Rice, Chickpea, Peas and Carrot

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.

Prep

Cook chickpeas until fully soft, then mash or flatten them well. A smooth no-salt hummus-style mash works nicely, or stir the mash into other purées. Never offer a whole, intact chickpea at this stage.

Cut

Smooth mash, or each chickpea flattened.

Prep

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.

Cut

Burst or flatten each pea, or serve as a smooth thick mash.

Prep

Cook carrots until very soft, so a fork slides through with no resistance. Steam, boil, or roast, then serve as a smooth purée or a soft mash. For self-feeding, offer soft-cooked finger-length batons. Raw carrot belongs only as fine shreds. Skip added salt.

Cut

Soft-cooked finger-length batons (about thumb-width) for grasping, or smooth purée/mash. Raw carrot only as fine shreds. Press-test every piece: it should squish easily between two fingers.