| Age | Can they have it? | How to serve it |
|---|---|---|
| 4 months | Wait | Not yet — see above. |
| 6 months | Yes | Cooked until soft enough to mash with a fork, then mashed, pureed or strained until very smooth. |
| 9 months | Yes | Cooked soft and finely chopped or mashed — thicker and lumpier as your baby handles it. |
| 12 months | Yes | Cooked soft and cut into small pieces no larger than half an inch. |
| 18 months | Yes | Cooked soft and cut into small pieces no larger than half an inch. |
| 2 years | Yes | Cooked soft and cut into small pieces no larger than half an inch. |
Cut food for infants and young children into pieces no larger than one-half inch. Cut cylindrical foods (hot dogs, sausage, string cheese) into short thin strips — round pieces can get stuck in the airway. Cut small spherical foods (grapes, cherries, berries, tomatoes) into small pieces. Cook hard vegetables and fruit until they mash easily. Remove seeds, hard pits, skin and bones.
Lentils are not on the AAP or CDC choking-hazard lists. That is not the same as no risk: any food can choke a baby if the piece is too big or the wrong shape. Cut it to no larger than half an inch, keep your baby sitting up in a high chair, keep mealtimes calm, and watch them the whole time they are eating.
Lentils are not one of the common allergens. Introduce it on its own anyway and wait 3 to 5 days before the next new food, so if your baby does react to something you know what it was.
Watch for diarrhea, rash, vomiting or hives after a new food. Call 911 for trouble breathing or swelling of the face, lips or tongue.
The CDC names lentils among the vegetables to offer from around 6 months. Cook until they collapse; no added salt.
Nothing here changes the answer above. A soft-tipped spoon and a catch-all bib are the two things that actually get used at this stage.
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Affiliate link — we may earn a commission at no cost to you. It never appears on a “not yet” answer, on an allergen, or on a choking hazard, and it never changes an answer.
Yes, from about 6 months, once your baby has started solids — served in the right form for their age. The CDC names lentils among the vegetables to offer from around 6 months. Cook until they collapse; no added salt.
From 6 months: Cooked until soft enough to mash with a fork, then mashed, pureed or strained until very smooth. From 8 months: Cooked soft and finely chopped or mashed — thicker and lumpier as your baby handles it. From 12 months: Cooked soft and cut into small pieces no larger than half an inch. Cut food for infants and young children into pieces no larger than one-half inch. Cut cylindrical foods (hot dogs, sausage, string cheese) into short thin strips — round pieces can get stuck in the airway. Cut small spherical foods (grapes, cherries, berries, tomatoes) into small pieces. Cook hard vegetables and fruit until they mash easily. Remove seeds, hard pits, skin and bones.
Lentils are not on the AAP or CDC choking-hazard lists, but any food can choke a baby if the piece is too big. Cut it to no larger than half an inch, keep your baby sitting up while they eat, and watch them the whole time.
Watch for diarrhea, rash, vomiting or hives after a new food. Call 911 for trouble breathing or swelling of the face, lips or tongue. Offer one single-ingredient new food at a time and wait 3 to 5 days before the next one, so a reaction is easy to trace. Call 911 for trouble breathing or swelling of the face, lips or tongue.