Making cottage cheese for a 6 month old baby. Cottage cheese for babies - a tasty and healthy growth component

Homemade yogurt makes delicious low-fat baby cottage cheese, which will retain all the beneficial bacteria. You will need 3 jars of freshly prepared yogurt and two saucepans different sizes for a water bath.

Pour water into a large saucepan and bring it to a boil. Pour all the yogurt into the smaller saucepan and place it in the larger saucepan over medium heat. Wait for the serum to appear. After this, the most crucial moment begins. Use a spoon or wooden spatula to carefully push the yogurt away from the sides of the pan towards the center, thereby ensuring its even heating. There is no need to make circular motions or stir.

When the yogurt reaches 60 degrees, turn off the heat. It is important not to overcook the milk mixture, as heating to high temperatures will kill beneficial bacteria. It is better to check the temperature with a thermometer. If not, remove the pans from the heat after about 10 minutes. Don’t bother disassembling the water bath; leave the yogurt in the pans for another 30-40 minutes.

Remove the top pan with liquid curd. Drain the warm water from the bottom and pour cold water into it. Keep the cottage cheese in a cold bath for 20 minutes.

Place the curd mixture in a strainer, place in the refrigerator and let the whey drain. After about 10-20, take out the finished curd. Grind it into a strainer so that there are no lumps.

Cottage cheese from baby kefir

To obtain 100 grams of cottage cheese, you will need approximately 600 grams of baby kefir. You can cook it in two ways.

The first option is the same as cottage cheese made from homemade yogurt. The difference lies only in the result, since cottage cheese made from kefir will be more sour, which the baby may not like.

You can also put a package of baby kefir in the freezer overnight. After it freezes, transfer the resulting piece of ice into a strainer and let it thaw. As a result, only cottage cheese will remain, which has a mild taste. This cooking method is very simple, making it suitable for busy mothers.

Cottage cheese from milk

Unleavened cottage cheese is made from milk.

You should not use naturally sour milk, as in this case harmful flora may form in the yogurt. Such cottage cheese can lead to poisoning, so it should not be given.

You need to prepare cottage cheese by adding an oxidizing agent to milk. Lemon, baby kefir or calcium chloride are suitable as an oxidizing agent.

Cottage cheese with lemon. Squeeze a tablespoon of juice from the lemon. Boil milk, remove from heat and add lemon juice. The milk mixture will begin to separate into curds and whey. Cool this mass, then drain it into a strainer.

Cottage cheese made from milk and kefir. For 600 ml of milk you will need 200 ml of baby kefir or homemade yogurt. Bring milk to a boil, add kefir and remove from heat. Cool and drain into a strainer.

Calcined cottage cheese. This method of preparation is recommended for those who need additional calcium. For example, teeth grow quickly, the fontanelle does not close well. It should be dosed strictly and only as prescribed by a doctor. Add a tablespoon of calcium chloride to 600 ml of hot milk. Stir well. Do not overdo it with the drug, otherwise you will get bitter curd. Place the mixture in a cold bath, then drain on a sieve.

Fermented milk products have high nutritional values. Therefore, be sure to include cottage cheese in daily diet your child.

How to make homemade cottage cheese

There are several ways to prepare cottage cheese. Some of them are used in industrial production. But finished products for adults and children are different. Nutritionists do not recommend giving “adult” cottage cheese to children under 3 years of age.

Cottage cheese from the market, as well as a product obtained without starter culture, should also not appear on a child’s table.

If your city does not have dairy kitchens or produce children's fermented milk products, it is better for you to prepare cottage cheese at home. It's not difficult at all. Purchase the raw materials you need from a pharmacy, dairy, or sourdough company.

Wash the dishes thoroughly and pour boiling water over them. Iron the gauze on which you will place the cottage cheese with a hot iron.

If the child does not eat vorog, add a banana or apple to the dish. Older babies can make curd mass with sugar or jam, and also use cottage cheese as a filling for pancakes, dumplings or tubes. Even the pickiest little one cannot resist such dishes.

Homemade cottage cheese recipe No. 1

Place baby kefir (1/2 l) in a water bath. After 15-20 minutes, place it on cheesecloth to drain the whey.

