Easy Lentils For Baby
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Please read my disclosure.My lentils for baby is one of the easiest meals you can make for your little one. Combining lentils, rice, and veggies, this baby lentil recipe, known as “khichdi” in India, is a nutritious, one-pot meal. It’s healthy, flavorful, and easily adaptable to your baby’s age and dietary needs.
When it comes to making homemade baby food, simple vegetable or fruit purees are the most common recipes you’ll find. But my baby lentils are so much more than just a basic lentil baby puree and super easy to make.
This lentils baby food recipe combines simple ingredients with a touch of Indian spices to create a stew packed with protein and fiber. It’s a healthy and versatile recipe that, no matter how you make it, you’ll end up with a nutritious one-pot meal your little one will love. It was one of my kids’ favorite first recipes.
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🥣 When Can Babies Eat Lentils?
Every baby is unique, but in most cases, you may introduce lentils to your baby as young as 6 months, making it an excellent first food. I introduced lentils to both of my kids right around 6.5 months of age, after they had already tasted a few different fruits and veggies.
Lentils are easy for babies to digest and can be prepared as a puree for younger babies, which is how I served it to my kids when they were babies. As your baby grows and becomes more comfortable with different textures, you can gradually introduce mashed lentils and eventually whole lentils.
🌿 Are Lentils Good For Babies?
Lentils are one of the healthiest foods to give your baby. They are an excellent source of protein, which is vital for building and repairing tissues, and high in fiber, promoting healthy digestion. Lentils are also rich in iron, zinc, B-vitamins, folate/folic acid, and magnesium (source).
Babies begin to lose their iron stores around 6 months of age (source), so starting to make lentils for baby 7 months old and as young as 6 months is a great way to boost their iron levels. Breast milk alone may not contain enough iron for babies older than 6 months (source). It’s recommended to pair lentils with foods rich in vitamin C for the best absorption (source).
It’s also important to note that while lentils (like all legumes) do contain antinutrients like phytic acid and lectins that can interfere with nutrient absorption (source), many other foods do too. The good news is, cooking the lentils helps reduce the antinutrients significantly, and soaking the lentils before cooking them will help reduce the antinutrients even further (source). So as long as the lentils are well-cooked, you don’t need to worry!
👶 Do Lentils Cause Baby Gas or Constipation?
Yes, some types of lentils may cause gas in your baby when consumed in large quantities or with other gassy foods such as cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and Brussels sprouts (source). If your baby is prone to gas, consider adding vegetables such as carrots, green beans, or spinach instead. Both of my kids were prone to gas, so I always served them lentils alongside less gas-producing veggies (like spinach and carrots as I mentioned).
Lentils should not cause constipation in babies if they are introduced at 6 months of age or later. Be sure to give your baby a good amount of water during the day to balance out any high-fiber foods they’re eating to prevent constipation. I always served my kids a sippy cup of water whenever I gave them solids.
👩🏽🍳 Why I Love This Recipe
My lentil recipe for baby is a fantastic plant-based source of protein, vitamins, and minerals. It’s a gluten free one-pot healthy meal that is easy for babies to digest. You can feel good about feeding it to your little one.
Plus, you can make my easy lentil baby food in a crock pot, a pressure cooker, or let it simmer on the stove for hours.
There’s very little prep work and a lot of downtime with this recipe, which allowed me to get it cooking and then spend more time with my family (versus spending time stirring or watching the lentils on the stovetop).
Another thing I love about this lentil recipe for babies is that it can actually be served to older children and adults as well. Just increase the spices and don’t puree the stew.
I would often do this – I’d make a family-sized portion, I’d puree the version for my baby, and then my husband and I would increase the spices and eat the non-pureed version ourselves – it worked out great!
This is a baby food recipe I would make in bulk and freeze in ice cube trays, or store in the fridge for up to 5 days. This way, I always had a nutritious meal ready to go!
Latest Recipe Video!
