Children's coffee drink, why it is customary to give it in kindergarten, recipes. How to make a healthy coffee drink

Hot and fragrant, strong or completely decaffeinated, with spices or with cream - coffee is always popular all over the world. This amazing drink is able to invigorate in the morning, make the perfect company for a fresh croissant in the afternoon and make the evening cozy at home. A rare adult will deny himself a cup of coffee, but is it worth teaching a child to drink it? Let's figure out at what age a son or daughter can be introduced to this drink and how best to brew it.

Expert opinion: “Do not forbid your child coffee!”

Parental forums abound with the most contradictory information: some say that coffee is a serious danger for children, others advise coffee in small doses because it contains a lot of useful properties, and still others call for adults and children to give up caffeine. According to doctors, there is no need to go to extremes - everything is good in moderation.

Pavel Pronichev, general practitioner: “Coffee itself is not harmful to children. The caffeine contained in the drink, of course, excites them and irritates the stomach, but the content of this substance is much higher, for example, in green tea. Therefore, there is nothing wrong with a small cup of weak natural (but not instant) coffee diluted with cream or milk. Soviet pediatrics did not prohibit coffee in the children's diet, but did not recommend it either. My eldest son, who is 8 years old, sometimes drinks weak brewed coffee with sugar and milk. If your child is already in school and shows interest in a "grown-up" morning drink, don't stop him from drinking it. Let him try on health!

Baby's coffee debut. book recipe

Everything in life happens for the first time, and it is very important that the first impression of anything is pleasant. Do you want to give your child coffee, but are afraid that he will not like it? We advise you to follow Max Fry's recipe and brew a magical drink with rose water. It minimizes bitterness, which can cause disgust in a child, and gives the drink a special taste.

To get rose water, you can simply infuse plain water with a few rose buds picked from a bush. But this method is suitable if you or your neighbors are breeding roses. If this method does not suit you, it does not matter, you can make rose water from dried rose petals, which are sold in the spice department.

Just soak the dried petals of three to six buds in clean water for a few hours. In extreme cases, you can use rose syrup. Three or four spoons for a small cezve is what you need.

When the rose water is ready, grind the coffee in a coffee grinder, it is better if it is African beans. Then fill the cezve with rose water, put in it a couple of tablespoons of freshly ground coffee with a slide (in this order, since dry roasting can add additional bitterness to the drink) and a pinch of cinnamon (it is also allowed to try cardamom and nutmeg, but do not abuse it - the child may not evaluate too rich taste).

We cook the drink over low heat until a high foam cap appears, remove it from the heat twice and mix, add a spoonful of cold water to the finished drink so that the thick settles, give the child a saucer with cane sugar, which he can put in a cup without restriction and observe the reaction. Most likely, the baby will be satisfied.

Drink for activation of forces and mental activity

Coffee is truly a miracle drink. It stimulates brain activity, improves memory, allows you to absorb more information, feel alert and full of energy, increases stamina and reaction speed, activates the gastrointestinal tract (if you or your baby does not have stomach problems) and simply improves mood. .

Of course, you need to follow strict rules, because even an adult is overly strong coffee in large quantities is detrimental. Yes, and turning the use of coffee into a daily ritual is not worth it for a schoolboy, it is better to come up with a special coffee ritual that will be held once or twice a week and can turn into a real holiday.

The recipe for "activating" coffee:

We brew two teaspoons of natural coffee in cezve, at this time we bring to a homogeneous consistency two teaspoons of cocoa powder, two tablespoons of brown sugar and 100 grams of milk.

Trofimka

Oct 30 2008, 04:20 AM

Today in the kindergarten, the child has coffee for breakfast instead of tea or compote. It puzzled me. I was not going to give my child coffee for at least 6 years. And in the garden it turns out they give, and the children are not yet 2 years old.
Actually the question is, at what age can children be given coffee?

Oct 30 2008, 05:25 AM

I can't answer the question specifically. But it seems to me that you need to clarify whether it was coffee or cocoa. Much can be written, but something else is meant.

Oct 30 2008, 08:56 AM

By the way, I also drew attention to this, although we do not eat in the garden. It happens on the menu and coffee, and cocoa. Another thing is that coffee can be made very weak. Ask the teacher. I heard that there is a drink made from chicory, it tastes and color like coffee, only much healthier.

Oct 30 2008, 11:38 am

The question arises - why do they give coffee in the kindergarten, even if it is weak?

Oct 30, 2008 12:13 PM

I still think it was cocoa .. or really a coffee drink like Nesquik ... We still don’t drink one or the other ...
And the child was hardly given coffee there, even weak ...

