Red lentils, Butternut squash, Bell pepper and Bread
From 7 months · 4 foods
Ingredients
How to prepare each food
Red lentils
Rinse red lentils, then simmer until completely soft and falling apart. Mash into a smooth, thick purée or stir through a vegetable mash so the texture stays spoonable. Cook without added salt. Pairing lentils with a vitamin C food, like a little mashed tomato or pepper, helps the body absorb their iron.
Serve as a smooth mash or thick purée. No whole, intact lentils at this stage.
Butternut squash
Roast or steam until very soft, then mash smooth, or serve a finger-length soft spear to hold and gum. It should give easily when pressed.
Smooth mash, or a finger-length soft spear to hold in a fist.
Bell pepper
Raw bell pepper is firm and the skin is tough, so cook it until very soft for the first months. Roast or steam strips until a fork slides through with no resistance, then peel off the skin. Serve warm as finger-length pieces a hand can hold, or blend into a smooth purée. Remove the seeds and white core.
Soft-cooked finger-length strips, or smooth purée. Skin peeled off, seeds and core removed.
Raw bell pepper is firm and the skin can be tough, so it can be a choking risk in firm pieces. Cook it soft, or peel and finely chop or grate it, until your child chews well. Always remove the seeds and white core.
Bread
Lightly toast bread so it holds together, then cut it into finger-width strips your baby can grip. Toasting helps it firm up instead of turning gummy in the mouth. Most bread contains wheat, so introduce it on its own and watch for a reaction. Choose lower-salt bread when you can.
Finger-width strips of lightly toasted bread. Avoid soft, untoasted bread that can ball up into a gummy wad.
Soft, fresh bread can compress into a sticky wad that is hard to clear, and hard crusts can break off in firm pieces. Toast it lightly, cut it into strips or small pieces, add a thin moist spread, and always supervise eating.
Putting it together
Cook the red lentils with the butternut squash and bell pepper into a soft stew and serve with bread.
Sources
- Meal idea from NHS
- AAP - Starting Solid Foods (around 6 months)
- NHS - What to feed your baby from around 6 months
- USDA FoodData Central - Red lentils (nutrient data)
- USDA FoodData Central - Butternut squash (nutrient data)
- AAP - Choking prevention guidance for infants and toddlers
- CDC - Foods that are choking hazards for infants and toddlers
- USDA FoodData Central - Bell pepper (nutrient data)
- ESPGHAN 2017 - Complementary feeding position paper (gluten and allergen timing)
- AAP - Introducing common food allergens to your baby
- USDA FoodData Central - Bread (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.