oats, there are so many kinds! Quick oats, rolled oats, steel cut oats....I didn't know what the difference was. I just guessed quick oats are instant and can't be good for babies. So I picked "organic old fashioned rolled oats." Later, I went home to do some research on oats for baby food and one website says "steel cut oats are more healthy than rolled, quick cook, or instant oats." Oh no, why didn't I buy steel cut oats? Then, I did more research and found out the difference between steel cut oats and rolled oats...basically not much!!!
Here's the quote I borrowed from this website.
"There are three basic types of oats. There are old-fashioned rolled oats, which are whole oats rolled flat. Then there are quick oats, which are rolled oats that have been ground up a little bit more to make them cook faster. Finally, there are the steel cut oats, where the whole raw oat was cut into smaller chunks.
They all start from the same grains, but they are cut differently. Rolled oats are steamed slightly to make them cook faster, but otherwise, they aren’t any different from steel cut oats.
...So you see, rolled oats and steel cut oats are the same food, just cut differently. Saying they’re vastly different in nutritional value is like saying a sandwich cut straight down the middle is healthier than a sandwich sliced diagonally into triangles!"
Interesting. Okay, so nutrients. Oats are a good source of fiber, Riboflavin, Folate, Phosphorus, Thiamin, and Niacin, etc...basically super healthy.
Well, don't I sound ridiculous talking on and on about just mere oats? Since I started feeding solids to my baby, and this baby food blog, I learned so much about food, its nutrients, and things I could care less about in my pre-baby era. It's amazing how my baby changed me....
He liked it. I mixed it with pureed carrot and applesauce since he didn't have any reaction to those two. Oats are known to be highly allergenic and that's why I had waited a while to introduce to my baby, but he seems fine with oats, too. So far, he doesn't have any allergic reaction to all the foods I have given and I am so happy. Tomorrow, I will make oatmeal cookies with the rest of oats to see if he likes it or not.
Just kidding. I will make oatmeal cookies just for me. I need some indulgence for myself after I do all that work for my baby.
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