Red lentils, Tomato, Broccoli and Pasta

Prep

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.

Cut

Serve as a smooth mash or thick purée. No whole, intact lentils at this stage.

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

Steam, roast or boil broccoli until a fork slides through it easily, and serve it warm. A whole soft floret gives a handy stalk to hold while the bushy top is easy to gum. The florets should be fork-soft, not crisp. You can also mash or purée cooked broccoli.

Cut

Whole soft floret with a stalk to hold, or mashed/puréed.

Prep

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.

Cut

Serve large soft shapes whole for grabbing, or mash. Cut long pasta into short pieces so it does not dangle. Keep small shapes lightly mashed.