For babies from 6 months.
If the baby gets tired of brown rice, and potatoes, why not give baby barley for a change. It is more nutritious than brown rice.
Directions:
1. Place a cup of water on the stove to boil.
2. While water is heating, grind ¼ cup of barley into powder for 2 minutes or less.
3. Sprinkle the barley powder into the boiling water and let it sit over low heat for 10 minutes. (Whisk frequently to prevent burning and lumps).
4. Add 3 teaspoons of olive oil and 3 teaspoons of formula milk powder (optional).
Storage:
1. Cool down, pour into ice cube tray and freeze.
2. Once frozen, knock the cubes out and store them in freezer bags (makes 2 ice cube trays, can store up to 8 weeks)
Tip:
Mixed with 1/2 mashed banana, sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon flaxseed or brewer's yeast and serve it as breakfast :-)
Nutritional Value:
Barley is a very good source of fiber and selenium. It also serves as a good source of the minerals phosphorus, copper and manganese. A cup of cooked barley will give you 23.0% of the daily value for phosphorus.
The phosphorus provided by barley plays a role in the structure of every cell in the body. Copper, another trace mineral supplied by barley, may also be helpful in reducing the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis. Selenium is an essential component of several major metabolic pathways, including thyroid hormone metabolism, antioxidant defense systems, and immune function. A cup of cooked barley provides 52.0% of the daily value for selenium. Accumulated evidence from prospective studies, intervention trials and studies on animal models of cancer has suggested a strong inverse correlation between selenium intake and cancer incidence. Several mechanisms have been suggested to explain the cancer-preventive activities of selenium. Selenium has been shown to induce DNA repair and synthesis in damaged cells, to inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells, and to induce their apoptosis, the self-destruct sequence the body uses to eliminate worn out or abnormal cells.
For people worried about colon cancer risk, barley packs a double punch by providing the fiber needed to minimize the amount of time cancer-causing substances spend in contact with colon cells, plus being a very good source of selenium, which has been shown to reduce the risk of colon cancer significantly. Phenolics, powerful antioxidants that work in multiple ways to prevent disease, are one major class of phytonutrients that have been widely studied.
Research reported at the American Institute for Cancer Research (AICR) International Conference on Food, Nutrition and Cancer, by Rui Hai Liu, M.D., Ph.D., and his colleagues at Cornell University shows that whole grains, such as barley, contain many powerful phytonutrients. His team measured the antioxidant activity of various foods, assigning each a rating based on a formula (micromoles of vitamin C equivalent per gram). Broccoli and spinach measured 80 and 81, respectively; apple and banana measured 98 and 65; and of the whole grains tested, corn measured 181, whole wheat 77, oats 75, and brown rice 56. Dr. Liu's findings may help explain why studies have shown that populations eating diets high in fiber-rich whole grains consistently have lower risk for colon cancer.
In many studies, eating whole grains, such as barley, has been linked to protection against atherosclerosis, ischemic stroke, diabetes, insulin resistance, obesity, and premature death. A new study and accompanying editorial, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition explains the likely reasons behind these findings and recommends at least 3 servings of whole grains should be eaten daily.
Avoid using the quick-cook barley as it contains less soluble fiber or protein, than does the Hulled Barley.
References:
Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=127
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