🥘 Ingredients
You only need a few basic ingredients to make my lentil baby recipe, and you can find them all at your local grocery store. For the exact amounts and nutritional information, scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Yellow Or Red Lentils: I always use yellow or red lentils for baby food because they cook more quickly and have a softer texture. However, you can use any type of dried lentils you prefer (green lentils or brown lentils would also be fine); just keep in mind that the cooking time may vary.
White Basmati Rice: You can also use brown rice; however, white basmati rice breaks down more easily and is easier for baby to digest.
Mixed Veggies: I like to use a mix of frozen carrots, peas, and broccoli, adding about ½ a cup of each. However, you can also use sweet potatoes, cauliflower, butternut squash, or any other veggies you have on hand. Feel free to use any frozen or fresh vegetables you like.
Spices: My baby lentil recipe uses common spices from Indian cuisine like garam masala, cumin, coriander, and turmeric. For an additional layer of flavor, you can also add a pinch of mild curry powder.
🔪 How To Make Lentils For Baby
Learning how to prepare lentils for baby is a super simple 3 step process that anyone can master. Once everything is in the pot, your work is basically done!
Watch my video below to see how easily my lentils recipe for baby comes together.
Combine The Ingredients: First, I put the water, lentils, rice or quinoa, veggies, and spices into a large pot on the stove. Then I bring everything to a boil and turn the heat down to a simmer over low to medium heat.
Cook: Once the stew begins cooking, I let it simmer on low for 1-3 hours, stirring occasionally. You can also put all ingredients into a crock pot and cook on high for 4-6 hours.
Mash And Serve: When done, I mash the stew with a potato masher or I puree it with an immersion blender. If serving right away, I let the lentils cool a bit and serve them at room temperature.
Freeze And Store: If I’m making my baby lentil recipe for meal prep, after it cools I store it in the fridge for up to 5 days or I portion it out into ice cube trays and freeze it.
💭 Expert Tips
My #1 Secret Tip when learning how to cook lentils for baby is not to rush the cooking process. Allow the lentils and vegetables enough time to cook down until soft and mushy. This will take several hours on the stovetop, or in the crockpot.
Properly cooked lentils are crucial for nutrient absorption and to avoid any digestive discomfort. This also helps make it super easy to either blend or mash the lentils when you’re serving it to your baby.
Other Tips To Keep In Mind:
- Blend Or Mash: Depending on your baby’s age and chewing ability, you can use a potato masher or place the lentils in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. It should have the consistency of a hearty soup or stew.
- Customize The Spices: Feel free to adjust the spices to suit your little one. Just remember to avoid adding salt or sugar.
- Introduce Slowly: When introducing lentils baby food to your baby’s diet for the first time, start with small amounts to ensure they tolerate it well and watch for any signs of allergies or digestive discomfort.
- Pair With Vitamin C: To enhance iron absorption, pair my lentil baby food recipe with foods rich in vitamin C, like pureed sweet potatoes or carrots. Sometimes I would blend those foods right into the lentil mixture to save myself a step!
📖 Variations
Exploring different lentil baby food combinations is a great way to add variety and extra nutrients to your baby’s diet. You can easily take my lentils baby food recipe and create delicious variations that will keep your little one excited about eating. Here are some of my favorites:
Use Different Vegetables: I love using carrots, peas, and broccoli, but you can use any of your fresh or favorite frozen vegetables when making my baby lentil puree. Just be sure that they cook down enough.
Leave Out the Spices: If your baby is not yet used to spices, you can leave them out, or alter the spices to suit your baby’s preferences. When I first started serving this to my kids, I’d use only cumin and turmeric, and then add in the rest of the spices in small amounts each additional time I made it.
Add Breast Milk or Formula: When preparing lentils for baby, you can stir in some breast milk or organic baby formula. However, I do not recommend adding in breast milk or formula before freezing, as this can affect the texture and nutritional quality. Instead, mix it in just before serving.
