Are you feeding your young child grains or beans? If so, first you should know that there is a large amount of evidence showing that you should AVOID feeding you infant under the age of 12 months ANY grains or beans. They are incredibly hard for babies to digest and it puts a lot of stress on their digestive system, leading to gas, bloating, constipation, reflux, and damage to their intestinal tract.
Furthermore, you should avoid giving your child gluten containing grains (wheat, rye, barley, spelt) until at least age 24 months.
All that being said, when you do feed your children beans and grains, it’s critical that you prepare them correctly by soaking them overnight. This will help prevent malabsorption and indigestion by neutralizing the phytic acid and anti-nutrients found in grains and beans. In addition, this preparation will help prevent flatulence, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, digestive disorders, and osteoporosis (phytic acid blocks absorption of calcium and minerals into the bones).
Here are some resources on WHY and HOW to soak and prepare
How to soak and prepare your beans and grains and 5 top questions answered:
http://nourishedkitchen.com/soaking-grains-nuts-legumes/
Time and Temperature for Soaking Various Beans
http://www.traditional-foods.com/soaking-beans/
Handy Chart for your Kitchen: Soaking Beans and Grains (time, temperature, neutralizers, technique)
http://www.cookingforwell-being.com/Chart.html
