The healing properties of olive oil became known many centuries ago, and today's generation actively uses it in many areas of life. But when it comes to a small child, especially a baby, many, even the most useful, products are called into question. Pediatricians unanimously confirm that it is possible, even very necessary, to introduce vegetable oil into the diet, and olive oil occupies a dominant place among other types of oils.
Olive oil occupies a leading position because it has a unique composition, especially the proportions of polyunsaturated fatty acids are similar to those contained in breast milk.
Benefit
Each component that is part of olive oil has a certain effect on the body's systems. It contains:
- fats and fatty acids: oleic, linoleic, palmitic, stearic, linolenic;
- various compounds: carotenoids, chlorophyll;
- vitamins: E, K, A, D.
If expressed in a simple and understandable language, then you should simply tell how all these intricately named substances affect our body:
- vitamin D improves the absorption of calcium in the body, which has a beneficial effect on the formation of a strong skeleton;
- the immune system matures stronger thanks to phenols;
- positively affects the visual apparatus, which is very important for a small organism;
- improves regenerative properties, which allows faster healing of wounds and scratches;
- has a beneficial effect on the metabolic processes of the body, is the prevention of diabetes;
- reduces appetite, has a laxative effect, therefore, helps to eliminate constipation and serves as a preventive measure to their appearance, has a beneficial effect on the stomach, regulates its acidity;
- reduces the excitability of the nervous system, stimulates the brain;
- relieves dry skin, which is a very common problem among babies.
Outdoor use
Due to the immaturity of the gastrointestinal tract, many babies suffer from disorders such as constipation in the first months of their lives. This phenomenon is very painful for the little man, so you can help him with the help of special massages.
Applying olive oil during it, the effectiveness is enhanced. Hand movements stimulate intestinal peristalsis and the promotion of feces, and the special components contained in the oil penetrate the skin to the digestive organs, providing a laxative effect.
The skin of a newborn is very thin and poorly adapted to environmental factors, so diaper rash becomes a common problem. To get rid of them, it is necessary to treat the damaged areas with sterilized olive oil 2 times a day.
It will not harm if you periodically treat the baby's body with sterile oil. This will only prevent dryness of delicate skin.
In order to make something suitable for treating children's skin from ordinary oil, it is necessary to rid it of possible harmful microorganisms, that is, to make it sterile. To do this, put an open jar of oil in a water bath for 20 minutes. After the oil is cooled, closed with a lid and cleaned in a dark place.
If the baby is overtaken by allergic manifestations on the skin, then you need to remember a couple of recipes for remedies for treating foci of inflammation. For example, olive oil can be mixed with fir oil in a ratio of 3: 1. This mixture should be lubricated on the affected skin 3 times a day.
Another remedy is St. John's wort oil tincture. In 100 ml of oil, add 2 handfuls of dried flowers. Infuse for a week in a warm dark place. Processing is carried out according to the above scheme.
To speed up the healing process of small scratches, you need to apply a cotton swab dipped in sterilized oil to them. And for the treatment of more serious wounds, you can prepare an environmentally friendly ointment: combine olive oil and beeswax (2: 1) in a bowl, bring to a boil. After cooling, it is allowed to apply to damage.
Ingestion
As already mentioned above, not always a small child is able to empty his intestines on time, because of which he is disturbed by painful sensations accompanied by crying. Parents try to help their child in every possible way. So, along with massage, olive oil can be used internally (preferably in the morning on an empty stomach) to help the baby with constipation. It is only important to observe the correct dosage (depending on age) and not to use it in case of allergies.
- For newborns and babies under 6 months of age who are breastfed, it is enough for the mother to lubricate the nipple before feeding. Artificial babies are given a lubricated pacifier.
- Upon reaching the age of six months, it is allowed to drop a drop of the product on the tongue, preferably diluted with water.
- By the year, when the baby is already eating a variety of complementary foods, butter can be added to food, based on the serving volume: for every 60 grams there is ¼ teaspoon of “liquid gold”.