Homemade cottage cheese recipe No. 2

Boil 1 liter of milk, cool it, add 2 tbsp. spoons of sourdough, mix well, pour into a thermos or put in a warm place for 12 hours. Then place the mixture in a water bath (make sure the water does not boil too much).
When the whey separates, turn off the heat. Discard the resulting mass in cheesecloth or a colander. As soon as the liquid drains, the curd is ready.

Homemade cottage cheese recipe No. 3

Bring 1/2 liter of milk to a boil, pour into it 1 ampoule (10 ml) of calcium chloride (sold in pharmacies). Remove the pan from the heat immediately. The milk will curdle and you will have soft calcined cottage cheese.

Our expert, pediatric nutritionist Adilya Safronova:

Cottage cheese is very nutritious protein product, which provides the child’s body with building material for muscles and bones, normalizes liver function and metabolism, and also helps strengthen the nervous system.

A growing body needs protein, calcium and vitamins. Almost all of this is contained in cottage cheese. Cottage cheese is easily digestible and has a high nutritional value. Thanks to this, it is included in children's and medical menus.

Fresh cottage cheese has a uniform consistency, a pleasant, slightly sour taste, white. The quality depends on the original product (milk, curdled milk) and the degree of whey separation: the better it is pressed, the higher the concentration of fat and proteins.

Remember that cottage cheese spoils quickly. His main enemy is air. In the refrigerator, keep the product in an enamel or glass container with a lid for no more than two days at a temperature of 0-8 °C. Offer a teaspoon of cottage cheese to your child for the first time at 6 months. Gradually increase the portion (the norm of cottage cheese per day for a 1 year old child is 50 g per day).

But if your baby's fontanel closes too quickly, let him try this fermented milk product a little later (at 9-11 months).

Not all adults love cottage cheese; most often this attitude comes from childhood. Perhaps the child was once forced to consume the product in large quantities or was introduced incorrectly. It is very important to make a competent and timely introduction. It is the adequacy of complementary feeding that determines the attitude towards cottage cheese and the benefits it brings to the child’s body.

Content:

The benefits of cottage cheese for a growing body

Cottage cheese contains calcium, which is necessary for normal bone growth and dental health. It is for this purpose that it is most often introduced into complementary foods in the first year of life. The product is easily digestible, quickly processed, and does not cause heaviness or discomfort in a fragile stomach.

Other beneficial properties:

1. Cottage cheese contains complete protein. This means that it contains the necessary amino acids, without which the growth of muscles, bones, and the functioning of internal systems is impossible.
2. The product contains vitamin A, which is important for vision development.
3. Lactic acid bacteria will help normalize work gastrointestinal tract, relieve constipation.
4. Vitamin D will be an excellent prevention of rickets and is useful for the musculoskeletal system.

All these beneficial properties are inherent only in natural and quality product. You cannot buy cottage cheese for complementary feeding on the market or use common analogues made from reconstituted milk and vegetable fats. They don't carry any value.

Video: Doctor Komarovsky about fermented milk products in a child’s diet

Optimal age for cottage cheese feeding

According to established rules, a child is introduced to cottage cheese in the first year of life at the age of 8 months. You can often see a 6+ mark on packages of prepared foods. Yes, the product can be given to the child earlier. Most children perceive it well at six months of age, but for premature acquaintance there must be indications:

• the child is not gaining weight well;
• rickets or there is a predisposition to it;
• low hemoglobin level, anemia;
• lack of calcium in the body.

In some cases, the indication is artificial feeding. If milk or infant formula does not cover the growing body's need for valuable substances, you can offer new food at 6-7 months.

Important! You can’t introduce cottage cheese into a child’s diet until six months! The pancreas will be able to fully provide the digestive system with the necessary enzymes only after 6 months.

Rules for introducing a new product

New foods should not be introduced to a child during illness, before or after vaccination, during teething or other problems. It will be difficult for the mother to track the reaction of the child’s body, since at any moment the temperature may rise, indigestion or diarrhea may appear, and the mood may worsen.

