Roasted Veggie Sticks

How to prepare the vegetable for 6-8 months old: it is best to cut vegetables into a finger size stick (an adult pinky) approx 5-7cm long so baby can wrap his fist around the vegetable and hold onto it. From 8 months + babies start to develop their pincer grip, this is when you can start to offer smaller pieces for baby to practice using their fingers to pick up foods (but you can mix it up and still offer finger size sticks), so you can cut the vegetables up into approx 2cm cubes. Always ensure you watch your baby or toddler at all times when they are eating, especially if there is skin left on a vegetables for baby to hold as a handle/grip. Any hard vegetable that cannot be squished or mashed using thumb and index finger and tough hard skins should be avoided or use the techniques above to make vegetables a safer texture or size/shape for your baby. Remove skins as needed. Do note: raw carrot and raw celery may be a choking hazard for babies under 12 months. Each baby is different and develop chewing abilities at different ages. Parents need to gauge their babies ability with offering more raw textures. Do what you feel comfortable in offering to your baby. Eg. Some babies can eat thin sticks of raw carrot at 13 months, some later at 18 months. Feel free to make a batch and leave in a airtight container in the fridge for a few days (or freeze raw veg sticks for up to 3 months, ready to cook). To maximize absorption of Iron from the vegetables, try to offer a slice of fruit with your choice of vegetable/s as part of a meal (ie a slice of orange or peach is great to offer after baby has tried the veggie sticks). Fruits that are high in vitamin C include: Citrus fruits (ie orange), Peaches, Apples (soft apple is ok), Bananas, Berries, Tomatoes (ensure they are cut into big slices and cherry tomatoes in quarters), assist with the absorption of iron.

Great

% Daily Values based on a 2,000 calorie diet