At what age can you give cookies to children and what recipes are best for cooking them?

Many parents are unsure of the appropriate age to start giving cookies to their kids. Since the appropriate food at the right time can affect a child’s development and health, this is a frequently asked question. Even though cookies can be a delicious treat, it’s crucial to know when and how to give them to young children.

Depending on when a child is ready to eat solid foods, there is an ideal age to introduce them to cookies. Selecting the right cookie recipe is essential because not all cookies are appropriate for young children. Making cookies at home with nutritious ingredients can be a healthier option than buying them from the store, since you will be able to monitor exactly what your child is eating.

This post will discuss when it’s appropriate to serve cookies and provide some easy-to-make, kid-friendly recipes. Cookies can be a safe and enjoyable snack for your child if you take the proper precautions.

Benefits of cookies

• Including such a product in a child"s diet allows you to diversify it, because there are many types and recipes for cookies.
• The child will receive carbohydrates, vegetable proteins, vitamins, fiber and other compounds from the cookies.
• Many types of cookies are enriched with minerals, such as iodine or calcium.
• Due to the dense structure, the cookies will stimulate the growth of the jaws, as they will force the child to chew actively.
• During teething, cookies can relieve itching in the gums a little.

Possible harm

• Most types of cookies contain gluten protein, to which some babies develop an allergic reaction.
• Due to the sugar content in cookies, babies may refuse other food, demanding tasty cookies. In addition, consuming excess sugar at an early age has a negative effect on the absorption of vitamins and the condition of the teeth.
• Store cookies are baked with margarine, as well as with the use of various chemical additives, which is not good for the child"s body.
• The high calorie content of cookies determines its restriction for overweight children.

The best time to introduce cookies to kids is usually around the age of twelve months, but it’s important to choose recipes that are healthier, use less sugar, and emphasize whole foods. Easy, homemade cookies with oats, bananas, or nut butters can be a healthy choice that also happen to be entertaining and encourage healthy eating habits from a young age.

From what age can you give?

A breastfed baby as young as five or six months old may start eating cookies as long as they are specially made baby cookies that dissolve in milk and when the baby’s saliva is present. But most doctors advise against giving even such a delicatessen to children under the age of one.

Additionally, it is advised to start introducing young children to cookies made by their mother no earlier than one year of age, and even later if the child is prone to allergies. Store-bought cookies should not be given to children until they are at least 2-3 years old.

Cookies for infants

Many baby food manufacturers make special cookies for young children. Heinz baby cookies, for instance, are recommended for feeding to children as early as five months of age. According to the manufacturer, this kind of product is enhanced with vitamins and mineral salts and is made entirely of natural ingredients.

These nutritious cookies will encourage the infant to learn how to chew, and since they dissolve readily in milk, you can feed them to young children who do not yet have teeth. This manufacturer’s six-cereal cookie mix is meant for kids older than six months, while the cocoa-infused treat is meant for kids as young as nine months.

Other businesses also manufacture baby cookies, such as:

• Soluble cookies "Bebiki" from the manufacturer Bebi, which can be classic, with 6 cereals and gluten-free. Any of the types is offered to children over 6 months.

• Cookies "Begemot Bondi", to which iodine, magnesium, calcium or iron are added. It is recommended for children over 5 months.

• Cookies "Malyshok", presented in the classic version, as well as in types enriched with calcium or iodine. Such a product is introduced into the diet of children 5 months and older.

• "Grow Big" cookies for children aged 6 months and older. The range of these baked goods is presented in different flavors – classic, banana, raspberry. The manufacturer also offers oatmeal cookies.

• The first cookies from the Hipp company for children over 6 months of age. The company also offers baked goods for children 1-3 years old, which contain whole grains and no sugar.

• DoReMi cookies, produced by Gerber. Such figured cookies for children with a teddy bear are enriched with 5 vitamins and are recommended for a child 1 year and older.

How to choose store-bought cookies for a child?

