Pasta, Tuna, Peas and Tomato

Cook pasta until very soft, well past al dente, and serve plain or with a smooth, low-salt sauce. Larger soft shapes like penne or fusilli are easy to grab; you can also mash it. Wheat pasta is a common allergen, so offer it on its own first. Enriched pasta adds iron and folate.

Cook tuna through until it flakes apart and is no longer translucent, or use canned tuna packed in water, drained. Flake it finely and remove any bones, then mash into a smooth purée or mix into another mashed food so it holds together. Choose canned light tuna, which is lower in mercury, and keep portions small. Serve plain with no added salt. Introduce it on its own as one of the early fish, then wait a few days before adding another new food so any reaction is easy to spot.

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.

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.