Our site uses cookies to make your experience on this site even better. We hope you think that is sweet.

Yes, I am okay. Know more
Planning for a baby?
Already Pregnant?
Have a Baby?
Have a Toddler?
Positive Parenting
Baby Names
Child Safety
Cord Blood
Life Skills
Premature Baby
Twins

Barley Water For Babies( Above 4 months)

3 min read

Once your baby turns 4 months and sprouts her first pearly whites, it is ideal to introduce semi-solids to your baby. Because babies need a lot of nutrients to develop properly, and their tiny tummies do not allow them to eat much, it is essential that you start their solid’s journey with nutrient dense and growth inducing foods. One such nutritious and highly versatile food is barley – and babies can benefit from this food in the form of barley water.
barley

  • Benefits Of Barley Water For The Baby
  • When Can I Introduce Barley To My Baby?
  • How To Select And Store Barley?
  • How To Make Barley Water For Babies?
  • Barley Water Recipe For Babies (4-6 Months)

Benefits Of Barley Water For The Baby

Barley may sound to you the food of yesteryears, but the fact is that it is one of the most nutritious grain with immense health benefits. It is an excellent source of protein, folate and fiber and contains minerals like potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium, sodium and iron. It is easily digestible and so makes up a great first food for the baby. Barley is also non-allergenic – unless your baby has a history of celiac disease or gluten allergy.

When Can I Introduce Barley To My Baby?

Barley can be introduced to your baby between 4-6 months of age. It can be blended into a soup like consistency, and can even make for a great finger food – given its shape. Please do remember that the recommended age to introduce solids to your baby is 6 months.

How To Select And Store Barley?

For babies, always purchase hulled or pearled barley. Though hulled barley has more nutrition than pearled barley, pearled barley gets easily cooked and is widely available. Both pearled and hulled barley can be used to prepare baby food, and they tend to fluff to the size of a pea. It is also easy to store pearled barley – it can be stored for several months in a cool, dry place, however, if you use hulled barley make sure you check it before cooking. If you are grounding the barley yourself, watch out for the natural oils that may make it rancid too soon without refrigeration. Barley contains gluten, so make sure you discuss it with your doctor before offering it to your baby.

How To Make Barley Water For Babies?

Barley water serves as a great weaning food for your baby, and given its benefits, it will surely help your baby grow and develop. When making barley water for your baby, you need to continuously whisk it to avoid lumps.

Barley Water Recipe For Babies (4-6 Months)

Recipe Type: Baby food Category water Age: 4+ months Cook Time: 60-75 Minutes Prep Time: 30 Minutes

Ingredients

A tablespoon Barley powder

2 cups pure drinking water

As a general rule, add 1/2 cup of barley to 2 cups of water

A spoon of barley can turn to more than a cup of cooked barley, so use it accordingly.

barley water for babies

Directions To Prepare Barley Water For Babies

  • Take a pressure cooker and let the water boil
  • Add a tablespoon of water to 2 cups of boiling water
  • You can pressure cook the barley till 4-5 whistles or let it simmer for about 40 minutes. Hulled barley may take about an hour and a half to get cooked
  • Let the pressure get released on its own
  • Cool it and blend it in a blender
  • You may add some boiled drinking water to adjust the consistency- it should not be too thin or too thick
  • Strain into a clean and sterilised bowl and feed your baby with a clean spoon
  • You can also serve it to your baby as a porridge

Notes

  • Do not add salt to your baby’s food until she is a year old
  • Some people have reservations on serving barley as a first food, do seek your doctor’s advice
  • If your baby has wheat allergy, be extra careful about introducing barley to your baby
  • Make sure your baby is sitting (with or without support) when you feed the baby
  • Never give barley water or any other semi solid to the baby in bottles
  • You may soak the barley earlier so that it cooks quickly
Responses (0)

