OATS... AND ITS GOODNESS...

Oats are a supergrain – they have all the goodness of other wholegrains plus extra benefits.
Oats are the only wholegrain recognised to actively lower cholesterol
Oats provide soluble fibre (called beta glucan) which acts like a sponge during digestion, soaking up and removing cholesterol from the body. This can help to lower the blood cholestrerol, so eating a diet containing oats, as part of a diet low in saturated fat and a healthy lifestyle, can help to maintain a healthy heart.
Oats are one of the most filling grains
The beneficial combination of soluble and insoluble fibre found in oats helps to fill you up and helps to keep you going.

source: http://www.quaker.co.uk/Benefits.aspx

To read more about oats http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oat

With so many goodness of oats . It makes a very good first food for babies. Oats porridge is the best first food to start with for babies other than rice cereals. Here are some of the recipes of oats which will surely help you moms for some fussy kids for some healthy and tasty evening snacks or morning breakfasts. My kido and me both like these recipes especially the oats uthapam we love it at our place and all of us have it.

Oats Upama

Ingredients for Cooking
500 gm instant oats
3 cm piece ginger minced
3 tsp ghee curry leaves
2 tbsp sesame oil
41/2 cups water
1 tsp urad dall
13/4 tsp salt
2 tsp channa dall
a pinch of asafetida
1 tsp mustard seeds
3 green chillies sliced
2 dried chillies
1 onion sliced
Method:
1. Heat ghee in pan and dry roast oats till fragrant. Keep aside.
2. Heat oil. Add mustard seeds, urad dall,channa dall and dried chillies. 3. When dall has turned golden brown add sliced onions, ginger and curry leaves.
4. Saute onions till limp.Add water salt asafoetida and green chillies
5. When water is boiling add oats a little to prevent lumping. 6. Keep stirring uppuma till water is absorbed and the oats are thoroughly cooked.
7. Serve hot with coconut chutney.
in a kadai tamper some rai,urudh dhal and mix all the veggie and oats .. add little ghee and salt to taste..

Oats Soup

you need :
oil or butter 1 tsp
oats 1 cup
finely chopped onion 1/2 cup
green chillies slit 1 (or you can avoid if your kid does not have chilli)
cilantro leaves finelychopped 1/2 tsp
veggies as per choice grated 1cup
milk 1 cup
water 1 cup
salt to taste
pepper powder to taste
corn flour 1 spoon


Method:
In a pan add oil and fry the onions and green chilies then add in the veggies cook for a min.
Then add in the oats and fry for 1-2 mins and water and cook for 3 mins. Mix the corn flour with ½ a cup of milk and add to the pan and cook till it thickens and then add the remaining milk.
Garnish with coriander leaves and salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Oats Pancakes

Pancakes
1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional as per the stir ins)
1-1/4 cups fat-free milk
1 egg, lightly beaten (optional)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Stir-ins (optional)
· 1 medium-size ripe banana, mashed, and pinch of ground nutmeg
· 1 cup of pureed strawberries
· 3/4 cup finely chopped apple, 1/4 cup chopped nuts and 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
· 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
· Or to make it uthapam style you can also add finely chopped onions tomatoes and grated carrot
· Or make it your style uthapam

Method
In large bowl, combine flour, oats, baking powder and salt; mix well. In medium bowl, combine milk, egg and oil; blend well. Add to dry ingredients all at once; stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. (Do not overmix) Add one of the stir-in options, if desired; mix gently.
Heat a tava over medium-high heat. Lightly grease the tava. For each pancake, pour 1/4 cup batter into hot tava. Turn when tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked. Turn only once.

Oats Paratha

Ingredients:

Old Fashioned Oats -- 1 cup ( grounded into a fine powder)
Wheat Flour -- 2 cups
Onion -- 1 medium finely chopped
Carrot -- 1/2 cup grated
Spinach -- 1/2 cup
finely chopped Mint -- 2 tbsp
finely chopped Cilantro -- 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder -- 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder -- 1 tsp
Jeera powder -- 1 tsp
Amchur powder -- 1 tsp

optional for kids: Garam masala -- 1/2 tsp
Ginger -- 2 tsp grated
Chillies powder -- 1 tsp
Oil/ ghee -- few tbsp


Method:

Mix all the above ingredients to a stiff dough without water. Add little milk if needed. ( adding milk makes the paratha's softer).. Divide the dough into 8 ball and roll out..Cook on a griddle until golden brown on both sides sing ghee or oil..Serve hot with curd.

for babies from 4 months you can give oats porridge. not repeating the recipe again

http://indianbabyfood.blogspot.com/2008/02/oats-porridge.html#links