Almond Milk for Babies and Kids

Suitable: 10 to 12 months old baby (avoid saffron & cow's milk unless the baby is a year old)    

Almond Milk for Babies and Kids

Almond milk is one of the most nutritious drinks for all age groups. Almonds are energizing and balancing for the mind. Though making Homemade Almond Milk Powder is easy and is a good standby, i still prefer soaking them and boiling the milk. The healthiest way of making almond milk for babies and kids (infact for all of us) is to soak them for 6 to 8 hours and then prepare it and it has numerous health benefits. Soaked almonds are easily digestible and nutrients are better absorbed by the body. Almond skin is said to aggravate pitta in the body and can lead to indigestion, so eliminating the skin would be better. This recipe is an age old traditional ayurvedic secret to build up immunity in kids, improve eye sight, build stronger bones, remove constipation, and provide adequate nutrition for picky/fussy eaters.
                                                     

  People with mucus/phlegm problems and those who want to stay out of dairy may eliminate milk from the recipe and just use water and add 1/2 to 1 tsp.  of oats powder to make the milk thicker.  Since milk contributes to mucus production, those with phlegm problems can add a pinch of pepper powder or dry ginger powder to the above recipe.

              

          Saffron is heating to the body and is used to treat colds and coughs. It expels mucus from the body. Must be cautious while using saffron, too much saffron can be poisonous. 

               

                 Almond milk makes a very good milk substitute for lactose intolerant kids. I started giving this milk to my younger son when he was 10 months old. He was doing well... No colic.....No constipation.....No loose stools. I had tried several formulas for him like NAN, Similac, Mamex gold, Friso etc., but ended up with lot of colic or loose stools. Though he is not lactose intolerant, he could not digest the formula milk beco’z of excess synthetic nutrients in them. Almond milk (boiled only in water) was the best solution for all these problems.

 

Ingredients

                        

Almonds 20 to 24

Milk 500 ml (optional- can add water to fresh milk to make 500 ml)

Sugar 2 tsps. (optional- babies need no sugar)

Saffron few strands (optional)

Green cardamom powder 1/8 th tsp.

Method

1. Soak almond for 6 to 8 hours and peel the skin.

2. Boil the milk in a thick bottom pan/ vessel on a low to medium flame. add sugar, saffron and cardamom powder.
3. Grind almonds to smooth with little water or milk. Can add saffron, sugar, cardamom pow to the almonds alternately if not added at step 2. (remember smooth paste else it irritates the throat while drinking) 

 

3. When the milk comes to a boil, pour the grinded almond mixture into the boiling milk. 

4. Keep stiring else the milk can smell burnt. Let it boil for 2 to 3 mins.

 Serve warm or chilled.

*  Keeps good if refrigerated for no more than 2 days

Serving Tips for kids and toddlers

* Tastes good when served with cornflakes or beaten rice (poha/ aval) or even with plain cooked rice and additional jaggery.

*  Can use this milk to cook kheer /payasam /puddings.

*  Can use this milk even for cooking chicken, baking moist cakes and muffins, which i will be posting shortly.

*Update: Filter the milk to remove coarse granules, before you serve your child, if your blender cannot blend the almonds to a smooth paste. As some kids might throw up as the grains irritate the throat.
* You can make the almond paste enough for a week and store it in the freezer in tiny boxes and defrost one per day in the refrigerator and use the following day to make fresh badam milk. This has worked out for few moms.