Table Foods Ideas for an 11 Month Old Baby

Introducing Table Foods

• Finger foods, also called table foods, should be introduced one at a time, with new ones added slowly to check for possible allergic reactions. There's a good chance your child will want to play with the food -- so let him. Allowing a child to smell, taste and experiment with food will increase the likelihood that the experience is a positive one. Some good choices to start with include cut-up pieces of banana or soft pear, or bite-sized cubes of cheese.

Table Food Tips

• If a baby does not like a particular food when it's first introduced, try again at a later date, since babies' tastes are constantly changing. Other foods that can be tried include avocado, lightly toasted bread and cereals such as Cheerios or puffed rice. To ensure slippery foods such as avocado and banana stay off the floor, coat them in finely crushed cereal powder to make them easier to pick up and hold on to.

Using Utensils

• As infants become more comfortable with feeding themselves, let them try to use a small plastic spoon. Some good foods to start with include yogurt, applesauce and mashed sweet potato. The main drawback to this stage is the potential for mess, so parents concerned about expensive carpeting or other flooring becoming splattered with that morning's breakfast would be wise to lay down a plastic sheet to make clean-up easier.

Experiment and Explore

• As your toddler becomes accustomed to eating different types of food, expand the child's palate by introducing new flavors. By 11 months of age, a child may be ready to try some spices and different flavor combinations, such as a chicken curry, pasta sprinkled with Parmesan cheese or even a mini-sandwich consisting of cream cheese and bananas. One thing to keep in mind is that an 11-month-old child should be taking in between 750 and 900 calories per day, and his diet should include plenty of iron and calcium.