Barley for Babies

Buy Barley Baby Food: Barley Pudding and Millets and Pumpkin Puree 

Barley (jau) is an old grain that is gentle in taste and soft when cooked well, which makes it a useful addition to a baby's rotation of grains. This collection is Rorosaur's barley baby food. The Millety Pumpkin puree blends pearled barley with pearl millet (bajra), oats, moong and masoor dal, pumpkin, banana, dates and a little cashew into a ready-to-eat meal for babies from 6 months, with no added sugar, no added salt and no preservatives.

Barley Pudding is a ready-to-eat pudding made from a blend of Himalayan grains (buckwheat, amaranth and barley) with red dates, apricots and skim milk powder, lightly spiced with cinnamon, star anise and rose water. It comes as a 4-pack of pouches and has no added sugar or salt.

We do not sell plain barley powder or barley water, so below the products you will find a short guide to both: what barley is, how to cook it for a baby, how to make barley powder at home, and what to know about barley water for infants. Barley contains gluten, so introduce it on its own and check with your paediatrician first if allergies or coeliac disease run in your family.

Barley for babies: what it is and how to start

Barley is a cereal grain. The type most often used for babies is pearled barley, where the outer hull has been polished away so it cooks faster and softer. It has a mild, slightly nutty taste and a chewy texture that breaks down into a creamy porridge when cooked until very soft.

Why parents choose it:

• Energy from complex carbohydrates.
• Fibre, including the soluble fibre that gives cooked barley its creamy texture. Too much fibre too fast can cause gas, so build up slowly.
• Small amounts of B vitamins and minerals such as magnesium.
• Variety. Rotating grains such as rice, ragi, millets, oats and barley keeps your baby's diet varied.

No single grain does everything. Barley works best alongside other grains, dal, vegetables and fruit. Our first-year feeding guide shows how grains fit across the months.

Points to know before you start:

• Gluten. Barley contains gluten. Give it alone the first time, in a small amount, and wait two to three days before adding another new food.
• Allergy signs. Watch for rash, hives, vomiting, diarrhoea or unusual fussiness. Seek medical help straight away for swelling of the lips or face or any trouble breathing.
• Family history. If coeliac disease or a grain allergy runs in your family, ask your doctor before starting barley.
• Texture. Cook until very soft and blend for beginners. Move to a thicker, lumpier mash as your baby grows.
• No salt, sugar or honey in the first year. Honey must never be given to a baby under 12 months.

Barley powder for babies: how to make it

Barley powder cooks faster and smoother than whole grains, which suits beginners. To make it at home:

1. Rinse pearled barley well and dry it fully on a clean cloth.
2. Dry roast on a low flame for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring, until it smells lightly nutty. Do not let it brown.
3. Cool completely, grind to a fine powder and sieve. Re-grind anything coarse.
4. Store in an airtight jar in a cool, dry place and use within a few weeks.

Barley porridge for babies

Stir 1 tablespoon of barley powder into half a cup of cool water until smooth. Cook on low heat for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring all the time so it does not form lumps. Mash in half a ripe banana or a little cooked apple for natural sweetness. Cool and test the temperature before serving. Do not add sugar or salt.

Barley water for infants: what to know

Barley water, the strained liquid left after boiling barley, is a traditional drink in many homes. For infants, a few safety points matter:

• Before 6 months, babies should have only breast milk or formula, unless your paediatrician advises otherwise. Do not give barley water to a baby under 6 months.
• From 6 months, small amounts (a few spoonfuls) may be offered alongside, never instead of, breast milk or formula. It is not a substitute for a milk feed.
• It is not a treatment. Do not use barley water to treat fever, diarrhoea, constipation or any illness. If your baby is unwell, see a doctor. For diarrhoea, ask about oral rehydration solution.
• Keep it plain. No sugar, salt, honey or lemon. Make it fresh and discard leftovers after a few hours.

How to make it: rinse 1 tablespoon of pearled barley and boil it in 2 cups of water for 30 to 40 minutes until the barley is very soft. Strain, cool fully and offer a few spoonfuls from a clean spoon or cup. The softened barley can be mashed into a porridge so nothing goes to waste.

Barley Pudding: ready-made barley and grain pudding

Barley Pudding is the other barley option, and the more barley-forward of the two. It is a soft pudding of Himalayan grains (buckwheat, amaranth and barley), red dates, apricots, skim milk powder, carob powder, star anise, cinnamon and rose water, sold as a 4-pack of pouches. Use it straight from the pouch or spoon it into a bowl.

• Contains milk (skim milk powder) and barley (gluten). Buckwheat and amaranth are also grains that some babies react to. Check the pack label for full details before you feed.
• Sweetened by fruit, with red dates and apricots rather than added sugar.
• Storage: refrigerate after opening and use within 24 hours, and do not microwave the pouch.

The pack does not state an age range. If your baby is under 8 months or you are unsure, ask your paediatrician before offering it, and introduce it on its own first as with any new grain.

Millety Pumpkin puree: ready-made barley baby food

Home-made barley takes soaking, roasting and long cooking. Millety Pumpkin puree is the easy option: a 100 g pouch made for babies from 6 months.

• Ingredients: banana (39%), dates (9%), coconut milk powder (7%), pearled millet (7%), masoor dal (7%), pumpkin (7%), oats (7%), moong dal (7%), pearled barley (7%) and cashew nuts (3%).
• No added sugar, no added salt, no preservatives. The sweetness comes from banana and dates.
• Contains cashew, coconut, oats and barley (gluten-containing grains), and lentils. Check the pack label for full details before you feed.
• Storage: unopened it keeps for 12 months. Once opened, refrigerate and use within 24 hours.

It is also a good way to try barley as part of a mix before you cook it on its own, although if you want to test for a reaction to one grain at a time, introduce a single-grain food first.

Want more grains? See our grain-based purees, healthy baby purees and healthy baby porridge collections, or read about introducing millets to babies.

Delivery

Free shipping on orders above ₹598. Orders are processed within 24 hours and usually arrive in 3 to 5 business days.