Oct 30 2008, 07:31 PM

In the old books, proven by centuries of experience, it is written that you can give your child weak coffee. There is nothing terrible in that. In the kindergarten, they give a shot that looks like coffee, and in general, kindergarten menus are not invented like this, out of the blue, whole commissions work there, compositions are approved, everything is controlled, you just can’t put anything in there. I tell you as a person who knows the question.

Oct 30 2008, 07:38 PM

I don’t know how it is in Russia, but we all drank a children’s coffee drink with milk in early childhood. That is, in fact, it was weak coffee, and cooks in kindergarten already added milk to it. I still remember this taste, I always liked it very much.
So, if we are talking about such coffee, then, believe me, it's okay. I don't think the kids will get a cool espresso there.

Pirate mother nata

Oct 30 2008, 09:14 PM

Children in kindergarten are given coffee from chicory, barley and rye. It is recommended for children from 2 years old. And of course no one gives them real coffee (especially since it is more expensive than real coffee) My child really liked it in the garden, so I I bought him in the store sometimes and made this "coffee".
To be honest, I am a coffee lover, and during pregnancy I couldn’t refuse coffee, I really diluted it with milk. So my son also loves coffee, and from the age of 6 I sometimes buy him coffee-glass at McDonald’s.

Coffee protects cells from damage, and the body - from aging. How to make a healthy coffee drink

To drink or not to drink? Coffee does not belong to dietary products, and therefore is not suitable for everyone, due to health conditions. However, this does not mean at all that coffee is a harmful product. Moreover, coffee not only tastes good, it also has beneficial properties. The results of recent studies have found an explanation for this phenomenon, why people feel more cheerful after a cup of coffee. It turns out that roasted grains release hydrogen peroxide - very powerful - a substance that protects cells from damage, and the body - from aging. Therefore, people feel the tonic effect.

However, coffee is useful only in small quantities - 1-2 cups per day. It is not for nothing that the peoples who have preserved a long-standing culture of drinking this drink use special dishes for coffee - small cups.

And now let's touch on the features of coffee that make it dangerous in case of certain diseases. Digestion of coffee in the stomach requires a large amount of gastric juice, which is released in the first 15-20 minutes after drinking this drink.

Therefore, people with gastritis or stomach ulcers should avoid it. And the content of caffeine in coffee makes it dangerous for patients with cardiovascular diseases if they consume it in large quantities.

What to do for people who love coffee, are used to it, but, given health problems, cannot drink it without undesirable consequences. There is a way out - to prepare a coffee drink according to an individual recipe. It will be not only tasty, but also original and useful.

How to make a healthy coffee drink

Rye coffee. Wash the rye, dry it and fry it in a pan (do not overcook it), grind it in a coffee grinder, and brew it like coffee, you can only increase the dose - 2-3 tsp. for 150 g of water.

Read also: Spicy Chili Pepper Jam Delicious Recipe

Jerusalem artichoke coffee. Wash the Jerusalem artichoke tubers, dry, cut into small cubes and dry in the fresh air for 3-4 days, then dry in the oven until brown. Store in a dry place. Before use, fry in a pan, grind in a coffee grinder and brew like regular coffee.

Sunflower seed coffee. To 100 g of coffee beans, add 100 g of sunflower seeds, roasted in a pan and ground in a coffee grinder.

Chicory coffee. Nature gave us a plant, a drink from which resembles the taste of natural coffee and is not only harmless, but, on the contrary, healing. Natural coffee lovers can be advised to add chicory to it - and its harmful effects will be greatly reduced. In the old days, natural coffee was sold already pre-flavored with chicory. Yes, there was pure chicory coffee. Among many peoples, in particular among the Germans and the Baltic states, chicory coffee is always held in high esteem.

Reference: Common chicory is a good honey plant, it gives a lot of nectar and pollen. And chicory root, due to the presence of easily digestible substances, is a valuable food product, especially for diabetics, is widely used in the preparation of sweets and cakes, and is also used in the production of coffee and tea drinks, giving them a specific taste, aroma and color.

The whole plant is used for medicinal purposes. The bitter extractive substance chicoryne, inulin, well-soluble in water, choline, proteins, fats, pectin, vitamins C, B1, E, fat, gum, essential oil, resin, tannins, mineral salts and a large number of trace elements were found in the roots.

The glycoside chicorin was found in the flowers. In the milky juice of the stems and leaves there are bitter substances - latkucin and lactucoperine, inulin, ascorbic and chicory acids. The seeds contain inulin and protocatechin aldehyde.

Chicory preparations have antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, choleretic, diuretic, sedative, astringent and appetite-stimulating effects. They have a regulatory effect on metabolism, slightly increase cardiac activity and reduce sweating.

