Just as with fruit, the are presented vegetables will vary depending on the baby's development and abilities.
This could be:
- raw or cooked depending on the texture
- mashed
- in soup
- in cakes, muffins, flans, …
The carrot
This will be introduced to the baby from 6 months old in the form of steamed sticks.
At 6 months, babies usually have few or no teeth. Cooked foods should be very soft. When the baby brings the piece to their mouth, they will flatten it between their tongue and palate.
How can you tell if a piece of meat is cooked enough ?
Take the piece you just cooked, put it in your mouth between your tongue and your palate: if you can crush it against your palate, it is cooked properly.
Be careful not to overcook your sticks : these will need to be handled by the baby and if they are overcooked, they will crush directly in the baby's palm and quickly turn into a puree.
Once the discovery phaseis over, you can offer your baby carrots in other forms : patties, muffins, pre-filled spoonfuls of purée.
Some examples of presentations of raw vegetables
Carrot
Discovery phase:
- Well-cooked sticks
Development phase:
- Grated
- Small cooked pieces skewered on a fork
Zucchini
Discovery phase:
- Raw or cooked sticks
Development phase:
- Small pieces
Broccoli
Discovery phase:
- Well-cooked bouquet
Development phase:
- Small pieces
Mushroom
Discovery phase:
- Cut in half and cooked
Development phase:
- Cooked, skewered on a fork
- Raw, sliced
Pumpkin
Discovery phase:
- Melt-in-the-dark sticks
Development phase:
- Small pieces
Beet
Discovery phase:
- Melt-in-the-dark sticks
- Hummus pre-filled spoon
- On carrier
Development phase:
- Small pieces
- Raw and grated
Tomato
Discovery phase:
- Skinless district
Development phase:
- Small pieces
Cherry tomato
Discovery phase:
- Cut in half
Development phase:
- Cut into four
Lawyer
Discovery phase:
- Quartered, leaving some skin at the end for easier handling.
Guacamole
Development phase:
- Small pieces
Salad
Discovery phase:
- Soup, pancakes, blinis, … (Avoid raw)
Development phase:
- Avoid raw
Eggplant
Discovery phase:
- Spread
- Skinless, well-cooked slices
Development phase:
- Small pieces
