Salmon Bowl

Cook salmon through until it flakes easily and is opaque throughout, never raw or seared. Run your fingers through it to remove every pin bone and the skin, then flake it finely or mash it into a smooth purée. Mix with breast milk, formula, or a vegetable purée to loosen the texture. As a Big-9 allergen, introduce it on its own and wait a few days before adding another new food. Choose salmon (a low-mercury fish) and skip the highest-mercury fish entirely. Add no salt.

A ripe avocado is one of the easiest first foods. Peel it, remove the pit, and mash the soft flesh smooth, or leave it slightly lumpy as your baby gets used to texture. You can also offer a thick finger-length wedge to hold and gnaw on. It is naturally soft and squishes easily between two fingers.

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.

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.

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.