11 Foods You SHOULD Feed Your Baby Before They Turn One

9. Lentils & Beans

Beans and lentils might not be your first choice for food, particularly for babies, but they’re actually a great source of protein, iron, zinc, folate and manganese. These can benefit everyone, but particularly your little one. In order to make the beans baby friendly, soak them for a few hours (or overnight), drain, rinse, and cook until they’re very soft. They can then be pureed for younger babies, with more texture being added as they grow.

10. Peanuts & Nut Butters

This is sure to raise a few eyebrows, and feeding your child any kind of nut should certainly be closely monitored by your doctor at first. However, recent studies have shown that introducing babies to nuts at an early age might actually prevent allergies. Never give your small baby whole nuts, always spread the nut butter on some kind of finger food, or stir into puree. Nuts are packed with beneficial vitamins and minerals, so don’t ignore them if you don’t have to!

11. Beef

Beef is definitely not a food that people associate with being baby friendly, but it’s rich in iron and zinc, which makes it a smart choice. For younger babies, steam or simmer beef and then puree it with water or breastmilk until it is the right consistency. You could also mix it with vegetables. For best results, combine it with foods that are high in vitamin C to help the iron be absorbed.

What did you feed your baby before they turned one?