Nanabai-gayu (7-to-1 Rice Porridge)
７倍がゆ · Nanabai-gayu
By Aoi, licensed nutritionist · From a Japanese preschool lunch menu
Nanabai-gayu, literally "7-times porridge," is rice simmered slowly in seven times its volume of water until the grains are soft and the porridge is thick and soothing. In Japan it is the classic base for the middle stage of weaning (around 7 to 8 months), sitting between the thinner 10-to-1 porridge that babies start with and the thicker 5-to-1 porridge that comes next. It is just rice and water, so it is naturally free of egg, milk and wheat, and the mild, slightly sweet taste of the rice is easy for little ones to accept. Cooking it gently over low heat is the key: the rice swells and softens without scorching the bottom of the pot.
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Ingredients
Amounts for 1 child (1 serving). An adult counts as 2 servings.
One serving here is 1.5× the portion served to a child in a Japanese preschool, sized for Western appetites. An adult counts as two servings. Tap an ingredient to check it off.
Ingredients
- 22.5 griceJapanese short-grain white rice (japonica), which cooks up soft and slightly sticky. The amount listed is for uncooked rice. Substitute: Sushi rice, or another short-grain or medium-grain rice such as Calrose.
Seasonings
- 150 gwater
About the Japanese ingredients in this recipe
- rice (米)
- Japanese short-grain white rice (japonica), which cooks up soft and slightly sticky. The amount listed is for uncooked rice. Substitute: Sushi rice, or another short-grain or medium-grain rice such as Calrose.
Directions
- 1
Put the rice and water in a pot and cook slowly over low heat.
Nutrition
| Per | 1 serving | 1 adult serving | Your total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Energy | 76.5 kcal | 153 kcal | 76.5 kcal |
| Protein | 1.4 g | 2.7 g | 1.4 g |
| Fat | 0.2 g | 0.3 g | 0.2 g |
| Carbohydrates | 17.4 g | 34.8 g | 17.4 g |
| Fiber | 0.2 g | 0.3 g | 0.2 g |
| Salt equivalent | 0 g | 0 g | 0 g |
| Calcium | 1.5 mg | 3 mg | 1.5 mg |
| Iron | 0.2 mg | 0.3 mg | 0.2 mg |
| Potassium | 19.5 mg | 39 mg | 19.5 mg |
| Energy | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | Salt equiv. | Calcium | Iron | Potassium | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 serving | 76.5 kcal | 1.4 g | 0.2 g | 17.4 g | 0.2 g | 0 g | 1.5 mg | 0.2 mg | 19.5 mg |
| 1 adult serving | 153 kcal | 2.7 g | 0.3 g | 34.8 g | 0.3 g | 0 g | 3 mg | 0.3 mg | 39 mg |
Values are per serving (1.5× the Japanese preschool portion); an adult serving is double. They were calculated by a licensed Japanese nutritionist using the Standard Tables of Food Composition in Japan. "Salt equivalent" is sodium × 2.54, the standard Japanese measure. Allergen flags cover egg, milk and wheat only and come from the nutritionist's records. Soy sauce and miso are made with wheat but are usually allowed on Japanese wheat-free school menus, so check with your doctor.
