Lentil Puree for Baby (Red Lentil & Carrot)
Red lentils cooked down with carrot into a smooth, iron-rich purée. Lentils collapse as they cook, so it blends easily.
Ingredients
Makes about 1½ cups
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Method
- 1
Put the lentils, carrot and water in a small pan and bring to a simmer.
- 2
Cook 18–20 minutes, stirring now and then, until the lentils have collapsed and the carrot is very soft. Add a splash of water if it gets dry.
- 3
Stir in the olive oil and blend until completely smooth, adding cooking water to loosen.
- 4
Cool to lukewarm before serving.
Serve it by age
6 months
Offer the smooth purée on a spoon. Serve with a vitamin C food, like a little mango purée, to help iron absorption.
7–8 months
Blend for only a few seconds, or mash, for a thicker texture with soft lumps.
9–12 months
Serve thick and lumpy, mixed with soft-cooked rice. Mix in rice just before serving; cool leftover rice quickly, refrigerate within 1 hour, use within 24 hours and reheat once until steaming.
12 months+
Thin with water into a soup and offer with toast fingers to dip.
health_and_safetyAllergens
The purée has none of the top 9 allergens. The 12 months+ toast fingers contain wheat.
sync_altSwaps
- swap_horizUse sweet potato or butternut squash instead of carrot.
kitchenStorage
Fridge 3 days. Freeze up to 3 months.
Safety reminders
- No added salt, sugar or honey before 12 months.
- At 6 months, blend until completely smooth with no lumps or skins; move on to thicker, lumpier textures over the next few weeks.
- Stay with your baby and keep them seated upright while eating.
- This recipe is general guidance for healthy, full-term babies and children. Ask your pediatrician first if your child was born early, has a medical condition, allergies or feeding difficulties (medical disclaimer).
