How to Make Baby Finger Foods
Around the time your baby turns 8 or 9 months old, he'll probably let you know he's ready for finger foods. Once he starts trying to grab the spoon out of your hand or sticking his fingers in the pureed lamb, you'll know its time to move on to foods he can start feeding himself. While his pincer grasp -- the ability to take hold of small objects between finger and thumb -- may be a bit clumsy at first, eating finger foods will help this skill develop. Finger foods will also allow your child to experience new foods and grow into a healthy, independent eater.
Things You'll Need
- Mushy veggies and fruits
- Chunky pasta
- Soft cheeses
- Tofu
- Well-cooked meats and fish
- Ring-shaped cereal
Instructions
Look for foods that are naturally soft or can easily become so. Baby teeth may not start to come in until 14 months, so start your toothless wonder out on items he can gum. Cook veggies such as peas and carrots, or dice some soft fruit such as a banana or a very ripe peach. Boil pasta until it's way past "al dente" and verging on mushy. Chunky pieces, such as rigatoni and small shells, are a good choice, as babies can easily grasp them. As a rule, stick to foods you can easily mash. Cut finger foods into baby bite-sized bits. Cut foods such as soft cheeses, tofu and well-cooked meats and fish into pea-sized pieces. You can serve squishy foods such as watermelon in somewhat larger chunks, although they still need to be small enough for baby to pick up and gnaw on with no trouble. Mix things up by offering a wide range of foods. Infants can be reluctant to accept new tastes and textures, but don't give up if baby rejects a new food the first time he tries it. Reintroduce it a week later, and keep trying. Some babies may take as many as 10 tries before they'll accept something new, but it's important to give them different taste sensations so they'll be more likely to eat a healthy variety of foods when they grow up. Pour a bowl of ring-shaped cereal. This is a popular choice for baby's first finger food, and for good reason. The cereal pieces have a crunchy texture but are still soft enough to melt in the mouth, so they're unlikely to present a choking hazard. Baby can also used the little rings to exercise that pincer grip and practice new tasks such as transferring small objects from one hand or bowl to another. .
