12–18 months
Vegetable rice
Main mealPrep 10 minCook 28 minPortions: 3
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons of rice
- 1 small carrot
- 1 small courgette
- 300 ml water
Method
- Rinse the rice until the water runs clear.
- Peel the carrot and courgette and cut them into very small cubes.
- Cook everything in unsalted water until the rice grains are completely soft.
- Fluff lightly with a fork and serve once warm.
Texture
Soft grains of rice with very small cubes of vegetable, and no firm grain and no firm piece of carrot left.
Serving
Serve warm. Do not leave cooked rice standing — its storage rules are stricter than the other recipes.
Preparing for choking safety
Carrot is never given raw and must be cut very small and cooked soft. No firm grain of rice may remain. No stock cube is used.
Key nutrients
CarbohydrateVitamin A
Storage
Cooked rice has its own stricter rule: cool it within 1 hour, refrigerate it and eat it within 24 hours. Never reheat rice more than once; when you do reheat it, heat until steaming hot all the way through, then let it cool before serving. 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 every piece must be soft enough to squash with gums and cut to a safe size. 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 GP or health visitor before introducing new foods.
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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.