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Baby food recipes

Millet porridge for babies with strawberries: easy recipe

Millet porridge with strawberries: gluten-free cereal and fruit porridge for babies 5 months and older, ready in 15 minutes. Includes a video and tips on frozen berries, allergies, and freezing.

By the LIINI editorial teamUpdated 5 min read16 sources

Strawberries with millet porridge recipe
Contents

In short

To make millet porridge for your baby, cook the millet flakes in water for about 5 minutes, puree some strawberries and stir in a little canola oil. According to the BLV, this type of cereal-and-fruit puree is suitable for babies starting at 5 months of age at the earliest. Millet is gluten-free. Always cook frozen strawberries thoroughly; wash fresh strawberries thoroughly.

Millet for babies is a gluten-free alternative to oats or spelt. This millet porridge with strawberries is ready in 15 minutes, contains no sugar or milk, and makes two servings.

Recipe: Strawberry-Millet Porridge

  • Age: 5 months and up
  • Servings: 2
  • Prep time: 5 minutes
  • Cooking time: 10 minutes
  • Freezing: suitable

Ingredients for 2 servings

  • 200 g strawberries, fresh or frozen (about 15 medium-sized)
  • 40 g millet flakes (about 4 heaping tablespoons)
  • 180 ml water (just under 2 dl)
  • 2 tsp canola oil

Preparation

  1. Prepare the strawberries: Quickly rinse fresh strawberries under running water, remove the calyx leaves, and cut them into pieces. Leave frozen strawberries frozen.
  2. Bring to a boil. Stir the millet flakes into the cold water in a pan (saucepan). Add the frozen strawberries right away. Bring everything to a boil while stirring.
  3. Simmer: Let the porridge simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. When using frozen strawberries, he has to cook them properly—not just warm them up. If it’s too thick, add a little water.
  4. Puree: Remove the pan from the heat, add the fresh strawberries, and puree everything until smooth using an immersion blender.
  5. Stir in the oil. Stir in the canola oil.
  6. Let it cool, then divide the porridge into two portions. Let it cool to eating temperature, stir it, and use your own spoon to check that it’s not too hot. Quickly cool the second one.
The video shows how it is made. The amounts and steps in the recipe above follow the recommendations of expert bodies. Playing the video loads it from YouTube, which sets its own cookies.

When is millet porridge appropriate for a baby? Age and Consistency

The Federal Office for Food Safety and Veterinary Affairs (BLV) classifies the milk-free cereal and fruit porridge as a supplementary complementary food, to be introduced no earlier than 5 months of age. Before that, start with vegetables or fruits, such as carrot puree with apple. In Germany, the Federal Institute for Public Health (BIÖG) recommends cereal-and-fruit porridge between the 7th and 9th month. For more information, see the complementary feeding guide.

To start, puree the porridge until it’s smooth, as recommended by the BLV; as your baby gets older, it can be a bit chunkier. Then just mash the strawberries with a fork.

Millet for Babies: Gluten-Free and Easy to Combine

  • Gluten-free: According to the German Federal Center for Nutrition (BZfE), millet does not contain gluten, whereas oats, spelt, and wheat do.
  • Iron: According to the BZfE, golden millet has the highest iron content of all grains.
  • Vitamin C: According to the BLV, vitamin C improves iron absorption. According to the BZfE, strawberries contain slightly more vitamin C than lemons or oranges. And because the porridge doesn’t contain any milk, according to “Gesund ins Leben,” the body absorbs the iron from the grains more effectively.

Strawberries in Baby Food: Fresh, Frozen, Allergies

According to the BLV, you should wash fresh strawberries thoroughly and can also puree them raw: this helps preserve more vitamins.

Attention

According to the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), frozen berries have previously been the cause of norovirus outbreaks. Always heat them evenly and thoroughly before eating. According to the BfR, briefly boiling or heating food in the microwave is not enough.

Allergies: According to BIÖG, the main triggers of food allergies in babies are cow’s milk, chicken eggs, fish, soy, wheat, peanuts, and tree nuts. Strawberries are not included. According to the BLV, avoiding certain foods or delaying their introduction does not protect against allergies. According to the Australian professional association ASCIA, slight redness around the mouth alone, without any other symptoms, is not necessarily an allergy. If your baby develops hives or vomits, contact your pediatrician. If their lips or face are swelling, or if they’re having trouble breathing, call 911 immediately.

