Cod, Plantain, Tomato and Rice

Prep

Cook the cod all the way through until it flakes apart easily (never raw or seared). Remove every bone by running your fingers through the flesh, then flake it finely or stir it smooth into a purée. As a fish from the lower-mercury group, it suits routine meals about twice a week.

Cut

Pea-size flakes, checked by hand for bones, or a smooth purée.

Prep

Plantain is always cooked, never raw. Boil, steam, or roast a ripe plantain until very soft, then mash to a smooth purée or offer a finger-length piece soft enough to squish between two fingers. Skip salt and added sugar.

Cut

Smooth mash, or a soft finger-length piece that squishes easily.

Prep

Choose a ripe, soft tomato. Peel off the skin (it can bunch up and be hard to chew), scoop out the seedy core, and mash the flesh or stir it into a purée. If offering a piece to hold, give a soft finger-length strip of peeled flesh. Cherry and grape tomatoes are a round choking shape, so always quarter them lengthwise into small pieces and never serve them whole or halved.

Cut

Peeled, mashed, or a soft finger-length strip; quarter cherry/grape tomatoes lengthwise.

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.