Tortilla, Beef, Avocado and Tomato
From 6 months · 4 foods
Ingredients
How to prepare each food
Tortilla
A soft corn tortilla, warmed until pliable, is easy to handle at this stage. Tear off finger-length strips so a piece sticks out of the fist for self-feeding, or soften pieces in a little soup or sauce until they mash easily. Keep it plain, with no added salt. A flour tortilla contains wheat, so treat that version as a wheat food and offer it on its own first.
Finger-length strips, or pieces softened in soup or sauce.
Soft, pliable tortillas are low risk when warmed and torn or cut small. The risk is in the crisp forms: tortilla chips, hard taco shells, and tostadas are hard and brittle, and break into sharp pieces, so keep those off the menu for now. A whole or folded tortilla can also bunch up in the mouth, so offer small pieces and stay close while your little one eats.
Beef
Beef is an iron-rich first food. Cook it fully, then purée it smooth or finely shred it and moisten with breast milk, formula, broth, or a vegetable purée so it is soft and not dry. Pairing it with a vitamin-C food helps your baby absorb the iron.
Smooth purée or fine shreds, moistened.
Whole or large chunks of beef are firm and can be hard for a baby to chew and break down. Keep beef puréed, finely shredded, or in small soft pieces rather than firm cubes, and supervise while your baby eats.
Avocado
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.
Smooth or lightly mashed, or a thick finger-length wedge to self-feed.
Avocado is soft and low-risk, but a very ripe one is slippery and can be hard for little hands to hold. Mash it or coat pieces lightly to help with grip, and always keep portions soft enough to squish between two fingers.
Tomato
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.
Peeled, mashed, or a soft finger-length strip; quarter cherry/grape tomatoes lengthwise.
Cherry and grape tomatoes are a classic choking shape: whole or halved, they can block a small airway. Always quarter them lengthwise into small pieces, and keep doing so until about age 4. Peel and de-seed larger tomatoes, since the skin can bunch up while chewing.
Putting it together
Prepare each ingredient using the age guidance above, then serve them together.
Cook with Lumi
In the nappi app, Lumi joins you in the kitchen. Chat about any recipe: adapt it to what you have at home, swap an ingredient, or ask questions while you cook.
Chat with Lumi in the appSources8
- AAP - Starting Solid Foods (around 6 months)
- NHS - What to feed your baby from around 6 months
- USDA FoodData Central - Tortilla (nutrient data)
- USDA FoodData Central - Beef (nutrient data)
- USDA FoodData Central - Avocado (nutrient data)
- AAP - Choking prevention guidance for infants and toddlers
- CDC - Foods that are choking hazards for infants and toddlers
- USDA FoodData Central - Tomato (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.
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