Add Healthy Fats: Serve my baby lentil stew with a drizzle of olive oil, organic whole milk, plain yogurt, full fat coconut milk, ghee, or melted coconut oil on top!
🍽 Serving Suggestions
Deciding how to serve lentils to baby is just the beginning. While my recipe was designed as a baby food, it’s much more than a simple lentil puree for baby! You can also serve it to toddlers, older kids, and adults, making it a versatile meal for the whole family.
Young Babies: You can first start preparing lentils for baby 6 months and up. At this age, I suggest blending the stew into a smooth puree. You can also combine some of the lentils baby food with fruit purees like apple or baby pureed pears, which can be more appealing to some babies.
Older Babies: For slightly older babies who are ready for more texture, use the potato masher to create a chunkier mash. I did this when my kids were about 10 months old.
Toddlers: When making lentils for toddlers you’ve got options. You can add more water or low-sodium veggie broth and turn my baby lentil recipe into a soup. At this age, you can also add more spices and veggies if you like.
Older Kids and Adults: For family meals, you can leave it chunky, spice it up, and serve it with yogurt and a side of this vegan naan. I also will add chopped cilantro and diced onions as a topping!
Baby Led Weaning
Baby-led weaning (BLW) is a fun and engaging way to introduce your baby to solid foods by encouraging them to self-feed right from the start, usually around six months old. This method helps develop fine motor skills, promotes independence, and makes mealtime more enjoyable for both you and your little one.
Here are some baby led weaning ideas for my baby lentil recipe:
Lentil Patties: Cook the lentil stew until it thickens, then add some breadcrumbs and form small patties or fritters. Fry them lightly in a pan or bake them in the oven until they hold together. These patties are easy for babies to grasp and self-feed.
Lentil Fingers: Add some more cooked rice to the thickened lentil stew and shape it into finger-like sticks. Chill them in the fridge so they hold together, and then pan fry them so they become a little more firm, making them perfect for little hands to hold.
Lentil Dip: Blend the lentil stew to a smooth consistency and use it as a dip for soft vegetable sticks like steamed carrots, zucchini, or cucumber. This can introduce your baby to a variety of textures while still getting the nutrients from the lentils.
🧊 Storage Directions
Fridge: Once completely cool, I would store my lentils baby food in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. When ready, I’d either let it come to room temperature before serving, or I’d warm it gently in the microwave, give it a good stir, and test it to ensure it’s not too hot before serving.
Freezer: For longer storage, pour the puree into ice cube trays. I like to use the Mumi & Bubi Trays for storing. Then cover the trays with an airtight lid and place them in the freezer for up to 3 months. When ready to serve your baby, place a small cube in an airtight container in the refrigerator overnight to defrost, then warm on the stove or the microwave until it’s reached your desired temperature.
❓Recipe FAQs
Which lentils are best for baby?
Lentils come in a variety of types and colors, each with its own unique flavor, texture, and nutrient profile. When making lentils baby food, I find red lentils and yellow lentils to be the best.
They cook quickly, have a softer texture, and are easier for baby to eat. They also produce less gas, which is a big plus.
On the other hand, you can also make brown lentils or green lentils for baby but the cooking time will take longer. They hold their shape more, so you’ll need to mash them quite a bit to make them baby-friendly.
DO I NEED TO SOAK THE LENTILS?
Generally, you do not need to soak lentils before cooking them. Red and yellow lentils, in particular, cook quickly and do not require soaking. However, soaking other types of lentils can reduce cooking time and help make them easier to digest by breaking down some of the complex sugars that can cause gas.
WHAT DO I DO IF MY LENTILS ARE UNDERCOOKED?
If undercooked, I would just add more water or broth and continue cooking until the lentils reach the desired tenderness. Keep the heat at a simmer and check frequently, adding liquid as needed. It’s important to make sure you fully cook lentils for babies.
