Sunday, February 7, 2010

Wheat Germ Boost

I did mention in my previous post that I do sprinkle some wheat germ onto Shern's yogurt. So what exactly is wheat germ?

In short, wheat germ is the smallest, most nutritious part of a wheat grain.

Wheat germ may be small but it does pack a whollop of a nutritional punch for baby and toddler alike. The nutrients in wheat germ are nutrients baby needs to grow healthy and strong. Wheat germ contains the nutrients that will also help with baby brain development.

Most experts we may begin to introduce wheat products such as wheat germ around 8-9 months. So now that Shern is almost 8 months old, I started sprinkling wheat germs onto his food.

I bought it (as shown in photo above) at a nearby organic shop for only RM4.50 for a 250g packet.

So why wheat germ is so wonderful?
The following list shows just how many beneficial nutrients wheat germ can bring to your baby's diet:

  • iron
  • vitamin A
  • vitamins B1 and B3
  • vitamin B5 (helps your baby's body assimilate energy from food)
  • vitamin E (strengthens your baby's immune system)
  • folic acid
  • dietary fibre
  • calcium
  • phosphorus (promotes healthy bones and teeth)
  • potassium
  • riboflavin
  • zinc
  • magnesium
  • protein

Impressive list of benefits, huh?

One of the great things about wheat germ is that its taste is so subtle, it blends nicely with both savoury and sweet dishes. In fact, wheat germ is barely noticeable when combined with other foods, making it ideal even for 'picky' babies. Adding wheat germ is a wonderful way to get important nutrients into your baby if he eats little, or will only eat a limited variety of foods.

  • Use wheat germ to make an interesting 'topping' for cooked veggies.
  • Wheat germ serves as an ideal thickener for overly runny purees.
  • If you are baking for your baby, try using a small amount of wheat germ as a substitute for an equivalent amount of flour (for example - if your recipe calls for 6oz flour, use 1oz wheat germ and 5oz flour).
  • Stir wheat germ into your baby's yogurt.
  • If you are breading foods like tofu or chicken for your baby, stir some wheat germ into the bread crumbs.
  • Stir it into your baby's soups, stews or casseroles. If your baby finds fingerfoods likes bananas, peaches and pears too slippery to handle, coat them with wheat germ and they'll be much easier to pick up!

However, remember to use it sparingly. Just sprinkle some onto the food. Giving babies too much of it can lead to diarrhoea.

Source:
(
http://www.homemade-baby-food-recipes.com)
(http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com)

2 comments:

Huey said...

You know what... I give wheat germ to my dogs. Wah said I'm crazy. >.<

And I also give them kelp powder and Lecithin granules. Bla.

tanshuyin said...

wah...apa tu kelp powder and Lecithin granules? deep deep. :P

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