How to properly introduce cottage cheese into complementary foods:

1. Place the required amount of product in a bowl and heat until warm. It is better to do this in a water bath.
2. The size of the first serving should not exceed 5 g. By the end of the week, the amount is increased to 25 g. By the year of life, a single serving is 50 g.
3. If you don’t like the taste, you can add a little fruit or vegetable puree to the dish, but provided that the baby is already familiar with them.
4. If you stubbornly refuse new food, you need to return to complementary foods after a few days. Gradually, the baby will get used to the taste on the tongue, and acquaintance will definitely take place.

There is no need to give the product daily. 2-3 times a week is enough. But at the acquaintance stage, you can offer complementary foods for 2 days in a row, since the portions are microscopic, and an open package is stored in the refrigerator for exactly 24 hours. Throw away the pack without 0.5 tsp. cottage cheese is unreasonable. According to the indications of the pediatrician, it is possible to consume cottage cheese daily if the child has rickets or other health problems that require additional vitamins and calcium.

Which cottage cheese to choose

Up to a year of age, it is advisable to use an industrially manufactured product in a child’s diet. It has the right consistency, the right fat content, and a mild taste. In addition, control during production baby food much higher than in ordinary dairies.

When choosing, it is advisable to give preference natural taste. If the child doesn’t like it, you can add any puree or fresh fruit or berries. Curds with fillings and sugar are offered to children later. According to the recommendations of pediatricians, it is advisable not to give them to children before one year of age.

Homemade cottage cheese for children

We are not talking about homemade cottage cheese bought at the market from thrushes. This product can be very dangerous. Many mothers prefer to make a dish for their child themselves. There are a number of reasons for this: there is no way to buy baby food, questionable quality, cost. Only high-quality dairy products are used to make cottage cheese.

Calcined cottage cheese recipe

Compound:
Milk – 200 ml
Calcium chloride solution – 2 ml

Application:
If the milk is unpasteurized, then boil, cool, add calcium, stir. Put it back on the stove, heat it up, but don’t bring it to a hot state. Place gauze folded in 4 layers in a colander. Drain the curdled milk onto a cloth, leaving the whey to drain.

Recipe for baby cottage cheese made from milk and sour cream

Compound:
Milk – 300 ml
Sour cream 10% – 2 tbsp. l.

Application:
Heat the milk to 50°C, add sour cream to it, stir. You can use yogurt or fermented baked milk, the cottage cheese will be less fatty. Cover the dish, wrap it in something warm and leave for 5-6 hours. Drain the separated mass into a sieve or colander with gauze. Leave to separate the whey.

Advice! The higher the temperature of the milk, the drier the curd turns out. To obtain a delicate and soft consistency, it is important not to overheat the product.

Video: Doctor Komarovsky about dairy cuisine, kefir and homemade cottage cheese

Possible harm

If you are intolerant to milk and fermented milk products, cottage cheese can cause serious harm to the child’s body. Bloating and increased gas formation, abdominal pain, diarrhea, rashes on the face and body - this is just a small part possible problems with health. That is why, when introducing complementary foods, you need to carefully monitor the child’s condition, his mood, behavior and stool. At the first signs of intolerance, you should immediately discard cottage cheese.

Contraindications:

• kidney problems;
• bowel dysfunction;
• stomach diseases.

It is important to carefully monitor expiration dates. It is very easy to get poisoned with cottage cheese. When purchasing a product in the hot season, you need to reduce the travel time from the store to your home to a minimum. If there are suspicions about the quality of the purchased baby food, then it is not advisable to give it to the child.

The main beneficial qualities of dairy products are that they replenish calcium in the body. Without this mineral, children will have poor development of the skeletal system. In addition, this useful element is responsible for metabolic processes in the body, and if it is deficient, the child will be capricious and have intestinal colic.

The body of infants replenishes its supply of calcium by synthesizing it from mother's milk. But as the baby grows up, this amount of useful microelement obtained from the main source is no longer enough. Cottage cheese comes to the rescue - a product that consists of almost whole protein.

Pediatricians are still arguing about the age at which cottage cheese can be introduced into the diet for infants. Once upon a time it was practically the first product entering the body, now it is suggested that you first master cereals and fruit purees.