HOW DO I PREVENT THE LENTILS FROM STICKING TO THE POT?
To prevent lentils from sticking to the pot, I make sure to use enough water or broth during cooking. I’ll also stir the lentils occasionally to ensure even cooking and prevent them from settling at the bottom. Cooking lentils on a low to medium heat can also help prevent sticking.
WHY ARE MY LENTILS WATERY?
If your lentils are watery, it might be because you added too much liquid or didn’t cook them long enough for the excess liquid to evaporate. To fix this, you can continue simmering the lentils uncovered to allow the liquid to reduce. Alternatively, you can drain any excess liquid using a fine-mesh strainer.
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📋 Recipe Card
🎥 Watch How to Make It
Easy Lentils For Baby
My lentils for baby is one of the easiest meals you can make for your little one. Combining lentils, rice, and veggies, this baby lentil recipe, known as "khichdi" in India, is a nutritious, one-pot meal. It’s healthy, flavorful, and easily adaptable to your baby’s age and dietary needs.
Servings: 16 cups
Calories: 33.8kcal
Ingredients
- 2 cups dried lentils any lentil is fine, I’ve used red lentils, yellow split peas, and “moong dal” which you can get at the Indian store
- 1 cup brown basmati rice you can also use white basmati rice or quinoa
- 6 cups water depending on the type of lentils used, you may need more water than this. Add more water as needed if your mixture turns out too thick
- 10 cups frozen or fresh veggies I used 1 16oz bag of frozen broccoli, 1 16oz bag of frozen mixed vegetables (carrots, peas, green beans), and 1 8oz bag of frozen cauliflower
- 1 tsp ground cumin
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- ½ tsp garam masala
- 1 pinch salt
- whole milk organic yogurt optional, for serving
Instructions
- Put water, lentils, rice/qunioa, veggies, and spices into a large pot on the stove.
- Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and simmer 1-3 hours until it's the consistency you like, stirring occasionally. Add water as needed if you find the mixture is getting too thick.
- (Alternatively, put all ingredients into a crock pot and cook on high for 4-6 hours)
- Mash up, freeze in ice cube trays or store for 5 days in the fridge.
- Serve with whole milk organic yogurt.
Notes
Expert Tips
- Allow the lentils and vegetables enough time to cook down until soft and mushy. This will take several hours on the stovetop, or in the crockpot.
- Use a potato masher to puree the stew. Alternatively, you can place the lentils in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. It should have the consistency of a hearty soup or stew.
- Feel free to adjust the spices and consistency based on the age of your baby!
- This recipe makes 16 cups of food, which equals 256 tablespoons of food. Assuming your baby is eating about 4oz of food in each meal, this will make 64 meals for your little one!
Nutrition
Serving: 4tbsp | Calories: 33.8kcal | Carbohydrates: 6.3g | Protein: 2g | Sodium: 7mg | Potassium: 30mg | Fiber: 2.3g
Can we substitute long-grain white rice as well?
Yes you should be able to use white rice as a 1:1 substitution with no problems! 🙂
The recipe is so easy and can’t wait for my baby to try it. I did find however that I needed significantly much more water but I’m not sure if I’m just doing it wrong.
Thank you so much Diana! I hope your baby liked it! Regarding the water – if you used yellow lentils that could be why you needed more water – yellow lentils do take more water to cook than red lentils for example. I’m going to update the recipe card with that note just so it’s more clear! Thanks again!
The lentils were perfectly soft and flavorful, making it an excellent choice for introducing my little one to solid foods. Plus, it was so simple to prepare that it fit seamlessly into our busy routine.
Aw so happy to hear that! Thank you Gianne!
This Easy Lentils for Baby recipe is wonderful! It’s nutritious, simple to prepare, and perfect for little ones. A great way to introduce healthy foods to your baby. Thank you!
Thanks so much Heather!
Hi Anjali !
I recently discovered your blog while surfing for healthy baby food recipes for my 9 months old daughter. Your baby food recipes are wonderful!!