Sometimes there are recommendations to make an oil enema. But we want to warn you: a child under 2 years old is a priori undesirable to do enemas, and putting it right at home is also not so easy. Therefore, this method should not be resorted to without the supervision or consultation of a doctor.
To relieve coughs and soothe an irritated throat, children over 3 years of age make a mixture of olive oil and honey, combining them 1: 1. Use it three times a day and very carefully, since each component is very biologically active and can cause an allergic reaction. For children under one year, such a remedy is contraindicated.
With ARVI, the olive pressing product is used as a means to strengthen the protective functions of the body. It will be most effective to eat it in its pure form, 1 teaspoon 3 times a day.
Also, one of the most pronounced symptoms of a respiratory viral infection is a runny nose. This is where olive elixir comes in handy. They can lubricate the nasal mucosa, preventing it from drying out. Older children can drip a sterilized product diluted with water into the nose.
Introduction to Diet
As soon as the dose of vegetable complementary foods reaches 200 grams, vegetable oils must be introduced into the baby's diet. They are added directly to vegetable puree. On average, this occurs within a period of 7-8 months. The initial portion of the oil is a quarter of a teaspoon. A month later, it increases to half, and by 9-10 months of life it can be a whole spoonful. The older the child becomes, the more often this vegetable component appears in his diet, supplementing vegetable salads.
For frying, it is better not to use an olive product, despite the fact that its combustion temperature is quite high. It has the greatest benefit in its original form, and any fried food, no matter what oil it is cooked in, will not benefit a small growing organism.
Choosing the best
There are several ways to obtain oil from the fruits of the olive tree. Depending on them, the quality of the oil is determined.
The purest natural method is mechanical extraction. Washed olives are placed under the press. The oil seized in this way is settled and filtered, bottled and called Extra Virgen. In fact, it is nothing but olive juice. If the DOP mark is indicated on the label, then this is an indicator that it has no analogues and is manufactured only in a certain place using a strictly classified technology.
Such a product, no doubt, will have a high cost, but the taste and its nutritional value will justify the money spent.
A step below is Pure or Olive Oil. It is a mixture of virgin and refined oil. Its healthfulness remains high, and the cost decreases several times, because such a product is widely consumed.
Pomace olive oil is a second-pressed oil, that is, the olives that remain after the production of Extra Virgen are crushed, various chemical solvents are added to them and processed at high temperatures. Such oil in its pure form is not used for food, since it practically does not retain its benefits. It is often taken for frying, because its smoke point is very high, which is why it does not form carcinogens during heat treatment.
We want to warn mothers who are especially concerned about the health of their bloodlines and try to choose only the best "baby" olive oil, having read the slogans on the label and reviews on the Internet - this is just a trick of marketers who play on the feelings of mothers.
Thus, the use of olive oil begins from the first days of a child's life. Like any product of plant origin, it is very rich in active substances, so it can sometimes act as an allergen, causing adverse reactions in the body. In order not to harm this priceless gift of nature, it is necessary to use it carefully and in moderation.
How to give a child a massage with natural oils, you will learn from the following video.
Vegetable oil is one of the products that a child gets acquainted with in the first year of life. Therefore, by the beginning of the introduction of complementary foods, all mothers should find out at what age it is allowed to give vegetable oils to babies, why they are included in the children's menu, and which of the oils is best for feeding the baby.
Benefit
The addition of vegetable oils to the diet of babies is justified and necessary, because these products:
- include useful fatty acids that have a positive effect on the functioning of the nervous system and brain function;
- quickly absorbed and provide energy;
- help cleanse the body of harmful compounds;
- are a source of fat-soluble vitamins;
- help normalize stools and prevent constipation;
- envelop the walls of the stomach, preventing their damage;
- change the taste of dishes for the better;
- have a positive effect on the condition of the skin.
Possible harm
- Any type of vegetable oil can provoke an allergic reaction. Although it is very rare, it happens in the form of a rash, changes in stool, redness of the skin and other unpleasant symptoms. When they occur, a new product is temporarily excluded, and later they try to introduce it into complementary foods again.