When answering the question – when will it be possible to give cottage cheese to babies – pediatricians answer depending on their personal beliefs: “ From 4-5 months or from 6-7" So mothers shouldn’t rush, but they shouldn’t give up such an important product in their diet.

Methods for preparing fermented milk product

If a mother has firmly decided to give cottage cheese to her baby, she is unlikely to go to the store and buy a wet pack in a paper package, carelessly laid out on a tray. Many mothers even refuse to purchase sealed packages of baby food, rightly believing that a product with preservatives designed for a shelf life of 6 to 12 months will not benefit the baby.

There are two options - use the services of a dairy kitchen or make cottage cheese for babies at home.

Nowadays, dairy cuisine is not available everywhere, and most women have to look for recipes and think about how to make cottage cheese for babies themselves.

At home, you can make cottage cheese from yogurt. You also need to make your own yogurt.

It's better if you have a yogurt maker at home. But you can do without it. To do this, you first need to boil the milk and then cool it to 37 degrees - you can easily check it by dropping it on your hand. The feeling should be slightly warmer than body temperature.

Then the milk is mixed with the starter and placed in a thermos. The time it takes for yogurt to mature is always indicated in the instructions for the starter. Yogurt is already made into curd.

You need to prepare 2 pans of different sizes. Pour yogurt into the small one and water into the large one. Place the yogurt in a water bath and bring to heat, stirring constantly. Boiling should not be allowed - high temperature will immediately destroy beneficial microflora.

When the temperature is about 60ºС, it must be removed from the heat, but left in a water bath. After 30 minutes, the hot water in the lower container must be replaced with cold water. Leave the container with yogurt over cold water for another 20 minutes.

Then the curdled mass is transferred to several layers of gauze, or on a strainer to allow the whey to drain. It is best for this process to take place in the refrigerator.

20 minutes - and the curd mass is ready. Before feeding your baby, you must remember to rub it through a sieve so that there are no lumps.

Preparing curd from kefir

Cottage cheese is often made from kefir for babies. In order to be sure of the quality of the starting product, it is advisable to make kefir yourself.

How kefir is made.

Milk is poured into a steel or aluminum pan, heated over low heat - then cooled to 40-50ºC. The starter is added to the cooled liquid - you can add sour cream or previously prepared kefir.

Approximate proportions: add a glass of kefir to 2 liters of milk. The mixture is infused in a cool place for about a day or in a warm place for 3-4 hours. Then the kefir is cooled in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.

Fresh kefir weakens, if a child has intestinal problems, then he should be given the drink for 2 days.

Cottage cheese can be prepared from kefir as follows:

• bring the fermented milk drink almost to a boil;
• wait until it cools over a pan of cold water so that the grounds separate from the whey;
• Place on a sieve or cheesecloth to drain the liquid.

The fermented milk drink will bring more benefits to the baby if it is additionally calcified. To do this, add 10 ml - 1 ampoule - of calcium chloride to 500 ml of kefir at the cooling stage.

How to make cottage cheese for babies from kefir using the second method?

Children's kefir is poured into plastic bag and put it in the freezer. In the morning, take the bag out of the refrigerator and allow its contents to thaw in a strainer at room temperature.

From 600 g of kefir approximately half a glass of cottage cheese is obtained.

We use goat milk

You can make a fermented milk product from milk - goat milk cottage cheese is especially useful for babies. This milk is rich not only in calcium, but also in phosphorus and sodium salts, and B vitamins. It has a high albumin content.

It is not customary to ferment goat's milk with kefir, and it will take at least 2 days for it to sour on its own. This is worth considering - you can’t quickly make cottage cheese from goat’s milk.

In a warm place, milk sours in about 48 hours. Then it is put on fire, heated to 60ºС, and the container is removed from the stove. The curdled mass is placed over cold water, the whey is allowed to separate thoroughly from the curdled substance, and then the curdled substance is thrown onto a sieve.

There is no need to enrich goat's milk with calcium chloride; it already contains many useful substances.

If cottage cheese is made from plain milk, it is advisable to add calcium chloride.

Made from cow's milk

From cow's milk Cottage cheese is made using the same method as goat cottage cheese, only it can be specially fermented with kefir. The cooking process in this case requires no more than 2-3 hours.

