Blueberry Kefir Oatmeal

Time to build up on calcium!

While the largest source of calcium in the first year of your baby's life should be breastmilk or formula it's never to early to start building up those reserves with calcium-rich foods.

Cow's milk is not recommended before 1 year old, but fermented cow's milk products such as cheese, kefir, and yogurt are great. So this Blueberry Kefir Oatmeal recipe provides a great calcium source as well as good amounts of fat and carbohydrates and all in a healthy, nutritious and tasty breakfast or snack.

And it needs no cooking and can be prepared the night before so you have nothing to think about for breakfast!

Nutritional stuff

Kefir is not only a great calcium source but also contains loads of protein. It is the perfect source of probiotic bacteria which not only help keep the gut healthy but can also boost the immune system.

Oats are an easy addition, requiring no cooking if you just leave them to soak while you get on with whatever else you are doing. They are a great source of complex carbohydrates to keep your baby full as well as fiber to help the digestive system work smoothly.

Blueberries are very high in antioxidants, so can help fight against diseases and improve the overall health of the body. They are also high in vitamins C and K as well as manganese.

Preparation

Since we are using kefir, this recipe is not really intended for baby-led weaning. You can try but would probably want a little less kefir for a thicker consistency. Either way, prepare yourself for a mess. At 8 months of age, the textured or smooth puree of the blueberry kefir is great for your baby to experiment with different tastes and combined textures.

You can also substitute the oats for any other grain, and kefir can be substituted with yogurt. Instead of blueberries, you can use any other forest fruit.