Tomato Cream Soup

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.

Stir a small drizzle of olive oil into a smooth purée or soft mash to add calories and richness. Use it as a cooking fat for vegetables or grains, or fold a little into the finished food just before serving.

Garlic adds depth to early meals without any salt. Finely mince or mash a small amount and cook it soft into purees, mashed vegetables, beans, or sauces. It is a seasoning rather than a finger food, so a little stirred through a dish is all a baby needs. Skip raw garlic and whole cloves at this stage.

Onion is usually a flavor base rather than a food on its own at this age. Cook it down until very soft and blend it into purées, mashes, or sauces. Raw onion is sharp and firm, so keep it out for now.

Potato is always cooked, never raw. Boil, steam, bake, or roast until very soft, then mash to a smooth purée or offer a finger-length soft-cooked wedge. A little breast milk, formula, or water loosens a stiff mash. Skip salt.

Cook chicken fully, then purée smooth or finely shred and moisten with breast milk, formula, broth, or a vegetable purée so it isn't dry. Pairing it with a vitamin-C food can help the body use its iron. As an iron-rich first food, it's a good early option.