As you may have noticed, goat milk is not brought to a boil. Therefore, it should be purchased only from goat owners who vaccinate the animals on time, milk them, following the technology: wash the udder, put on gloves, and immediately strain the milk. Only in this case will pathogenic flora not enter the baby’s body.

Freshly prepared cottage cheese for a baby should have a pleasant neutral taste - a little sourness is acceptable - and a uniform consistency.

From the age of six months, complementary foods begin to be introduced into the child’s diet. Cottage cheese for babies is one of the first types of adult food.

There are general rules on introducing the product into the baby’s diet:

• for the first time, give half a teaspoon or less for testing;
• in the morning;
• day to observe the body’s reaction.

Long-term administration is necessary to determine whether an infant is allergic to cottage cheese. Pure proteins that enter the body may be perceived as hostile. This manifests itself in skin rashes, such as redness and pimples, the child's mouth may become swollen, or intestinal distress may begin, with redness in the anal area.

If there is no negative reaction, within a week you can increase the single serving to 1 tsp. with a slide. By the age of one year, the daily portion should be 50 g.

The benefits of cottage cheese for an infant

Cottage cheese performs 2 main functions:

1. Calcium supply.
2. Adjusting the digestive system.

All dairy products are rich in calcium, and cottage cheese acts as the richest “carrier.” For a growing organism, it is very important to have a sufficient amount of resources for the structure of teeth and bones. Calcium will not only strengthen them, but in relation to teeth, it promotes faster eruption. If there is not enough substance, the teeth cannot grow and break through the gums, tormenting the child for a long time.

In relation to the digestive tract, the “correct” cottage cheese performs several functions at once:

• normalizes stool and makes it regular;
• reduces the level of gases in the intestines;
• improves digestion;
• reduces alkalinity in the stomach.

This happens thanks to bifidobacteria contained in fermented milk products. By “correct” we mean cottage cheese that meets sanitary and hygienic standards, does not cause allergic reactions and has the appropriate fat content for a child (according to age).

At what age can cottage cheese be introduced into complementary foods?

Cottage cheese is a very fatty product. In this regard, enter it on early stages is fraught with diarrhea and impaired liver function. If the child is on the “average” list, It is recommended to introduce cottage cheese into his diet from 6 months.

The introduction of new products into the infant’s diet must take place under certain conditions:

1. Normal weight (more about norms).
2. At least a week has passed since the vaccination.
3. By this time, the child eats porridge, fruit and vegetable purees.
4. No problems with the intestines (temporary upset, constipation).
5. There are no contraindications.

Regarding children who do not fall under the heading “statistically average”. These are the children:

1. Underweight.
2. Overweight.
3. Allergy sufferers.
4. Having problems with the intestines or liver.

Infants who are underweight are recommended to start introducing cottage cheese as complementary foods from 4 months, for accelerated weight gain. “Fat people,” on the contrary, are advised to abstain. Newborns who are allergic to cottage cheese are allowed to start eating it from 10 to 11 months. If diseases are detected, it is better to consult a doctor and not make a decision on your own. Parents may not be able to independently identify abnormalities caused by the product. The right thing to do would be to get tested and draw up a menu with a specialist.

When the child has reached the required age, and the mother is ready to begin enriching the baby’s diet with a new dish, she needs to decide which cottage cheese she will start with:

1. Buy completely ready-made (for children) in the store;
2. Make a lighter and tastier version for a child from a store-bought adult;
3. Get pure cottage cheese from the market and make a baby version from it;
4. Make it at home yourself.

Store-bought cottage cheese

When a mother, due to some circumstances, cannot make cottage cheese herself, she can only buy it. The easiest way is to buy special children's cottage cheese. Many companies produce lines of baby food for infants, with healthy additives. Let's consider the main disadvantages and advantages of ready-made children's curds.

Pros:

• no need to waste time cooking;
• uniform consistency;
• healthy supplements;
• the composition is selected with the correct level of fat content and lactobacilli;
• compliance with sanitary and hygienic standards in production.

Cons:

• artificial additives are possible;
• sugar in the composition;
• fillers may cause allergies.