Chicory has won the greatest popularity as a remedy for the treatment of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and liver, including cirrhosis.

A decoction or tincture of the root is used for gastritis, colitis, enterocolitis, liver disease, scurvy, hysteria, dropsy, hemoptysis, constipation, gout, spasmophilia, joint diseases, hypochondria, muscle pain, toothache, gallbladder and kidney diseases, gallstone and nephrolithiasis, to improve digestion, eliminate discomfort in the gastrointestinal tract, liver and spleen, increase appetite, reduce sugar in the urine, reduce increased nervous excitability, as a general tonic, with edema of cardiac origin, with diarrhea (even blood ), diabetes.
An infusion of flowers is used as a sedative for disorders of the central nervous system.
Fresh juice of the stems is prescribed for anemia.

Coffee is an insidious drink that, by helping us to cheer up, raises blood pressure, causes headaches and insomnia with frequent use. Coffee is not recommended to be consumed more than 2 times a day by adults, and what can we say about children. Until the age of 14, this drink should not be in the diet of the younger generation. Not so long ago we wrote about tea for children. It's time to talk about coffee and its substitutes for our little ones.

Because coffee is contraindicated for children because of the content of caffeine, then you need to look for its alternatives. Some moms wonder why they should do this when there are so many other safe and healthy drinks to choose from. The fact is that sooner or later, but acquaintance with coffee will happen. Instead of forbidding this drink, it is better to introduce its surrogate, accustoming to taste.

The modern food industry offers a wide variety of coffee substitutes for children.

Coffee drink:
Such coffee does not contain caffeine, but contains plants (soy, rosehip, chicory). These herbs are very beneficial for the health of the baby: they help regulate the intestinal flora, improve appetite, increase immunity and calm the nervous system. A chicory drink is fortified with vitamins B, A, C and D. Another option is a barley drink. In addition to a large number of useful substances, this drink has a diuretic and tonic effect. A barley drink is especially recommended in order to normalize hormonal balance, water-salt metabolism and blood circulation. And barley drink helps prevent breast diseases. These coffee substitutes can be given to children from the age of two.

Photo from www.TelPics.ru

Cooking method:
Pour coffee drink into boiling water, stir. Let it brew for a few minutes. You can add milk and sugar.

Varieties of coffee drinks: barley, barley-rye, barley-chicory, barley-rye with chicory.

How to choose a drink:
The most important is written on the package, so you need to carefully study it. There are cases when, along with herbs, a small percentage of natural coffee is included in the composition. In this case, the packaging says how much caffeine is in the composition. Even if there is a small amount of an invigorating substance, it is still better to refuse it.

Belarusian fortified coffee drinks can be found on store shelves. All raw materials are natural and produced in our country. Coffee substitutes are made by mixing grains of rye, oats and barley. These drinks are a source of vitamins - B7, C, B5, E, B6, B2, B1, B12, etc.

Photo from www.coopinhal.ru

You can make your own coffee for the kids. A fragrant drink will be obtained from Jerusalem artichoke, earthen pear tubers. If the tubers are dug up in the fall, they can be used all year round for making a drink. You just need to peel the tubers, cut into pieces, place in boiling water for 3 minutes, and then dry in the oven. After that, the Jerusalem artichoke must be ground in a coffee grinder. The composition is ready to use! This drink will be especially useful for children who suffer from diabetes.

If your baby didn’t like all the options for a coffee substitute, then offer him cocoa. The taste of chocolate has not left anyone indifferent. This drink, of course, has fewer nutrients than natural substitutes, but all children like cocoa.

First of all, you need to understand well that a child's body is fundamentally different from an adult. In the first hours after birth, the baby is practically sterile and helpless to the effects of any harmful factors. Receiving antibodies and various biologically active substances with milk, the child's body adapts somewhat, its protection increases, however, for a long time, some specific features that are characteristic only of young children continue to play an important role in the relationship with the outside world.

One of these features is the structure and incomplete development of the functions of the gastrointestinal tract. In infants, the digestive glands of the stomach are practically not developed, which is why the gastric juice has an almost neutral acidity and is able to normally "cope" only with mother's milk. In the second year of life, the activity and acidity of the gastric juice increases, which makes possible a greater variety in both food and drink.

It must be remembered that the intestinal mucosa of a child is more permeable than that of adults. That is why the child's body, as they say, is open to the intake of various, and often harmful, substances. In general, in pediatrics, the concept of "harmful substance" goes beyond the generally accepted. What in normal doses is neutral or brings some benefit to an adult can lead to undesirable consequences for a child. And even at first glance, a harmless and familiar drink can be fraught with many surprising and unpleasant surprises.