When purchasing cookies for kids older than a year old, consider both the cookie’s freshness and composition (make sure to check the expiration dates). Think about these subtleties when making your decision:

• Biscuit cookies are considered the best option for children, since they contain a minimum of fat and have the simplest composition. Such a product is low-calorie and rarely causes allergies.
• Straws can also be called a low-fat version of cookies, but their brown color is acquired during special frying, so such baked goods should not be given to children with stomach diseases.
• Low-fat cookies also include oatmeal. It is considered healthy, because it allows you to include oatmeal in your child"s diet, even if the child does not like this porridge. When choosing this cookie, it is best to buy pale, not shiny and with a regular round shape.
• Shortbread cookies have a high sugar and fat content, so they are less preferable for children"s menus. They should be smooth and not burnt. This type of cookie with fillings is not recommended for children, especially if they are overweight.

Home recipes

A mother can ensure the quality of her child’s cookies by baking them herself, which also keeps allergens out of the mix. Nowadays, there are a ton of quick cookie recipes available, making it practically possible for any parent to make their child some delectable, nutritious baked goods.

These easy recipes are suitable for you:

• Cottage cheese cookies. Mix 200 g of cottage cheese and 2 eggs. Separately whisk 100 g of slightly softened butter and 100 g of sugar. Combine both mixtures and mix well. Add 1.5 cups of flour and 1/2 tsp. baking powder in portions. The dough should be dense and roll out well. Cut out cookie shapes of different sizes from the dough rolled out to a thickness of 7 mm forms. Bake for 20 minutes.

• Oatmeal cookies. Mix 200 g of oatmeal with 3 tbsp. spoons of wheat flour and vanilla sugar. Separately beat one egg with 3 tbsp. spoons of sugar and 100 g of butter. Take another container to mix in it 2 tbsp. spoons of sour cream and 1/3 tsp. spoons of soda. Having combined all the ingredients, mix well, put with a spoon on parchment and bake for about 15 minutes.

• Carrot cookies. Whip 125 g of butter softened at room temperature and 75 g of sugar (you can also add a little vanilla). Add 1 large egg or 2 small ones to the mixture and continue whisking. Separately, pour a glass of flour into a container, which can be completely wheat or partially replaced with oatmeal or corn. Add a pinch of cinnamon, a pinch of salt and a little baking powder (a teaspoon) to the flour. Wash and peel 2 medium carrots, then grate on a fine grater. Squeeze the juice out of the carrots, add it to the flour mixture. Put whipped butter into the dough and mix well. After keeping the dough in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes, spoon it onto parchment, creating small balls at a distance of 3-4 cm between them. Bake for 20 minutes.

• Banana cookies. Mash with a fork or grind 3 medium bananas in a blender. Add 2 cups of oatmeal, a quarter cup of raisins (they need to be washed and soaked briefly in boiling water), half of the cups of milk and a third of a cup of butter. You can skip the raisins, add salt and sugar to taste. After mixing the ingredients, spoon out small cakes onto a baking sheet and bake for about 20 minutes.

• Pumpkin cookies. Peel and dice 200-250 g of pumpkin, put in foil, sprinkle with sugar on top, wrap and bake until done (usually 15-20 minutes). Combine the finished pumpkin with the syrup that has formed, with 50 g of sugar and beat in a blender. Add a pinch of cinnamon and let the puree cool. Pour half a glass of whole grain flour and a teaspoon of baking powder into the cooled mass. Add 80 g of butter and mix well. After keeping the dough in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes, add 120-150 g of wheat flour to it in small portions (pour in a few spoons and mix thoroughly). Keep the finished dough in the refrigerator for another 15 minutes, then roll out and cut out figures, which are baked for 10-15 minutes.

See what other homemade cookies you can give your kids without endangering their health in the video below.

The optimal age to include cookies in a child’s diet varies based on their nutritional requirements and stage of development. Children can usually begin to enjoy cookies at the age of one, but it’s important to make sure the ingredients are age-appropriate. To make recipes healthier and easier on little stomachs, choose those that call for whole-grain flours and natural sweeteners.

When choosing cookie recipes, look for ones that include healthy ingredients like nuts or fruits and have less sugar. Made from scratch, soft cookies are better than store-bought ones because you can tailor them to not include too much sugar or possible allergens.

You can introduce cookies in a way that enhances your child’s overall nutrition and enjoyment by selecting recipes that are age-appropriate and keeping an eye on how your child responds to new foods. As usual, eating in moderation is essential to keeping a balanced diet.

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