12–18 months
Green lentil and bulgur pilaf
Main mealPrep 18 minCook 45 minPortions: 4
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons of dried green lentils
- 4 tablespoons of fine bulgur wheat
- 1 small carrot
- Water
Method
- Sort through the lentils and rinse them.
- Follow the soaking and cooking instructions on the packet; throw the soaking water away if the packet asks you to cook them in fresh water.
- With no salt added, cook until they are completely soft and crush between your fingers; do not use a slow cooker in place of the soaking and boiling the packet requires.
- Add the rinsed bulgur and the finely chopped carrot.
- Cook, adding water as needed, until the bulgur has swollen and is completely soft.
- Fluff lightly with a fork; if you feel a firm lentil skin, mash it, then serve once warm.
Texture
Soft bulgur with softened lentils, and no firm bulgur grain and no firm lentil skin left.
Serving
Serve warm and let your child eat it with a spoon.
Preparing for choking safety
Undercooked or firm lentils are never served; dried pulses must be cooked as the packet instructs. Bulgur must swell and soften completely; no firm grain is left in it.
Key nutrients
ProteinIronFolateFibre
Storage
Cool within 1 to 2 hours of cooking, then refrigerate or freeze in small portions. Use a refrigerated portion within 2 days. Eat a defrosted portion within 24 hours. When reheating, heat until steaming hot all the way through, then let it cool before serving, and reheat any portion only once. Throw away a half-eaten portion rather than storing or reheating it.
Safety
Your child should be sitting upright and someone should stay with them while they eat. No salt or sugar is added to these recipes; honey is not given before one year. Their back teeth may not be through yet, so cut small round foods such as grapes and cherry tomatoes into quarters. Whole nuts and popcorn are never given. Children do not all manage the same texture at the same age — follow your child's pace rather than pushing. If your child has an allergy, eczema, or a family history of allergy, talk to your family doctor or paediatrician before introducing new foods. Introduce foods that can trigger an allergic reaction one at a time and in small amounts, so you can spot any reaction.
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Recipes are a suggestion; they do not replace breast milk, formula, or your child's own feeding plan. If there is an allergy or a specific dietary situation, speak with a health professional.