Please check a captcha
Read this next

Mental Health Tips for New Parents

Becoming a parent is overwhelming. It's often something that we spend a long time looking forward to and preparing for - sometimes, far longer than the 40 weeks of pregnancy. But, no matter how prepared you think you are, when your baby arrives, everything changes. It's never quite what we expect, even when we're welcoming home our second or even third babies. It's more exciting, it's more work, and it's definitely more exhausting. It's just more. New parenthood is like an assault on your emotions, as well as your hormones. You are busy trying to take care of a new life, your hormone levels are off the charts, your whole world is turned upside down, and any hopes of a good night's sleep are long forgotten. It's no surprise that your mental health might take a hit. Here's a look at some of the things that you can do to boost your mental health in those astounding first days of parenthood. Rest When You Can One of the most unsettling elements of being a new parent is the tiredness. You thought you'd been tired before, but not like this. Even if your newborn sleeps well, they'll be up at least a couple of times in the night for feeds and changes, and you are unlikely to get more than....

3 min read

Everybody Look at Your Hands

How to encourage children to wash their hands   Being a parent during the COVID-19 pandemic is incredibly difficult. That’s not exactly a secret: everything from school to social engagements to birthdays has been fundamentally changed in 2020. This year it’s all about keeping our kids safe while at the same time allowing them to have as close to a normal childhood as possible. Other than completely locking down at home, there are few options for keeping them virus-free. Masks are playing a critical role in safety for everyone, adults and children alike. That’s why they’re mandatory at most schools and daycare centers, not to mention on playgrounds and other public areas where large numbers of people gather. The other surefire way to keep kids safe is making sure that they wash their hands whenever they enter our homes, and if they frequently use hand sanitizer in public spaces. This all makes sense on paper, but we all know that kids have minds of their own. It is one thing to tell a child that he or she needs to wash their hands, but that doesn’t always mean that they listen. This sort of limit testing is part of a normal childhood, but in 2020, it can have....

3 min read

Finding Ways to Help Kids Exercise

We all know just how important it is for kids to get their recommended dose of active exercise. It is essential for fundamental development, especially in a child’s early years. Research also has proven that kids who exercise at a young age have a better chance of keeping healthy habits later in their adult life.   Getting enough exercise.   Children have varying degrees of energy. While some have what could almost be called endless energy, others may be more lethargic. This is particularly true today, where there are a range of devices to keep kids sedentary.   From smart phones, tablets, to video games and TV, getting a kid outside can be a challenge. But it’s an important aspect to their wellbeing. Physical activity guidelines outline that children and adolescents ages 6 through 17 years should do 1 hour or more of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity daily.   Make exercising fun   While these guidelines may seem impossible for some children, you shouldn’t lose hope! There are ways that can help you integrate exercise into your child’s life. One of the best ways of doing this is disguising physical activity as play.   Below....

3 min read

What to Feed the Baby in the First Year

The first year is always critical for the new baby. What will she eat, what will she wear, how to keep her safe, vaccinations… these are common questions all first-time parents ask. Food is, of course, very important because it is directly related to the development and the child’s growth. Babies breastfeeding will take between 8 and 12 feedings in a day. Those on formula foods will need between 6 and 10 feeds a day. Usually, solid foods will be introduced when the baby is around 6 months. Always remember, nutrition is key in the 1st year. Make sure to start a healthy eating habit quickly for your infant. But the feeding must always depend on the readiness of a child because every baby is different.     How Often an Infant Must Feed They are still very small, but they can know when feeling full or hungry. Feed her whenever she feels hungry. Each breastfeeding session is usually between 10-15 minutes. Formula and breastfeedings can be done deep into the night as well if the infant wakes up and cries because she is feeling hungry. Some parents add rice cereals to the bottle to make the baby sleep through the night. This is not recommended because it can easily....

5 min read

Want personalized reading and shopping suggestions for your exact stage of pregnancy?

Come on, sell the idea of signing up with us in two lines so well that they HAVE to sign up.

Sign Up
image

Want curated content sharply tailored for your exact stage of pregnancy?

Sign Up
Load More

165+ Services.

6+ Cities.

60K+ Parents Reviewed.

Explore Local Services.

Get regular updates, great recommendations and other right stuff at the right time.

Begin typing to search