French toast strips

Name: French toast strips
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 1 adult and 1 baby
Ingredients: 2 slices plain bread; 1 egg; 2 tbsp pasteurized whole cow's milk, breast milk or formula; 1 tsp vegetable oil

Bread dipped in egg and milk, cooked until fully set and cut into soft strips. No sugar or syrup. Offer it once your baby has had egg, dairy and wheat each on their own without a reaction.

From: 6 months
Time: 15 min
Makes: 1 adult and 1 baby

Contains eggContains milkContains wheat

Ingredients

2 slicesplain breadbrown bread, or white bread lightly toasted first, so it doesn't turn into a doughy ball; no whole seeds, nut pieces or whole grain kernels; compare labels for a lower-salt loaf
1egg
2 tbsppasteurized whole cow's milk, breast milk or formulasee the US and UK note on cow's milk before 12 months
1 tspvegetable oilfor the pan

Steps

1Wash your hands and clean the work surface. Check the bread label: before 12 months, skip breads made with honey. If the loaf lists another allergen your baby hasn't had yet, such as soy or sesame, offer that food on its own first.
2Whisk the egg and milk together in a shallow dish. Don't add sugar, honey, syrup or salt.
3Dip each slice of bread in the egg mixture for a few seconds on each side, until just soaked but not falling apart. Soft white bread can turn gummy, so use brown bread or toast white bread lightly first.
4Heat the oil in a non-stick pan over medium-low heat. Cook the bread for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until golden and set all the way through. Press the middle: no wet egg should seep out. Egg dishes should reach 160°F (71°C).
5Let it cool for a few minutes, cut it into strips and check the temperature before serving.

How to serve it by age

6 months+

Offer only after egg, dairy and wheat have each been introduced on their own. Cut into strips about the size of an adult finger, roughly 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in), with crusts trimmed if they're hard. Each strip should squash easily between your thumb and finger, and shouldn't turn into a sticky ball in your fingers.

9 months+

Cut into pieces no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch), or keep serving strips. Serve with mashed banana for dipping, or berries cooked until soft and mashed.

12 months+

Serve strips or small pieces topped with mashed fruit or plain yogurt instead of syrup or honey.

Where US and UK guidance differ on this recipe

United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting

The CDC says not to give cow's milk before 12 months. If you follow US advice, use breast milk or formula instead.

United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting

The NHS says cows' milk can be used in cooking or mixed with food from around 6 months, but shouldn't be given as a main drink until 1 year.

We cover US and UK guidance in detail. Elsewhere, check your national health service's advice too.

If your baby reacts

This recipe contains egg, milk, wheat. Introduce one new allergen at a time, mixed into a food your baby already eats, before serving it in a dish with other new foods. Contact your pediatrician, GP or health visitor if you notice mild signs after eating, such as a few hives or a little vomiting. See signs of a reaction.

Call 911999your local emergency number (such as 112 in Europe or 000 in Australia) now if your baby has trouble breathing, wheezing, can't cough or cry, has lips, mouth, tongue or throat that suddenly swell, or becomes pale, bluish, floppy or unresponsive. Also call if hives come with repeated vomiting.

Leftovers and the rest of the family

Storing it

Cooked French toast keeps for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge, or 2 to 3 months in the freezer. Reheat only once, until steaming hot, 165°F (74°C), then let it cool before serving. Throw away anything left in your baby's bowl. Don't leave French toast at room temperature for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour if it's hotter than 90°F (32°C).