Barley porridge: calories, benefits and harms, recommendations for use
From barley groats, you can cook delicious porridge, which you can feed the whole family. It is worth considering in more detail the benefits, harms and calorie content of this dish, as well as give recommendations on its use.
Calorie content and composition
Barley porridge is made from barley groats, the grains of which are subjected to strong crushing. Before this, the grains are freed from the plant membrane that tightly covers them. After such a special treatment, the grains acquire a white or yellowish tint. Grain granules of barley groats can be of different sizes. There are technologies that allow you to achieve a very interesting shape of the grains. Thus, through special processing, a special flattening of the grains can be achieved, which contributes to the fact that barley grains can resemble oatmeal in appearance.
Barley porridge is a dish that is prepared in different countries. Various additives are added to it, which help to bring new flavor notes to a familiar dish. So, if desired, you can add dried fruits, honey or condensed milk to barley porridge. The consistency of porridge made from barley groats is usually viscous. Since the dish contains quite a lot of starch, porridge changes its texture and becomes firmer when standing.
Barley groats contain many different plant components. So, it includes the following components:
- vitamins - group B, A, PP, C;
- mineral compounds - fluorine, manganese, chromium, silicon, iodine, iron, nickel and others;
- dietary fiber.
Barley porridge perfectly saturates the body with energy, which is due to the content of food nutrients. The ratio of KBJU in barley groats is as follows (in 100 grams):
- proteins - 10.3 g;
- fats - 1.2 g;
- carbohydrates - 66.2 g;
- calorie content - 324 kcal.
Barley porridge is often boiled in water. People who monitor their weight and take into account the BJU of products should remember that if you cook this dish with the addition of heavy cream or milk, then its calorie content will increase.
If you cook porridge from barley on water, then in this case 100 grams of this dish will contain the following ratio of components:
- carbohydrates - 15.6 g;
- proteins - 2.2 g;
- fats - 0.2 g;
- calorie content - 77 kcal.
What is the benefit of the dish?
Porridge made from barley groats brings great benefits to the body. The plant components present in this dish help to improve the functioning of body cells. Thus, against the background of the frequent use of this dish, working capacity and the ability to withstand stress increase. Barley groats are useful for people who are facing the problem of constipation. The dietary fiber contained in this product helps to improve the functioning of the large intestine.
Fiber, which is contained in barley groats, also helps to improve the intestinal microflora. Regular consumption of cereals, which contain healthy plant fibers, helps prevent the development of such uncomfortable manifestations as bloating and soreness.Barley groats also contain components that contribute to the elimination of dangerous radionuclides and toxic substances from the body. Plant components also help to remove heavy metals from the internal environment.
Porridge made from barley groats is often included in the diet of athletes. This dish contains nutritional nutrients that perfectly saturate the body of an actively exercising person with energy. At the same time, the proteins contained in such a nutritious porridge are well absorbed in the body. These substances are necessary for people who are engaged in strength training. Proteins are necessary for muscles to increase in volume faster.
Barley groats have many beneficial properties for the body. The nicotinic acid contained in it strengthens the walls of blood vessels. This helps to prevent many dangerous pathologies of the cardiovascular system. These diseases, as a rule, come to light already after 40 years. So, barley porridge is recommended to eat for people of mature age, as well as the elderly. There are also components in this nutritious dish that help increase immunity. Barley porridge should be included in the diet of people who often get colds.
Barley porridge is also useful for improving the appearance. So, with its regular use, the growth of hair and nails will accelerate, while the fragility of the nail plates also decreases.
Barley porridge also contains herbal ingredients that help improve the appearance of the skin. With regular use of this nutritious dish, the skin is cleansed of various rashes. The B vitamins contained in the porridge make the skin more radiant.People who want to make their diet balanced should definitely include barley porridge in the menu, while this dish is best cooked on water. In this case, it will contain a lot of proteins that the body needs for full-fledged work.
Possible harm
In order not to harm your body, eating dishes prepared from barley groats should be done in moderation. If you use barley porridge too often or in large quantities, this can cause discomfort. For example, some people experience constipation in this case. Often use barley porridge is not worth it for people who are prone to obesity.
This nutritious dish is still high in calories, so when consumed in large quantities, it can cause weight gain. You should not eat dishes prepared from barley groats, with individual tolerance and barley allergy. Such pathologies can be detected in both men and women.
At what age can a child be given?
Barley porridge contains many plant components that are beneficial for the child's body. In order not to harm your baby, this nutritious dish should be introduced into his diet carefully. It is better to “acquaint” the baby with dishes made from barley groats for the first time after he is 12 months old. In some cases, this nutritious dish should be introduced later - at 1.5 years and even older. It is better to agree on the individual timing of the introduction of barley groats in the baby's menu with the children's doctor.