- An excessively large amount of oil in the diet adversely affects digestion, harms blood vessels and the thyroid gland. In addition, such a product is quite high in calories and consumption in excess can provoke weight gain.
- Prolonged heat treatment of vegetable oils leads to the formation of trans fats. Such compounds are dangerous for the child's body and can cause various pathologies, so their use at an early age is strictly limited.
- Expired oil or a product that was stored without observing the correct temperature regime can also harm the baby and cause poisoning.
At what age, how much and how to give?
Most often, vegetable oil is added to vegetable or meat dishes. In order for all the nutrients to be preserved as much as possible, the food should be slightly cooled.
Older children are offered fresh vegetable salads seasoned with oil. Fried foods should not be given before the age of three.
Calculate your feeding schedule
When breastfeeding
According to pediatricians, babies can be introduced to vegetable oil from the age of 7 months. Until that time, babies receiving mother's milk do not need such a product.
- At 7 months a portion of vegetable oil for crumbs should be only 1 gram (that is, only a few drops, no more than 1/5 teaspoon).
- At 8 months of age it can be increased to 2-3 grams, that is, give the little one about half a teaspoon of oil per day.
- From 9 months The daily serving of a vegetable fat product is 5 grams (one teaspoon).
- From 10 months of age- 6 grams (slightly more than a teaspoon).
With artificial feeding
Vegetable oil can be offered to an artificial child a little earlier - from 5 months.
- At 5 months of age the daily portion will be 1 gram of this product.
- At 6-7 months children on artificial feeding are additionally given 3 grams of oil.
- At 8-9 months- 5 grams per day.
- From 10 months- like babies, 6 grams per day.
What kind of oil to choose in complementary foods?
The most common types of vegetable oils for baby food are olive and sunflower. It is they who are the first to be included in the diet of babies up to a year.
Both products are presented in refined and unrefined versions. The first of them is more purified, but less likely to provoke allergies, so it is he who is first introduced into complementary foods. In addition, unrefined oil has a pronounced smell and taste, so the little one may not like it.
- Olive oil obtained from the fruit of the olive and has a lot of positive properties. It is good for immunity, cardiovascular system, digestion and vision.
- Sunflower oil It is extracted from sunflower seeds and is almost as useful as olive oil, as it contains many vitamins, and has a beneficial effect on the skin and intestines.
Less common, but can be included in the diet of children and such oils:
- corn- a nutritious source of vitamin E and linoleic acid, useful for skin cells and the immune system;
- coconut- contains saturated fatty acids, including lauric, which have antimicrobial and antiviral effects, as well as medium chain triglycerides;
- rapeseed- rich in monounsaturated fats, phosphorus, vitamin E and omega fatty acids, has a positive effect on the circulatory and digestive systems;
- linen- a valuable source of unsaturated acids, contributes to the normalization of metabolism, good digestion and immunity, but has a specific taste;
- sesame- pleasant to the taste, contains a lot of calcium, phosphorus and fatty acids, therefore it helps to strengthen the teeth and the skeletal system;
- peanut- a source of omega-6 and omega-9 fats, various vitamins and minerals, many children like their original taste, good for the cardiovascular system;
- soy- rich in tocotrienols and tocopherols, lecithin, vitamin C, various minerals, neutralizes toxins, improves metabolic processes and lowers cholesterol;
- sea buckthorn- contains carotenoids, vitamin C, tocopherol, vitamin K and other substances, helps to strengthen the immune system, has a positive effect on the condition of the liver, promotes wound healing when applied externally.
These types of oils are recommended to be added to the menu of children from 1 year old, and with a tendency to allergies - even later. Nut oils require special attention, because they often have side effects. In reviews of their use in babies, there are often complaints of allergies.
After introducing different types of oils into the children's diet, they should be alternated in nutrition so that the kids get the maximum of useful substances from different products.
Use for constipation
Vegetable oil is one of the harmless natural remedies that have a laxative effect. In most cases, constipation is used sunflower oil. It is this oil that is most common and in demand for violations of defecation. Its effect on the evacuation of the chair was noticed in ancient times.