Tips and Variations

  • Whole millet: According to the BZfE, cook millet grains in two to three times their volume of liquid for about 20 minutes. Then puree them until smooth.
  • Other fruits: According to the BLV, grated apple or pear, mashed banana, or pureed peach can be used instead of strawberries. With banana and rolled oats: Oatmeal with banana.
  • Other flakes: Oat or spelt flakes work just as well, but they contain gluten.

Storage, Freezing, and On the Go

Quickly cool the second portion. According to the BLV, it will keep in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours; according to the BIÖG, it will keep frozen at −18 °C for up to 2 months. Reheat each serving only once, and throw away any leftovers. For more information, see the guide “Making Your Own Baby Food.”

When you’re on the go, pack the cooled porridge in an airtight container with an ice pack and reheat it once you arrive. If you don’t have a microwave, you can use a battery-powered baby food warmer: The LIINI® 2.0 PRO baby food warmer holds up to 350 g—a full serving—and doesn’t require any temperature settings. More on this: Keeping baby food warm on the go.

From LIINI

LIINI® 2.0 PRO Baby Food Warmer, Beige, IP66LIINI® 2.0 PRO Baby Food Warmer, Beige, IP6699.95CHFincl. VATView product

Frequently Asked Questions

At what age can babies start eating millet?

According to the BLV, this cereal-and-fruit porridge should be introduced no earlier than 5 months of age. In Germany, the BIÖG recommends cereal-fruit porridge between the 7th and 9th month.

Is millet gluten-free?

Yes. According to the BZfE, millet does not contain gluten, whereas oats, spelt, and wheat do. You don’t need to delay introducing gluten-containing grains: Pediatrics Switzerland recommends introducing them between the 5th and 7th month of life.

Can babies eat strawberries?

Yes. According to the BLV, your baby can start eating fruit no earlier than 4 months of age, and introducing foods later does not protect against allergies. Introduce it, as you would anything new, a few days at a time. According to ASCIA, slight redness only around the mouth is not necessarily a sign of an allergy.

Can I use frozen strawberries in my baby’s food?

Yes, if you cook them thoroughly. According to the BfR, frozen berries have already been the cause of norovirus outbreaks. Therefore, heat them evenly and thoroughly; briefly heating them in the microwave isn’t enough.

Can I freeze millet porridge?

Yes. Cool it quickly, pour it into small cups, and freeze it at −18 °C. That way, it lasts up to 2 months. Reheat each serving only once.

Sources

  1. Nutrition for Infants and Toddlers: Recipes, Getting Kids to the Table, BLV
  2. Nutrition for Infants and Toddlers: Complementary Feeding, Bringing Children to the Table, BLV
  3. Nutrition for Infants and Toddlers: Frequently Asked Questions, Getting Kids to the Table, BLV
  4. Hygiene, Kids at the Table, BLV
  5. Allergy Prevention, Kids at the Table, BLV
  6. Vegetarian and Vegan Diets, Kids at the Table, BLV
  7. Recommendations for Infant Nutrition (2017, PDF), Swiss Pediatric Nutrition Commission
  8. Cereal and Fruit Porridge, “Healthy Start to Life” Network
  9. Recipes for Baby Food, kinderschulthaft.de, Federal Institute for Public Health (BIÖG)
  10. Hygiene Related to Infant Nutrition, kindergesundheit-info.de, Federal Institute for Public Health (BIÖG)
  11. Food Allergies, kindergesundheit-info.de, Federal Institute for Public Health (BIÖG)
  12. Grains ABC: Millet, Federal Center for Nutrition (BZfE)
  13. Grain ABC: Gluten, Federal Center for Nutrition (BZfE)
  14. Strawberries: Health and the Environment, Federal Center for Nutrition (BZfE)
  15. Noroviruses: Identifying and Avoiding Sources of Infection (Fact Sheet 2024, PDF), Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR)
  16. How to Introduce Solid Foods to Babies to Prevent Allergies, Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA)
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