Some cereals contain gluten. These cereals are
- Wheat
- Rye
- Barley
- Oats
- Spelt
- Green spelt
- Khorasan wheat (Kamut®)
Gluten can trigger a disease called ‘coeliac disease’ in some people. To avoid this disease, babies should only eat small amounts of cereal products from the age of 5 months. Examples of such products are pasta or bread. From the 5th month onwards, gluten should be introduced slowly. In the beginning, they should not have more than 7 g per day.
To introduce gluten into your diet, you can, for example, choose one of the following options per day:
- Half a slice of sugar-free rusk
- A piece of bread (10 g)
- 1 tablespoon of flakes
- 1 heaped teaspoon of semolina
- 1 tablespoon of cooked pasta.
If the child can tolerate cereals with gluten, the amount can be gradually increased. There is no quantity limit for gluten-free cereals such as millet, buckwheat, rice and maize. These varieties are suitable as an alternative for preparing porridge during the period of gluten introduction and beyond.
If your child has diarrhoea, abdominal pain, growth disturbances, pale skin or foul-smelling stools after eating cereals containing gluten, you should speak to a specialist doctor. Your child may have an intolerance.
