Beef, Rice, Spinach and Peas

Prep

Beef is an iron-rich first food. Cook it fully, then purée it smooth or finely shred it and moisten with breast milk, formula, broth, or a vegetable purée so it is soft and not dry. Pairing it with a vitamin-C food helps your baby absorb the iron.

Cut

Smooth purée or fine shreds, moistened.

Prep

Cook rice until soft and sticky and let it cool to warm. Serve it as a thick mash or mix it into a vegetable, meat, or fruit purée. Sticky or short-grain rice that clumps is easier for a baby to handle than loose dry grains.

Cut

Serve as a thick, sticky mash or blended into a purée. No cutting needed.

Prep

Cook spinach until soft and wilted, then chop it finely or puree it. It blends easily into other purees, mashed vegetables, yogurt, or well-cooked egg. Serve it folded into a carrier food rather than as loose leaves.

Cut

Finely chopped after cooking, or pureed and folded into another food.

Prep

Cook peas until very soft, then burst each one or mash to a thick purée. The small round, firm shape is the part to soften, so press every pea flat before serving. Skip salt.

Cut

Burst or flatten each pea, or serve as a smooth thick mash.