Leading pediatricians recommend starting complementary feeding with these curds. You can choose a brand, choose different flavors and be sure that there are no E. coli in the product, unlike market cottage cheese. The pack always indicates from how many months it can be used. Some flavoring additives are not recommended for use before 6 months.

Closer to the year, when the newborn’s body has become accustomed to the new type of food, the time has come to replace the cottage cheese with an older one. The recipe is simple - add adult cottage cheese, ground with a blender until smooth, into the curd mass (or simply mash with a spoon and fork). Start with a teaspoon per serving and give it to your child for a week. Gradually increase the percentage of cottage cheese, while simultaneously reducing the content of curd mass.

It is advisable to purchase store-bought cottage cheese. The reasons are still the same:

• known level of fat content;
• guarantee of compliance with sanitary standards;
• known production time.

Adult store-bought cottage cheese is often used for infants as the first complementary food. During production, fat is artificially separated at the factory, and it is possible to take cottage cheese with a minimum fat content level of 5%.

There is no point in giving low-fat cottage cheese. It will pass through the child’s body in a “draft”. Without fat, calcium is not broken down and therefore will not be absorbed.

Market cottage cheese is bad on the following points:

• it is unknown how much fat it contains;
• lack of guarantee of sterility of the preparation process;
• unknown condition of the animal from which the milk was taken;
• unclear expiration date.

Of course, cottage cheese from the market has more natural ingredients and is much less susceptible to various treatments, but in relation to a newborn this is a minus, not a plus. Its fat content is about 50%. What an adult body processes, a baby can be sent to a hospital ward with severe poisoning and dysbacteriosis.

“Fresh” cottage cheese, only from the counter, can be fed to children after a year, when immunity has formed and the intestines are filled with beneficial bacteria. Also, the liver works on a completely different level. Ideally, from 1.5 to 2 years, market cottage cheese is “mixed” with store-bought or curd mass.

The best cottage cheese for babies

If mom has the opportunity to cook homemade cottage cheese, she should definitely take advantage of it. You can prepare cottage cheese from 3 types of “raw materials”:

From cow's milk

Squeezing homemade cottage cheese through cheesecloth

Cow's milk has a high lactose content, so it can cause upset and is contraindicated in people who are allergic to lactose. Cottage cheese made from this milk has corresponding properties. In addition, cows are capable of contracting human diseases such as tuberculosis and brucellosis, which pass into the milk.

Homemade cow's milk cottage cheese has a wide range of vitamins and minerals that are beneficial to the body, but is not recommended for use by children under one year of age.

From goat's milk

Goat milk for babies has a number of positive aspects, unlike cow milk:

1. The content of cobalt, which is part of vitamin B12, is 6 times higher.
2. Fat molecules have a smaller volume, therefore they are broken down and absorbed faster.
3. Increased content of piacrine in proteins.
4. Low lactose levels do not cause problems and are acceptable for allergy sufferers.
5. There is much more beta casein.

Goat milk also has negative aspects:

1. High fat content.
2. There is no lipase enzyme that breaks down fat.
3. It has a specific smell and taste.

Goat milk cottage cheese will be fatty and have a specific taste and smell. It is useful to give to children during teething.

Made from kefir

Kefir itself is neutral. Cottage cheese from kefir will have the necessary elements to a minimum, the taste will be sour, and appearance not “marketable” at all. However, the benefits of kefir cottage cheese are significant - it has a high content of lactobacilli, which are important for the baby’s intestines, and a low fat content.

Cooking cottage cheese for babies in a slow cooker

In most cases, the recipe is designed to use cow's milk. To prepare cottage cheese for one-year-old children, it is better to use store-bought milk, which indicates the percentage of fat it contains.

The simplest and easy recipe to prepare homemade baby cottage cheese:

• 1.5 liters of kefir (2.5%);
• 3 teaspoons 25% sour cream;
• 1 liter of milk (2.5%).

Cooking method

1. Mix the ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes. It is important not to boil; perhaps 15 minutes will be enough.
2. Open the multicooker and stir the contents. Close and leave to “heat” for one and a half to two hours.
3. After the specified time, open the multicooker, let the contents cool, and then drain through a colander with gauze.