quinoa - suitable for kids?

[saadia]

Does anyone know if quinoa is suitable for kids, and, if so, from what age? TIA

[SamN]

I started ds2 on quinoa before any other 'grains'. I think it would have been around 6 1/2 or 7 months. Both Susannah Olivier and Lucy Burney recommend quinoa in their books about weaning children.

If you search the archives there are some instructions from Pidge for making quinoa porridge. (The key is to use flakes rather than grains, and add more water than you might expect.)

I still add quinoa and millet to my normal porridge to make it more nutritious.

[lemonice]

I hope it is I've fed dgs (15 months)with it...but i can't say i thought to find out...

[saadia]

thanks you both for your help. sam I've already bought the grains so I will have to use those up first but will buy flakes next time. Just wanted an alternative to pasta/rice/bread/potatoes.

[Tumblemum]

I use it for my ds who is around one and half years, I make my own 'fish finger's', small pieces of loin of cod, dipped in egg and then toss in quinoa flakes like you would breadcrumbs, you can freeze and shallow fry, grill or oven roast. It makes a very crunchy topping and dh likes them too . You can also make porridge with the flakes as you would for oats I usually add some pureed fruit or mashed banana as it is a bit bland. it is apparently extremely high in calcium so a good grain for children.

[lemonice]

Where do you buy the flakes (I feel a baby pasta situation coming on!)?

[saadia]

Tumblemum, so you don't actually have to boil them before eating? Using them as a replacement for breadcrumbs sounds very tempting. Do you know if you can use the grains in the same way or is it just the flakes?

[CarolinaMoon]

what's millet like? Is that better in flakes too?

(I've got Lucy Burney's book but haven't got round to buying either millet or quinoa, poss because scary Gillian McKeith is so keen on them...)

[Tumblemum]

You can get the flakes in most health shops, though not Holland and Barrat.
Saadia, well I don't always boil re the crunchy fish fingers we have survived so far. Not tried with the grains suspect you need to boil them.
Millet you can make porridge with this too like quinoa with flakes or the whole grain, the only diff is texture and time it takes to cook a lot longer with the whole grain.
Agree not keen on GMcK, but like trying diff things. They are a bit bland as porridge so fruit mixed in, or do half oats, quarter quinoa flakes and millet flakes

[giraffeski]

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[Littlefish]

I tried my dd with the grains when she was about 7 months old, but she really didn't like the texture. I tried a bit and it felt a bit frog spawny! I didn't know you could get flakes - I'll try those instead!

[giraffeski]

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[Tumblemum]

I have a wonderful recipie for quiona stuffed peppers somewhere, you cook up whole quinoa with onions and other things (will have to look up) add chopped pine kernels and stuff the peppers it is really delicious, not tried this on ds though.

I am a bit out of the habit of eating quinoa and millet but I went through a phase of often having porridge made out of one or both for breakfast and felt remarkably well on it.

[Tumblemum]

I have a wonderful recipie for quiona stuffed peppers somewhere, you cook up whole quinoa with onions and other things (will have to look up) add chopped pine kernels and stuff the peppers it is really delicious, not tried this on ds though.

I am a bit out of the habit of eating quinoa and millet but I went through a phase of often having porridge made out of one or both for breakfast and felt remarkably well on it.

[SamN]

We quite like the whole grains (of quinoa or millet) as a couscous replacement. Even dp likes them and he's far from being a grungy hippy type . I usually add some stock or herbs to make up for them being quite bland.

[diapergenie]

I gave my 11 month old a bowl of quinoa with shredded beetroot, carrot and shallot last night, and she gobbled most of it up with gusto.
Only problem is she then commenced the usual bowl grabbing and flinging routine, which means that the living room is now peppered with tiny quinoa grains.

[spidermama]

My kids eat quinoa. It's really easy to cook, very healthy and tasty. It varies widely in price. Sainsbury charges more than Waitrose but it's cheapest of all in Asda.