Baby Oatmeal with Yogurt and Fruit

• Serve a 1-year-old with no teeth baby oatmeal. The grains will be smaller than adult oatmeal and there is no chewing required. Serve plain yogurt next to the oatmeal and place fruit on the side of both dishes. When serving a toothless baby, choose fruit in natural juices as these tend to be softer and can be gummed. If fresh fruit is preferred, serve a soft-flesh fruit such as a banana sliced into very small, quartered pieces.
  
  

Peas and Noodles

• The best rule of thumb when serving vegetables to babies without teeth is to overcook the vegetables. The peas in this recipe need to be soft enough to be mashed by the gums. Serve the peas next to the noodles. Cook noodles according to package directions, making sure to break up noodles or use small noodles to avoid choking, and cooking noodles to a very soft consistency. Add a small amount of melted cheese to the noodles if desired. Babies do not need excessive butter or salt, so avoid these in a child's noodles.
  
  

Scrambled Eggs with Wheat Bread and Milk

• According to "Parenting" magazine, children should wait until after their first birthday to eat eggs. Scrambled eggs should be cut into pieces small enough to avoid choking, but large enough for the child to grasp. Scramble eggs without adding spices and serve next to wheat bread and milk. Divide each slice of wheat bread into quarters and serve the child one to two quarters of bread at a time. Add milk to the meal for added protein and dietary fat. The type of milk--whole, one percent, two percent or fat free-should be decided by the pediatrician.
  
  

Diced Meat with Cooked Carrots and Cheese

• Thin slices of deli meat can be cut into very small pieces for a 1-year-old child to grasp and eat. The child who does not have teeth will not be able to break the meat in his mouth, so the meat size needs to be small enough to safely be swallowed whole. Cook the carrots until they are able to be mashed with a spoon, as the child will have to gum them to swallow. The carrots will be overcooked but they will be healthy and safe for the child. Divide sliced cheese in the same manner as the deli meat. The pieces need to be small as the cheese will have to be gummed before swallowing.