Quinoa is gluten free and it's a wonderfully nutritious source of fibre, protein, iron, zinc and calcium. Botanically, it's actually not a grain - it's a seed, from the same family as beetroot and spinach. You might like to add it to your fruit purées too (just cook it first following the same method as this recipe). It tends to thicken purées, so add as much water or your baby's milk as needed to achieve the desired consistency.

Adding spice and herbs such as garam masala and fresh parsley to your baby's purées is a source of goodness and it also helps your baby become accustomed to new flavours. Exposure to a variety of tastes is particularly crucial in the first year of life when babies are typically more accepting of unfamiliar tastes.

Wild rice is not a true rice but actually a species of grass. It's a source of fibre, potassium, zinc and antioxidants and makes a nutritious alternative to white rice.