Can you list some ideas for seasoning baby food/purees.
Being a vegetarian what can I add to her diet to increase her protein intake?
Hi Mayuri! Thank you so much for reaching out to me and for your kind words about my blog! In terms of seasonings — you can literally use any mild spices and flavors you like! Some of my favorites include: all the Italian herbs and spices – oregano, basil, mint, thyme, rosemary, etc.; Warm spices like cumin, coriander, turmeric, garam masala; and Sweet spices like ground cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, all spice, pumpkin pie spice, cloves, ground ginger, etc. A tiny tiny pinch of any of these spices should be ok to add to fruit or veggie purees or other foods you give her! For protein – at 9 months, her primary source of nutrition should still be formula or breastmilk — and she should be getting plenty of protein from there. Once she hits 12 months, her primary source of nutrition will move towards solid food and away from formula/breastmilk, so for protein in the toddler years I recommend these foods (provided there are no allergies): Whole Milk Plain Greek Yogurt, Nut Butters (Almond, Peanut), Beans and Lentils, Cheese, Cottage Cheese, Sprouted Wheat Breads, Ground Flaxseed (can be mixed into oatmeal), Organic Whole Milk, Tofu and Tempeh, etc. Hope that helps, let me know if you have any other questions!
Thank you so much Anjali for all your help!!
Will definitely try adding these flavors to my daughter’s food.
No problem at all!! Can’t wait to hear how it turns out for you!
Hi Anjali,
Do you have the recipe for lentil water (daal pani)? My baby is 6 mo (5 mo adjusted), underweight and has several issues including milk & soy allergy, constipation etc. I’ve introduced solids as per our Pediatrician’s suggestion. Ped doesn’t want me to give him rice due to possible constipation concern, so I could not give him khichdi. He also wanted me to give him high protein food. So I introduced purees of pea, chicken, turkey etc none of which my baby liked. I know red lentils are protein rich. Was considering giving him watered down lentil soup. Do you have a recipe or can you please suggest how to make it palatable to a baby who I fear is turning out to be pick eater?
Thanks!
Hi! I have a few ideas/thoughts for you:
1) You can give your baby khichdi but make it with quinoa instead of rice. Also do a ratio of 2:1 dal to quinoa in the khichdi. Then it will be even higher in protein than regular khichdi and you can avoid the rice.
2) For a “daal pani” type of recipe – you can actually take this “Indian lentil stew” recipe, omit the rice from it, add more water and puree until smooth. Then it will basically be a high protein, high nutrient version of daal pani!
Hope that helps!
Hi are the lentils in a can or packet ?
Hi Suzi! I used dry lentils for this recipe — I just bought them in bulk at the grocery store!
Hi Anjali,
I had this in mind that cooking in bulk and freezing it is much easier but cause of the guilt that I should cook fresh food for my baby, I ended up cooking everyday. How healthy/unhealthy is it to feed frozen food to baby?
Hi Manasa! Frozen food is actually just as healthy as fresh food — it’s a myth that you lose nutrients during the freezing process. For example, there is a ton of research proving that frozen vegetables purchased at the grocery store are just as nutrient rich as fresh. So please don’t feel any guilt about this and just do what’s easiest for you!
Hi! I am so excited to try this recipe for my baby boy. When cooking this on the stove should I cover it with a lid for the entire process?
Thank you for your help and all of your wonderful recipes!
Hi Jessica! Yup – cover it with a lid for the entire process, until the lentils are fully cooked down. Once that happens, you can uncover it and cook it for longer if you want it to become thicker – but if you like the consistency then you can just turn off the heat and let it cool before serving! Can’t wait for your little one to try this – I hope he loves this recipe!
Hi, can I get an idea of what a ‘bag” of veggies is? I.e. how many grams or e.g. how many sticks of carrots?