Maybe a seagull?

Tea may have been the earliest prepared drink on earth, praised for thousands of years by Chinese aristocrats, Indian yogis, Japanese samurai, and Tibetan monks. Tea is so popular that few people even imagine their day without it. Moreover, in recent years there have been many publications about the benefits of black and, in particular, green tea. Such information lowers the vigilance of even the most discriminating parents: is it possible to argue with modern science and centuries of experience? Of course not. But not for small children!

The whole variety of teas is represented by black, red, white, yellow and green types. The color of tea does not depend on the type of tea tree, but on the processing method. Black tea goes through a full cycle of tea production and undergoes enzymatic processing. Green tea goes through only a small part of the processing process and is otherwise called non-enzymatic. The rest of the teas are only intermediate links in the processing of green tea into black. The substances contained in tea are amazing in their diversity. There are not so many truly harmful substances in tea, but, as mentioned above, in the case of children, any potential danger should be considered as real. The main ingredient in tea is caffeine. Of course, tea contains trace amounts of it, but its effect is insignificant only for adults. In children, caffeine from strong brewed tea (as well as from weakly brewed, but consumed in large quantities) can cause the most negative symptoms.

First of all, caffeine, being the strongest stimulant of the nervous system, affects the behavior of the child: the baby becomes nervous, excitable, whiny. With the systematic intake of caffeine in the child's body, various sleep disorders can develop, such as insomnia and nightmares. Constant nervous excitement causes an overexpenditure of energy and nutrients, which often affects the growth process.

Caffeine affects a child's heart by increasing the heart rate, provoking a feeling of palpitations, which can also lead to increased anxiety, chest discomfort, and irregular heartbeats. It is also known that tea (caffeine) acts as a strong diuretic, which, when used systematically, washes out the microelements necessary for normal growth and development.

This property of caffeine is also unsafe for adults: an imbalance of potassium and sodium in the body often causes arrhythmias, and the constant leaching of calcium from the bones is a predisposing factor in the development of osteoporosis - bone thinning. In recent years, considerable attention has been paid to the effect of caffeine on the gastric mucosa: acting on the digestive glands, caffeine increases the secretion of gastric juice - mainly hydrochloric acid, which in high concentrations can irritate the internal walls of the child's stomach, leading to early severe gastritis. Often among children and cases of poisoning with caffeine contained in tea (coffee). The first signs of poisoning are nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, shortness of breath, increased heart rate and frequent urination. In such cases, you should immediately consult a doctor!

Another active ingredient in tea theophylline, similar to caffeine and enhances its effect. During respiratory infections, theophylline can raise an already high temperature. In addition, theophylline, being a strong diuretic, removes anti-inflammatory and antipyretic drugs from the body, making them completely ineffective in the fight against colds.

Many nutritionists today argue about the benefits / harms tannins- tannins, which tea is so rich in. On the one hand, tannins, binding in brewed tea with caffeine, turn into compounds useful for the body - theins. Theins strengthen blood vessels, improve blood circulation, enhance the positive effects of vitamin C. However, on the other hand, after brewing tea, unreacted, so-called pure tannins remain, which tend to suppress appetite and prevent normal absorption of food, which is so undesirable for a small organism.

But tea also has obvious advantages, which cannot be ignored. Firstly, in tea, in various quantities, there are all known vitamins. Especially widely represented are B vitamins, which are an indispensable component in the development and functioning of the nervous system. But here, a double-edged sword is obvious: a high intake of B vitamins makes it difficult to absorb iron. Vitamin C is abundant in freshly brewed tea. After some time (several hours), respectively, the amount of vitamin C is reduced to negligible. Secondly, tea is saturated with minerals that regulate the vital activity of the body. Potassium, calcium, magnesium - only a small part of the total range of substances. Of particular value are:

• fluorine and phosphorus - elements involved in the growth and strengthening of bones;
• zinc, which increases immunity and is involved in metabolic processes;
• manganese, normalizing the functioning of the nervous system.

Thirdly, tea contains a whole range of essential proteins, fats and carbohydrates, the amount of which, unfortunately, is not enough to perform any significant positive functions in the body. A unique feature of green tea is the presence of antioxidants, special substances that protect the cells of the body from the effects of harmful factors. In high concentrations, antioxidants are really able to improve health, improve the condition of the skin and hair, and normalize metabolism. But it is worth remembering that green tea contains slightly more caffeine than black tea, so before offering tea to a child, consider the possible risks and think about the consequences.

