At what age can cocoa be given to a child?

For many adults, cocoa is associated with childhood, mother's care and warmth. And it is not surprising that mom wants to treat a growing child with such a delicious drink. In order for the baby to receive only pleasant emotions and benefits from him, you should know from how many months it is allowed to try such a drink, what is the benefit and harm, and also how to cook it for the child.

What is cocoa

The drink called "cocoa" is made from the fruit of the evergreen tree of the same name. It was first brewed by the ancient Aztecs, calling it "bitter water". When the fruits hit Europe, the drink from them was brewed only for royalty. Only in the 18th century ordinary people began to drink it. Now the beans for the manufacture of cocoa powder are grown mainly in Africa, and the drink is distributed throughout the world.

What is useful

The child will receive valuable proteins, fiber, phosphorus, zinc, calcium, vitamin B9, iron and other substances.
Stimulates the synthesis of endorphins, thanks to which cocoa improves mood.
Rich in polyunsaturated fats, which are important for the formation of cell membranes. These fatty acids reduce the level of bad cholesterol.
It attracts with its pleasant chocolate taste and perfectly satisfies hunger. It is useful to give it to thin children.
Theobromine in the composition is able to slightly inhibit the cough reflex, therefore, the drink is recommended for dry coughs that torment the child.
If the baby refuses milk, then cocoa will help get out of this situation without conflicts, after all, a recipe for milk is usually used for its preparation.
The biologically active compounds that it contains have a positive effect on mental activity. Drinking cocoa in the morning will improve the student's performance and relieve stress from exertion during lessons.
It has the ability to accelerate the recovery processes in the muscles after exercise, therefore, this drink is recommended for children attending sports clubs.

Harm and contraindications

Allergies may occur therefore, with a tendency to allergic reactions, acquaintance with such a drink is postponed to a later age (at least up to 3 years). A negative reaction is manifested by spots on the skin, an itchy rash, inflammation of the eyelids, and other symptoms. If they appear, you should immediately cancel the drink and consult a doctor.
Serves as a source of caffeine and theobromine, whose properties are similar. Excessive amounts of these compounds increase the activity of the child and excite the nervous system. For this reason, cocoa should be discarded with hyperactivity, as well as babies with a choleric temperament.
Drinking cocoa at night can prevent your child from falling asleep.
The preparation of the drink involves the addition of milk and sugar, so the cocoa turns out to be quite high in calories. This leads to the limitation of its use in overweight children.
If you give it to a child before meals, the baby may refuse food, as the drink is quite satisfying.
It is contraindicated in children with impaired kidney function and problems with the exchange of purines.
Too frequent use can provoke constipation.
The drink may cause the appearance migraine.

How old should you give to children?

Doctors do not advise giving cocoa to a one-year-old child, but recommend trying such a drink for the first time only from 2 years old. Unwanted use at 1 year is associated with an increased risk of allergies. In addition, excess sugar and increased activity for such a small child is also not necessary. That is why the first cup should be offered to a two-year-old toddler or an older child.

The first serving should be a small amount of the drink - just a few spoons. So the mother will be able to understand whether the child tolerates cocoa well or whether the acquaintance should be postponed until the age of 3-5 years. If after the morning portion of the drink in the evening the child does not have a rash on the skin and other signs of allergies, the next time the volume of the product can be doubled. The portion is increased gradually and very carefully up to the age norm.

How much can a child drink?

At the age of 2 to 5 years, the optimal portion of cocoa per day is considered 50 ml, and the frequency of drinking the drink should not exceed 4 times a week. It is best to serve cocoa to children for breakfast. Let such a sweet drink at preschool age be a rare delicacy, and from the age of 6 you can drink it more often (even every day). A schoolchild under 10 years old can drink 100 ml at a time, and at an older age, the portion can be increased to 150-250 ml.

Komarovsky's opinion

Komarovsky calls cocoa a useful drink for a child, but at the same time emphasizes the attention of parents that it acts as a source of energy. According to the popular doctor, there will be no harm from one cup of cocoa per day, but the mother should remember that cocoa will increase the activity of the baby, so you should not drink this drink at night.

A short commentary by the doctor in the following video.

How to choose

When buying cocoa powder for baby food, read the label carefully and look for the expiration date. The composition of the product will help you to tell which drink is better - it should not contain preservatives, flavors and dyes.

There are cocoa drinks in stores, one of which is Nesquik. But, despite active advertising, they are inferior in usefulness to ordinary cocoa powder. For this reason, buy only a natural product for small children.

After opening the package, make sure that the powder is homogeneous, consists of small particles and has a rich chocolate color. It is better to get rid of gray or whitish cocoa powder, as it is spoiled. Store it in a dry place in a tightly closed container.

How to cook

For a delicious drink, add 1.5 teaspoons of cocoa powder to a saucepan. Add the same amount of sugar and stir well to avoid lumps. Pour in 100 ml of hot water and, heating over moderate heat with constant stirring, wait until it boils, then pour in 150 ml of milk (it must be preheated).

Reduce heat and continue to heat the beverage by removing it from the stove before the cocoa boils. Take a whisk and whisk the drink 15 seconds until foam appears. This will mix the ingredients more thoroughly and prevent the formation of a film (many children refuse such a drink because of it).

The proportion of sugar and cocoa powder can be adjusted to suit your child's preferences. Someone tastes a sweeter drink, and someone loves a more chocolate one. If the cocoa will be served with a cookie or other sweet product, the amount of sugar in the recipe should be reduced. You can diversify the recipe by adding vanilla, cinnamon, condensed milk, baked milk or cream during cooking.

A preschool child can drink it both warm and chilled. Some babies love to feast on them through a cocktail straw.

For older kids, you can make a dessert by pouring a ball of ice cream with cold cocoa and garnishing it with whipped cream and chocolate chips.

During the cold season, schoolchildren can be offered a cocktail rich in vitamin C, for the preparation of which you need to combine with a blender 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder, a glass of milk and 3 tablespoons of rosehip syrup. You can also add any berries or fruits to your taste.

Cocoa or hot chocolate

When a child tasted cocoa and fell in love with this drink, many mothers have an idea to make hot chocolate from natural chocolate and cream for the baby, however, this delicacy is less preferable for a children's menu, since the drink is very fatty, thick and high in calories. It should be included in the children's menu no earlier than 10 years.

If we are talking about instant hot chocolate, which is bought in a supermarket, acquaintance with such a drink is generally useless for children. It is good if it happens as late as possible, because the composition of such a product includes many stabilizers, flavors, emulsifiers and other additives. These substances are not useful even for adults, so children do not need such "hot chocolate" any more.