Simple baby food recipes and first-food prep

First foods

Try a large ripe wedge for BLW or mash with breast milk/formula for spoon feeding.

First foods

Serve ripe banana spears rolled in finely ground oats for better grip.

Allergen

Start with a tiny amount of fully cooked egg earlier in the day and watch for symptoms.

Allergen

Use a small thinned amount and keep the texture loose enough to drip from a spoon.

Dairy

Choose plain unsweetened pasteurized yogurt and skip honey or sweetened varieties.

Dairy

Offer a small amount of pasteurized cheese with a soft food, and keep high-salt portions occasional.

Grain

Cook until soft and thin with breast milk, formula, or water to the texture baby can manage.

Grain

Cook until soft, add moisture, and pair with iron-rich foods such as beans, meat, or lentils.

Grain

Cook past al dente until soft, toss with a smooth sauce, and avoid salty packaged sauces.

Fruit

Steam peeled apple slices until they squish easily between fingers, then cool before serving.

Fruit

Choose a very ripe pear or steam until soft, then serve in a large manageable piece or mash.

Vegetable

Steam until very soft, cool, and offer a floret large enough for baby to hold.

Fruit

Choose very ripe mango, remove peel and pit, and serve as a large soft spear or mash.

Fruit

Use ripe soft berries, remove the stem, and mash or slice lengthwise before serving.

Choking risk

Flatten ripe berries with your fingers or the back of a fork before offering.

Fruit

Choose ripe soft tomato, cut small tomatoes lengthwise into quarters, and serve plain without added salt.

Fruit

Use ripe seedless flesh, remove rind, and keep the piece large enough for baby to hold safely.

Vegetable

Steam or roast until carrot squishes easily between fingers, then cool before serving.

Vegetable

Use a peeled spear that baby can hold, and switch to cooked soft vegetables if baby bites off chunks.

Vegetable

Cook until soft, mash with a little moisture, and serve on a preloaded spoon.

First foods

Roast or steam until very soft, remove tough skin, and cool before serving.

First foods

Roast or steam until easily squished between fingers, then cool before serving.

Protein

Cook thoroughly, remove bones and tough skin, shred finely, and mix with a moist food.

Iron-rich protein

Cook safely, mince or shred very finely, and add moisture so pieces do not clump.

Fish

Serve fully cooked salmon, remove every bone, and keep the texture moist.

Allergen

Start with plain soft tofu in a small amount, served earlier in the day while baby is well.

Iron-rich protein

Cook until very soft, mash lightly, and pair with a vitamin C food such as soft fruit or vegetables.

Iron-rich protein

Cook until very soft, mash with liquid, and skip added salt in canned or packaged beans.

Grain

Rinse if needed, cook until soft, and mix with moisture before serving.

Allergen

Choose a low-sodium bread when possible, toast lightly, and cut into easy-to-hold strips.

Allergen

Make a simple low-salt, no-honey pancake and serve plain soft strips.

Fish

Choose a lower-mercury option, cook safely, check for bones, and serve a small moist amount.

Allergen

Serve a tiny amount of fully cooked, finely minced shrimp earlier in the day while baby is well.

Choking risk

Choose mashed berries or soft fruit puree for early feeding.

Avoid

Use mashed fruit for sweetness instead.

Choking risk

For peanut exposure, use smooth peanut butter thinned into another food instead of whole nuts.

Choking risk

Choose a softer, less processed protein such as shredded chicken, lentils, tofu, or beans.

Choking risk

Choose soft cooked grains such as oatmeal, rice porridge, or very soft pasta instead.

Avoid as drink

Use breast milk or infant formula as the main milk drink before 12 months.

Avoid as drink

Use mashed or pureed whole fruit for flavor instead of juice during the first year.