In order for the introduction of a new product into the child’s diet without any negative consequences for his health, you should do it correctly.So, the initial dosage of this nutritious product should be ½ teaspoon. If, after such an amount of barley porridge, the baby’s stomach does not “swell up” or vomiting does not appear, then in this case, the dosage can be gradually increased. If, after the introduction of barley porridge, a child has itchy rashes or behavior has changed, then in this case it is necessary to consult with a pediatrician about the possibility of further use of this dish in the children's diet.
Initially, barley porridge for a baby-baby should be boiled in water. Some mothers dilute such a dish with breast milk, which can be done at will. When preparing such a nutritious meal for a baby, remember that you do not need to put salt in it. Add any additives that improve the taste should be gradually. So, putting sugar or salt should be for older children.
If this nutritious dish is prepared for an infant, then in this case it is better to boil the barley groats well first. At the same time, it is desirable that the cooked porridge has a rather liquid consistency. Babies, due to physiological characteristics, still do not swallow food well enough. If the porridge is thick, then it will be more difficult for the child to swallow it, which can lead to negative consequences.
“Feeding” crumbs with barley porridge is not worth it. This dish is not the main one in the children's diet, but only helps to diversify it. Specialists in baby nutrition recommend including barley porridge in the diet of babies no more than twice a week. And they also note that other cereals should be present in the diet of crumbs.Such a balanced and varied diet will help the baby grow faster and feel better.
Recommendations for use
There are dishes cooked from barley groats, should be correct. In this case, you can benefit the body and avoid the development of many uncomfortable symptoms. An adult should not eat this nutritious dish more than 2-3 times a week. For people who are watching their weight, it is better to combine barley groats with vegetables and fresh herbs. With a tendency to obesity from eating barley porridge with fatty ingredients, for example, with cheese or butter, it is better to refuse. To ensure that the weight always remains within normal limits, eating dishes prepared from barley groats should be in the morning. It is better to refuse an evening meal that includes such nutritious cereals.
Important! In the presence of chronic diseases, eating porridge made from barley groats should be done carefully. If a person has some kind of pathology in the work of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract, then he should consult with a specialist before including this dish in the diet. In this case, it is better to seek advice from a gastroenterologist.
During pregnancy
Dishes from barley groats can be consumed by a future mother, but it is better to do this infrequently. The plant components contained in them can have an antispasmodic effect. In late pregnancy, this action can help accelerate the onset of labor. That is why in the second half of pregnancy it is better to refuse barley dishes. This cereal can be replaced with other products that do not have such an effect on the body of the expectant mother.
In the early stages, it is possible to eat porridge cooked from barley groats. However, doctors recommend that expectant mothers still remember the amount of this product. It is desirable that the portion of barley porridge that a pregnant woman eats is small. At the same time, it is better to combine it with different vegetables. In addition to this dish, you can cook a delicious vegetable salad seasoned with low-fat dressing. There are dishes from barley groats for expectant mothers only if they are well tolerated.
When breastfeeding
It is recommended that a nursing mother introduce various cereals into her diet during breastfeeding. So, you can diversify your menu with barley porridge. This dish contains dietary fiber that improves the functioning of the colon. And also barley porridge is rich in food nutrients that saturate the body of a nursing mother with energy. This dish also contains mineral compounds, as well as a vitamin complex, which enter the child's body through breast milk, contributing to the good development of the baby.
Introduce this nutritious dish into the diet of a nursing mother should be carefully. Doctors recommend not to forget the rule of gradualness. This means that the first dose of the product for breastfeeding should be very small. If a woman who is breastfeeding her baby decides to supplement her menu with barley porridge, then the first serving of such a dish should not exceed 50 grams. After that, she should definitely assess her well-being and the general condition of the crumbs. If the baby has itchy skin rashes, bloating or diarrhea, then it is likely that further use of barley porridge will need to be abandoned for some time. You should also discuss any symptoms with your pediatrician.
If the crumbs, after the introduction of barley porridge into the diet of his mother, did not develop any adverse effects, then in this case, you should not refuse to use this dish. Nursing mothers are advised to prepare this nutritious dish in water, without the addition of cow's milk. Some babies have an individual intolerance to the proteins contained in this dairy product. The use of porridge boiled in water, as a rule, does not lead to the development of adverse symptoms in such babies.
With gastritis
During an exacerbation of this disease, eating dishes from barley groats is not worth it. It is allowed to use such dishes only with persistent remission. Moreover, the amount of barley porridge in the diet of a person suffering from gastritis should be small. In order not to damage the gastric walls, it is better to cook barley porridge with the addition of a large amount of water so that the dish acquires a liquidish consistency.
With pancreatitis
In case of acute inflammation of the pancreas, the use of barley porridge should be discarded. During this period, a strict therapeutic diet is required, which excludes this croup. You can eat barley porridge only during a period of persistent remission. At the same time, this dish can be consumed only if it is well tolerated.
For type 2 diabetes
People who have been diagnosed with this disease monitor the glycemic index of foods. Their diet should mainly include foods that have low values of this indicator. Barley groats have a glycemic index of 50. This means that with diabetes it can be consumed, but in small quantities.
How to cook friable barley porridge, see the following video.