This product can be used for constipation in babies, but with an adequate dosage. The intake of oil will have a positive effect on intestinal motility, relieve spasms of smooth muscles and slightly speed up the movement of fecal masses due to lubrication of the intestinal walls and an increase in the plasticity of feces.
However, in the first 6 months of life, this remedy should not be used. Therefore, if constipation has appeared in a newborn, it is recommended to consult a pediatrician, and not give the baby oil, because the baby's intestines are not yet fully ripe for the digestion of this product.
A safe dosage of oil for constipation in infants is 1-2 drops. It is more convenient to give the product with a pipette, dropping the liquid onto the baby's tongue. You can also lubricate the nipple (if the baby is bottle feeding) or the nipple (if the baby is breastfeeding) with oil.
Skin treatment and oil sterilization
Another area of application of vegetable oil in infants is the lubrication of the delicate skin of a baby. It is permissible to apply such a product to the skin of a baby from birth. It will easily relieve the baby from dryness and irritation, and many mothers consider it safer than special cosmetics.
The oil used to treat the skin of babies must first be sterilized. This will help make the product safe for the little one.
First, sterilize the glass container in which the oil will be stored. After that, it is necessary to heat the jar of oil in a water bath, putting a small piece of cloth on the bottom. The water in the saucepan should be 1-2 cm higher than the level of oil in the jar.
Constantly stirring the oil with a wooden stick, it must be calcined for at least 20 minutes. For the best effect, the product can be boiled a little longer (30-40 minutes) until small bubbles appear in it.
The resulting sterile agent can be applied to the child's skin immediately after cooling. Keep it tightly closed with a lid.
It is not worth sterilizing a large volume at once, it is better to boil a new portion as you use it in a few days.
Selection and storage
The question of choosing a good vegetable oil for a child is very important. You should not buy cheap products for baby food. As a rule, they are of lower quality, for example, poorly cleaned.
When choosing a product, carefully read about it on the package, check the expiration date, the integrity of the bottle and the storage conditions. When buying olive oil, pay attention to the presence of "organic" or "extra virgin" marks on the packaging.
Remember that the oil should not be kept under sunlight. Choose a cool and dark place for storage at home, such as a kitchen cabinet.
Keep an eye on the shelf life, after opening the bottle, use the product for no longer than 5 weeks. The most suitable storage container is glass. Storage temperature should not exceed +20 degrees.
Before giving the oil from a new package to your baby, check its smell and taste. If it smells bad or rancid, it should not be used to feed children.
Find out if your child's weight is normal by using the following calculator.
Height and weight calculator
It is necessary to introduce oil into complementary foods when the baby is 5-6 months old. First - vegetable, and a little later - creamy. The first dose should be scanty and fit on the tip of a knife, that is, it should be about 1 gram (this is a couple of drops). Moreover, vegetable oil is added to vegetable and meat complementary foods (better - olive oil, the first cold pressing), and butter to porridge. It is important that in the second case it is about products made from cream (fat content - at least 82.5%). Less fatty foods have a different name - spread - and various nutritional supplements replace the natural basis in them. It is also important to remember that an oil additive will be superfluous in a jar of complementary foods: it already contains it in the form of the required amount of animal and vegetable fats.
Oil for children and complementary foods.
Why do children need oil? If your little one ate canned (purchased) complementary foods, vegetable oil is already well known to him. It is added to store-bought purees in order to be better absorbed. Therefore, if you cook a vegetable dish yourself, you can safely drop a drop of olive oil into it. And the cream product goes well with cereal starchy porridge. But you need to add it directly to the plate, because during the boiling process, vitamins are destroyed, and harmful saturated fatty acids are formed from useful unsaturated fatty acids. By the year, the daily "oil" norm for a toddler will be 3-5 grams. But margarine and other “lightness” (spreads) are contraindicated for babies.
When choosing the first vegetable oil for children, it is best to stop at olive oil. It has almost as many fatty acids as breast milk. Over time, it can begin to alternate with sunflower and corn. And closer to two years, also give rapeseed and soy. They are part of the store canned puree. But when buying such food, you should always check the composition for the presence of GMOs.