Black tea, lightly brewed (1/2 teaspoon per 200 ml of water) and diluted with milk, can be offered to children from two years of age . At the same time, no more than one small cup (50 ml) should be consumed per day, and no more than 3-4 cups per week. And only by the age of eight, when, according to many scientists, all the main organs and systems are more or less formed, you can brew tea a little stronger - 1 teaspoon without a slide per 200 ml of water - and not dilute it with milk. You need to follow only one rule: do not let your child drink tea later than 3-4 hours before bedtime. It is also not necessary to “pump up” the child with tea before a long exit from the house: before going to the theater or circus, shopping or traveling by transport over long distances due to the diuretic effect of tea. Do not brew tea for a long time, otherwise not a single useful substance will reach the body, being destroyed under the action of boiling water. It is enough to infuse tea for 2-3 minutes and then cool slightly. Some experts advise giving tea to children only after the 2nd or 3rd repeated brewing. For a child, it is best to brew loose tea, as tea bags may contain sweeteners, dyes and flavors that are extremely undesirable for a child's body.

Coffee not for kids

The second most popular drink is coffee. Its rich aroma, rich taste and invigorating effect make many people drink 1 to 6 cups daily. Scientists still cannot come to a consensus about the benefits or harms of coffee. But, one way or another, parents are more wary of him than tea, and rightly so.

Coffee contains more than 2,000 different substances, of which less than half have been studied. A huge proportion of the total mass of coffee is caffeine, which was already mentioned above. However, unlike tea, the concentrations of caffeine present in coffee can be dangerous even for adults. Not to mention children in whom coffee, even the most diluted, can cause tantrums, insomnia, arrhythmias or heartburn and severe abdominal pain. .

But the greatest danger to a small organism is not caffeine, but a special substance - benzopyrene. Benzopyrene is a hydrocarbon found in crude oil, in the air near congested highways and at gas stations. Its content in coffee is low, although the above facts make one think about whether this drink should be excluded not only from the diet of children, but also to limit its use by adults? Moreover, its strongest carcinogenic potential (that is, the ability to cause the development of tumors) has long been proven. The main danger of benzopyrene is its proven effect on the development of leukemia, or blood cancer.

Of the positive components of coffee, only the content of some vitamins (A, D and P) and minerals (iodine, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese) can be named. Coffee is strictly contraindicated for children: the later they start drinking it in adolescence (after 13-14 years old) - the better. But the modern market presents a rich selection of special diet coffee (coffee drink) that does not contain caffeine. Such coffee is prepared on the basis of plants (rose hips, chicory, soybeans, etc.) and, in the absence of allergies to the constituent components, is absolutely safe for the health of the baby. Moreover, the herbs that make up such a "surrogate" coffee have a beneficial effect: they regulate the intestinal flora, normalize appetite, balance the nervous system (chicory), and also increase immunity (rosehip) and improve health. The coffee drink is recommended for children over 2 years of age. Preparing it is not difficult at all: pour "coffee" into a bowl of boiling water (100 ml), mix. Then turn off the stove and let it brew for 2-3 minutes. Strain the resulting broth through a fine strainer into a saucepan with hot milk, add a little sugar and bring to a boil. Add one tablespoon of coffee powder per serving.

Cocoa

For many readers, the taste of cocoa is one of the "tastes of childhood." And this is understandable: in almost all preschool and school institutions, cocoa is widely used as a drink. Let's see why. Unlike tea and coffee, cocoa contains very little caffeine, which, if properly prepared, will avoid adverse reactions. Another thing - theobromine, a substance similar in composition and action to caffeine and contained in cocoa in high concentrations, although not dangerous to health in general. It is because of theobromine that cocoa is not recommended for children under 3 years of age. Cocoa also contains more than 40 aromatic compounds that often cause allergic reactions in allergy-prone children. Of the especially useful substances found in cocoa:

• flavanol- an antioxidant that improves the condition of the capillaries and increases the efficiency of the brain;
• nutrient glycerides ( oleopalmitostearin, oleodistearin) and proteins, well digestible, involved in the construction of tissues.

Cocoa allowed from 2-3 years old , in an amount not exceeding 50 ml per day and 4 cups per week. To prepare 100 ml of cocoa, bring 100 ml of milk to a boil. Then, in a separate bowl, dilute half a dessert spoon of cocoa and half a dessert spoon of sugar with hot milk to form a slurry without lumps. Then bring to volume with boiled milk. Beginning from 6-7 years old a single volume of consumed drink can be increased to 100-120 ml. If suddenly you notice that the child has signs of allergy: spots on the skin, itching, redness of the eyelids - cancel cocoa and find out the possibilities of its further use from your doctor.