Hi Karen! At the grocery store, in the frozen section, there are usually only 1 or 2 sizes of “bags” of frozen veggies. Usually between 12-16oz. If you’re using fresh veggies, a 16oz bag will end up being about 6 cups of veggies!
Hi Anjali,
I’m new to your blog and I am loving all the new dinner ideas. When you make this for a baby under 7 months would you still add all the spices?
Hi Mary! I’d add the spices for babies 6 months of age or older 🙂
Hello, I just made this dish for my 10.5 month old and it tastes a bitter. Is there something I can add to get rid of the bitterness? Thanks.
Hi Toni! Hmm that is really strange — this recipe shouldn’t taste bitter at all — it should basically taste super bland (for adults) — like mashed up lentils 🙂 The bitterness might have come from the veggies you added to it, in which case I’d just add more cooked lentils to the mixture to get rid of the bitterness. Hope that helps! Let me know if that works and if you have any other questions!
Are the bags of vegetables frozen?
Hi Deanna! Yup – I used frozen veggies because they are cheaper and actually fresher than fresh cut veggies! Hope that helps!
Hi,
I have a 7 months baby girl and 4 kids 11,12,13 and 14 🙂
And I’m all about healthy food for our family. I just discovered your blog and love it! Thank you!
Question: your comment about frozen vegetables being more fresher than fresh veggies, can you explain why?! I would think frozen veggies have the added preservatives…
Hi! I’m so glad you’ve been enjoying my blog! To your question – frozen vegetables that are organic and packaged just on their own (no other ingredients added other than the vegetables themselves) can be fresher than fresh veggies because they are flash frozen right when they are picked, and right when they are in season. Fresh veggies will travel for a week or so from the farm to the grocery store so by the time you buy them they could be 1-2 weeks from when they were harvested. As long as you buy organic frozen veggies with no other ingredients on the label, you can be sure they are free from any preservatives or additives!
Love this! Thank you for making DIY baby food easy!
Awww absolutely!! So glad these recipes are working out for you Kristen! 🙂
Hi Anjali,
Thank you! I finally got around to making this for my daughter and she absolutely loves it, especially when I make it with minced garlic.
Awesome! So happy to hear that Trang! 🙂
Hi Anjali,
I stumbled upon your site while searching for food recipes for my 13 month old daughter. I was wondering if you feed your daughter this Indian Lentil Stew? The recipe above is very similar to what I prepare for me and my husband. We haven’t started giving our daughter spicy foods. I was just wondering at what age you introduced spices? I am preparing lentils, rice, and spinach for her with a little salt and a little ghee. She loves it but I want to start adding some variety. My husband is from India so it is important to us that our daughter eat the same foods.
Thank you,
Trang
Hi Trang! So yes! I absolutely do feed my daughter this Indian Lentil Stew. When she was 6-11 months, I pureed the whole thing and gave it to her. Now I just give it to her chunky, the same way we would eat it. I introduced spices to my daughter around 8-9 months by giving her tastes of what we were eating – and by the time she was 13 months she was easily eating all kinds of spices and all of the same foods that we eat. I hope that helps!
How many cups of veggies would you need? Not sure how big a “bag” is!
Thanks!
Hi Carina! I’m not sure how many cups exactly, but one “bag” is 16oz / 1 lb of veggies. So for this recipe I use 2-3 16oz bags of veggies. It doesn’t have to be exact – it will turn out great as long as you cook it for a long time and add the spices I recommended. Hope that helps!
By the way… I did make this for my then 7 month old and he loved it. Even without any yogurt! It made so much that we are finally finishing up the freezer stash now (4 months later), which is saying something as my little one is a big eater! I made it wish bulgar wheat instead of rice which I can highly recommend. Great recipe for babies and adults….I will be making more next week!
Woohoo! That is wonderful to hear Carina – I’m so glad this has worked well for you and your little one! And yes, bulgar wheat instead of rice is a great substitution — you can also use quinoa which amps up the protein of the recipe too!