Chicken, Couscous, Carrot and Zucchini
From 6 months · 4 foods
Ingredients
How to prepare each food
Chicken
Cook chicken fully, then purée smooth or finely shred and moisten with breast milk, formula, broth, or a vegetable purée so it isn't dry. Pairing it with a vitamin-C food can help the body use its iron. As an iron-rich first food, it's a good early option.
Smooth purée, or fine moist shreds.
Couscous
Couscous is made from wheat. Cook it until very soft, then mash or blend it with vegetable or fruit purée, broth, or a little breast milk or formula into a smooth, moist mixture. Serve it soft and moist rather than dry and loose, and add no salt or sugar.
Smooth, moist mash. Never serve dry, loose grains.
Couscous grains are small, dry, and loose, so they can scatter and be inhaled. Always serve it moist and bound together with a purée, sauce, or other soft food rather than as dry, separate grains.
Carrot
Cook carrots until very soft, so a fork slides through with no resistance. Steam, boil, or roast, then serve as a smooth purée or a soft mash. For self-feeding, offer soft-cooked finger-length batons. Raw carrot belongs only as fine shreds. Skip added salt.
Soft-cooked finger-length batons (about thumb-width) for grasping, or smooth purée/mash. Raw carrot only as fine shreds. Press-test every piece: it should squish easily between two fingers.
Raw carrot is one of the top choking hazards for young children: it is hard, firm, and breaks into round, airway-sized pieces. Always cook it until soft enough to squish between two fingers, or grate it finely. Avoid raw carrot coins, rounds, sticks, and chunks until around age 4, when chewing is reliable.
Zucchini
Steam or roast the zucchini until soft, served warm. Offer it as a finger-length spear the baby can hold, or mash it smooth. The skin can be a little chewy early on, so peel it or cook until very tender.
Soft finger-length spear, or smooth mash. Peel if the skin is firm.
Putting it together
Prepare each ingredient using the age guidance above, then serve them together.
Cook with Lumi
In the nappi app, Lumi joins you in the kitchen. Chat about any recipe: adapt it to what you have at home, swap an ingredient, or ask questions while you cook.
Chat with Lumi in the appSources10
- AAP - Starting Solid Foods (around 6 months)
- NHS - What to feed your baby from around 6 months
- USDA FoodData Central - Chicken (nutrient data)
- AAP - Choking prevention guidance for infants and toddlers
- CDC - Foods that are choking hazards for infants and toddlers
- ESPGHAN 2017 - Complementary feeding position paper (gluten and allergen timing)
- AAP - Introducing common food allergens to your baby
- USDA FoodData Central - Couscous (nutrient data)
- USDA FoodData Central - Carrot (nutrient data)
- USDA FoodData Central - Zucchini (nutrient data)
General informational content, not medical advice. Always consult your pediatrician about introducing new foods, especially if your baby has any medical conditions or family history of allergies.
See this meal for your baby's age
Get prep for your baby's exact age, track what you've introduced, and plan the week. Free to try.