How to make baby food from oatmeal in emergencies.
災害時に離乳食としてのオートミールの使い方
How can I give my baby oatmeal in emergencies??
I have never made baby food by myself. Oatmeal, you say? Hmm, maybe I can…
Just oatmeal?? In an emergency?? Is it enough??
Parents need to know that it will be hard to get baby food in an emergency, like after a major natural disaster. You might have to make baby foods by yourself from whatever food you can find. Rice and oatmeal are very common foods, and will likely be easy to find. They both make great baby food.
Oatmeal has a slightly sweeter taste than rice has. Rice gives you energy, but oatmeal has more is more nutritious. In addition to fiber and protein, oatmeal is packed with vitamins (B and E) and minerals (manganese, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, and zinc). Alternating between feeding your children rice and oatmeal is a good idea, even when it’s not an emergency.
This post follows up on my previous post, #108, about rice.
If you haven’t read it yet, please check it out.
In Japan, when I was growing up,
oatmeal was not commonly used as baby food, but nowadays it’s a daily staple.
I still have a lot to learn about oatmeal.
Which type of oatmeal ?
★ About oats.
Many types of oats are simply processed versions of whole oats. A whole oat is a seed with three main layers: the endosperm, the cereal germ, and the bran. The different layers contain different nutrients, and it is best to consume the oat as a whole. The more we process and refine the oat, i.e. the more we cut away, the less nutritional value we get.
★ Here are the types of oats you might get in an emergency.
Oat groats
Oat groats are the most complete form readily available in stores, with the inedible hull removed. They have the longest cooking time (approx. 1 hour, on the stove top). And it is the most fun to say. “Oat groat.”
Steel cut oats (Irish Oatmeal / Pinhead)
Steel cut oats are oat groats cut into several pieces, and except for full groats, are the least processed. They take a long-ish time to cook (approx. 20 mins, on the stove top).
Scottish oatmeal
Scottish oats are stone ground into a coarse meal of irregularly broken bits, a method that originated in Scotland centuries ago. (Cooks in approx. 10 mins, on the stove top.)
Oat bran
Oat bran is made from only the outer layer of the oat groat, so bran is not a “whole grain.” The bran is typically ground into a coarse meal. (Approx, 2 mins on the stove top.)
Old fashioned oats (rolled oats)
Rolled oats are oat groats (whole oats) that are steamed, flattened and dried, but they are still a whole oat. The steaming process partially cooks the oat and reduces the amount of time needed to cook them (approximately 10 mins, on the stove).
Quick oats
Quick oats are oat groats that are steamed, flattened, and then dried, like old fashioned oats, but they are rolled thinner than old fashioned oats. (Approx. 5 mins, on the stove top.)
Instant oatmeal
Instant oatmeal is the most processed of all the different types. They are steamed longer, and rolled even thinner than quick oats. Add boiling water, stir, and in 1 minute they are ready to eat.
Oat flour
Oat flour is simply whole oats ground into a fine powder. Oat flour is often used for baking and as a thickener.
★ Difference between short-term and long-term emergencies
In a short-term emergency, you will be able to get quick oats and instant oatmeal from relief supplies. And if you are in a long-term emergency, you’ll probably get whole oats or groats. In a long-term crisis, you may even grow your own oats (Avena sativa).
Short or long term emergency?
What you have to know before setting up your emergency food stockpile #15.
Please check out this web site for information on how to grow oats:
UC DAVIS Agriculture & Natural Resources program.
How to make baby food from oatmeal
Under normal circumstances, this is how you would prepare oatmeal as baby food: Bring water to boil in a saucepan. Add the oatmeal while stirring constantly. Simmer for 10 minutes, whisking constantly. Let cool and serve at room temperature.
But in an emergency, or after a major disaster, the steps necessary to prepare oatmeal baby food may be very different. You might have limited tools, and you might need to improvise. It’s more difficult, for example, to make oatmeal with room temperature water, but it is not impossible. If you’re lucky, you’ll be able to get instant oatmeal. Otherwise, you’ll need to grind your own oatmeal as small as possible, for your small children.
To make our oatmeal, we might have to find a flat rock and a smaller round rock to use for crushing our oats.
La Purisima Mission State Historic Park, in California
1. Grind your oats
I use a Japanese mortar (Suribachi) and pestle (Surikogi). Grind your oat to adequate size for your baby.
Oh my! I ground it too much! Now it’s flour.
2. Add water (room temperature, if necessary)
If you can make boiled water, great! But if not, use room temperature water.
Think about it.
How many minutes do you need to make a fire and boil water?
It might actually be faster to make oatmeal using room temperature water.
It really depends on the situation and the type of oatmeal.
The easy measurement is 1:1 (oatmeal : water)
Add water to the oatmeal
30 minutes later
Ground quick oats are ready to eat!
How about quick oatmeal? Those need to maybe wait a bit more.
One hour later
Cut and smash the quick oatmeal with a spoon to make the texture soft and smooth.
Quick oatmeal and ground quick oatmeal are ready to eat!!
If you add one more tablespoon of water (double the amount), they become like this.
You can add some chopped or ground vegetables or fruits to the oatmeal.
Try to give your children food grown locally, from your area, as much as possible.
This is ancient Japanese wisdom:
「三里四方の野菜を食べろ」(Sanri shiho no yasai wo tabero.)
Eat vegetables grown within a 12 km radius of your home, to stay healthy.
Remember
Grinding, crushing and warming up food requires knowledge and special tools. If you have time, practice making oatmeal, without electricity.
I talked about rice in my previous post. Oats are like rice in that, in a long-term emergency, you might need to start growing your own oats before you run out. Your survival may depend on it.
💡
How much water/liquid and how much grinding/smashing are key points when making baby meals.
Simple is the best! You don’t always need to add something to your baby’s food. It’s OK to feed them just simple rice or oatmeal. Mixing in flavors and adding sweeteners can actually skew your baby’s sense of taste. Let your children learn to appreciate the natural flavors of each food.
Simplicity is important in emergencies, because resources will be limited. Be prepared to simplify your life.
See you next time.
Remember, “Protect your life by yourself” （自分の命は自分で守る). You need to survive first, and then you need your emergency supply. No matter how well you prepared your emergency supplies, if you die, then all of your preparations will have been for nothing. First and foremost, keep your health up all the time. Build your stamina so that if you need to, you can evacuate as quickly as possible. Stay healthy.