Olive and other oils for children play another important role - it provides the body with cholesterol. In small quantities, it is simply necessary, since it is involved in the synthesis of steroid hormones and the production of vitamin D, and is also part of the cell membrane, and is necessary for a number of digestive processes. That is, without cholesterol, the development of a baby, including intellectual development, can be disturbed. But, we repeat, one should strictly adhere to the established norms, since the “oil blow” to the liver and pancreas can be very noticeable. It is also necessary to carefully add it to infants with intolerance to cow protein.
Vegetable oil for children. This product contains vitamin E, as well as unsaturated fatty acids that the human body cannot produce on its own. Meanwhile, such compounds are needed for the retina and the functioning of the nervous system. Therefore, the grown-up peanut should be taught as early as possible to salads from fresh vegetables seasoned with olive (sunflower, corn, soy) oil. It can also be added to vegetable purees and soups. It is also great for cooking fried foods, since it is not afraid of heat treatment and no carcinogens harmful to the body are released. But, of course, fried will appear on the menu of your child not earlier than he turns one year old.
We introduce butter into complementary foods. It is necessary to introduce butter made from cream into complementary foods in a timely manner and without fail. Moreover, when the time comes, it should be present in the menu of your child every day (of course, in small doses), providing the body with vitamins A, B, C, D, E and K, calcium, phospholipids, amino acids. If vegetable oil for children is offered at 5-6 months, then a cream product is offered at 6-7. Six-month-olds who eat mixtures - early, and those who are breastfed - later. If your child suffers from allergies, be sure to check with your pediatrician before introducing butter into complementary foods. But, we repeat, giving it to a baby is very useful. After all, it is a source of energy, an indispensable element that ensures the proper functioning of the nervous system, has a beneficial effect on the skin, hormonal system, vision, hair, muscle and bone tissue. The unique property of "creamy" is its ability to heal wounds and sores in the stomach and duodenum. It also normalizes digestion. Contributes to the treatment of complex diseases of the bronchi, skin ailments, colds, tuberculosis. Protects the young body from infections. Butter for children is being introduced along with cereals, that is, cereals. First - 2-4 grams per day. By the year, the norm is 5-6 grams. By the age of three, the karpuz should consume about 15 grams, and after 4 years - 25.
Finally, we repeat once again: when choosing which oil to give to a child, in no case should you buy a spread. Indeed, this product contains elements harmful to the baby - flavoring additives, emulsifiers, stabilizers, flavors ... And it is not difficult to distinguish a natural product from a substitute: at the legislative level it is forbidden to hide that a spread is a spread.
I love making gingerbread and gingerbread cookies. For this, I always need a gingerbread spice mixture or, as it is also called, dry perfume. Of course, the easiest way is to go and buy a ready-made dry perfume mix in a store. But, believe me, spices for gingerbread that you make yourself will be many times more aromatic and much cheaper, which is important. I described in great detail this simple method of making dry perfumes and showed in the photo how easy and simple it is to make them yourself.
Composition of spices for gingerbread:
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds;
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon;
- 1/3 teaspoon ground nutmeg;
- 3-4 pieces of cloves;
- 1/3 teaspoon star anise seeds;
- 4-5 pieces of allspice;
- 1/3 teaspoon dry ginger.
How to make dry perfume for gingerbread with your own hands
Pour all the ingredients into a bowl and mix. If you have a very large carnation in size, take 3 pieces. If a small carnation, then you can take 4-5 pieces. The main thing is that there should not be too much cloves, otherwise it will take over all the flavor.
Pour the entire prepared mixture of spices into a coffee grinder or blender, grind into powder. The gingerbread mixture should have a homogeneous structure similar to powder.
We shift the dry perfume into a container with a tight-fitting lid so that the aroma does not evaporate during storage.
A mixture of spices for gingerbread prepared at home can be stored for a long period, but over time the aroma disappears. Therefore, it is better to make dry perfumes in small quantities and always have fresh ones.
