Quinoa, Black beans, Corn and Tomato
From 6 months · 4 foods
Ingredients
How to prepare each food
Quinoa
Cook quinoa until soft and let it cool to warm. Serve it as a thick mash, or stir cooked quinoa into a vegetable or fruit purée so it holds together on a spoon. It mixes well with iron-rich foods.
Serve as a thick mash or blended into a purée. No cutting needed.
Black beans
Cook black beans until very soft, then mash or flatten each one well, or blend into a smooth spread (a no-salt hummus-style mash). Never offer a whole, intact bean at this stage. Skip added salt.
Mash or flatten every bean, or a smooth spread.
A whole, round bean is a choking shape. Mash or flatten each one until the airway-blocking shape is gone, and keep flattening round beans through the toddler years.
Corn
Cook corn until soft, then purée the kernels smooth, or mash them well. A smooth corn purée can be mixed into other vegetables or grains.
A smooth purée or a thorough mash, never whole kernels.
Whole corn kernels are round and firm and can be inhaled, so they are a choking hazard for babies and young children. Purée, mash, or finely chop the kernels rather than serving them whole, and skip corn on the cob, where kernels come off whole.
Tomato
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.
Peeled, mashed, or a soft finger-length strip; quarter cherry/grape tomatoes lengthwise.
Cherry and grape tomatoes are a classic choking shape: whole or halved, they can block a small airway. Always quarter them lengthwise into small pieces, and keep doing so until about age 4. Peel and de-seed larger tomatoes, since the skin can bunch up while chewing.
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 appSources8
- AAP - Starting Solid Foods (around 6 months)
- NHS - What to feed your baby from around 6 months
- USDA FoodData Central - Quinoa (nutrient data)
- AAP - Choking prevention guidance for infants and toddlers
- CDC - Foods that are choking hazards for infants and toddlers
- USDA FoodData Central - Black beans (nutrient data)
- USDA FoodData Central - Corn (nutrient data)
- USDA FoodData Central - Tomato (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.
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