Importance Of Jaggery Essay

FIRST FOOD FOR THE BABY

The staple cereal of the family should be used to make the first food for an infant. Porridge can be made with suji (semolina), broken wheat, atta (wheat flour) ground rice, ragi, millet etc, by using a little water or milk, if available. Roasted flour of any cereal can be mixed with boiled water, sugar and a little fat to make the first complementary food for the baby and could be started after completion of 6 months of age.

Adding sugar or jaggery and ghee or oil is important as it increases the energy value of the food. In the beginning the porridge could be made a little thinner but as the child grows older the consistency has to be thicker. A thick porridge is more nutritious than a thin one. In case a family cannot

By adding a teaspoonful of oil or ghee to the child's food. Fat is a concentrated source of energy and substantially increases energy content of food without increasing the bulk. There is no reason to feel that a child cannot digest visible fat when added to food. 2. By adding a teaspoonful of sugar or jaggery to the child's food. Children need more energy and hence adequate amounts of sugar or jaggery can be added to their food. 3. By giving malted foods. Malting reduces the viscosity of foods and hence a child can eat more at a time. Malting is germinating whole grain cereals or pulses, drying it after germination and grinding. Infant Food Mixes prepared after malting the cereal or pulse will provide more energy. Flours of malted food when mixed with other foods help in reducing the viscosity of that food. Amylase Rich Flour (ARF) is the scientific name given to flours of malted foods and must be utilized in infant foods. 4. By feeding thick but smooth mixtures. Thin gruels do not provide enough energy. A young infant particularly during 6-9 months requires thick but smooth mixtures as hard pieces in the semi-solid food may cause difficulty if swallowed. Semi-solid foods for young infants can be passed through a sieve by pressing with a ladle to ensure that the mixed food is smooth and uniform without any big pieces or