After the birth of a child, mother’s milk is the only food which is fed to the baby and is the primary source of nutrition and minerals during the early days. The baby will have to be weaned off breast milk eventually and will need a worthy substitute that can gradually replace the mother’s milk and continue to provide the necessary nutrients at the same time.
Arrowroot is a power-packed food item which contains B vitamins such as thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, and pyridoxine, which help the body in the conversion of energy from nutrients. This superfood is also rich in other minerals like magnesium, zinc and iron, which help in the normal functioning and growth of the baby.
Benefits of Arrowroot for Infants
Arrowroot has many benefits for the baby:
- It helps in maintaining a healthy stomach as it is easily digestible and also helps in curing diarrhoea. It is also used as a medicine for dyspepsia, bronchitis, cough and weakness.
- Its application onto a sore, cuts, rash or painful gums in the mouth will provide instant relief to the baby from pain and burning sensation.
Preparing Arrowroot Powder for Infants
Arrowroot can be administered to the baby in many ways. Following are arrowroot powder recipes for babies:
I)
- Arrowroot powder can be mixed with breast milk into a paste and fed to the baby.
- Arrowroot can be fed in the form of porridge or jelly to the baby.
- The powder can be mixed with purees of vegetables such as beetroot, sweet potato or carrot. You can add some salt and butter to make the mixture tasty for your baby.
Arrowroot, like corn starch, is a thickening agent and is the first step towards introducing the baby to a solid form of food.
II)
An easy arrowroot porridge recipe for babies is to mix 1 cup of arrowroot powder with ¾ cup jaggery liquid and 2 cups of milk and heat it on a medium flame for around three minutes. Once the solution is prepared, the same can be given to the baby after cooling it down.