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Finger Foods

When is the right time?

• Usually between 7-10 months.
• You baby will show signs of being interested in other foods by grabbing at your food or wanting to use the spoon for his/her self.
• Generally showing more independence.
• The baby should be sitting up without support and be able to bring food to his/her mouth with finger and thumb independently.
• Your baby can finger food even if they haven’t any or many teeth, just keep to the softer foods.

Finger Foods are –

• Anything edible the baby can hold.
• Small sizes that are easily picked up by small hands.
• Try an assortment of textures, colours and flavours (not too harder food for the first few months).
• Finger feeding foods increases independence and motor skills and also develops new tastes and learning new smells.
• The baby will have fun and enjoy feeding a lot better, allow time and always supervise.

How to get started –

• I used to offer finger food during or after meal times by placing the foods in easy reach on the highchair table or on a baby plate.
• It interests the baby in-between feeding or encourages them to eat more after a meal.
• As time goes on you can offer more finger food and eventfully this will lead to self-feeding.
• The older they become and develop the more consistencies you can include and by the time their toddlers they can enjoy larger finger foods and eat what you’re eating.
• Always supervise your children at mealtimes to avoid choking.

Suggestions of Finger Foods –

Always use the foods that are appropriate for their age, some foods are recommended only after a year – see Weaning at CookeryClub.

Fruits cut in to strips or small wedges like apples, pears, mango, halved grapes, bananas, kiwi, paw paw, Satsuma segments, oranges slices, sharon fruit, melon, piped lychees, berry’s etc
Advice - Peel your apples to start with to avoid choking as time goes by introduce the skin as well, the vitamins are just under the skin to peel lightly also avoid citrus foods for the first year. Always double check the fruit for pips.

Dried fruit like soft apricots, figs, prunes, apples, sultanas etc
Advice – use the softer varieties and double check for stones and pips, always read the labels to make sure there is NO extra sugar added.

Vegetables cut in to strips like carrot, cucumber, broccoli or cauliflower florets raw or cooked, stripped celery, halved cherry tomatoes, avocado, green beans, etc
Advice – some vegetables raw, at first are a little too hard. Par-boil to soften them up and give things like carrots at a later date when munching well.

Bread products cut in to strips like toast, bread sticks, rice cakes, flat breads, pitta, bagels, etc
Advice –to try a different consistency, smell and flavour toast the bread. Bagels are lovely and chewy when toasted so avoid when first feeding but try later so they can get their jaws working.

Other foods like cubes of cheese, ham, boiled eggs, prawns, set polenta, small pieces of cooked meats, cooked pasta shapes, tofu, boiled egg pieces (after 12 months), boiled sweet potato, rice cakes,

Beware of high sugar or salt processed snacks- always read the label

Sweet Treats – for later in finger feeding life - crackers, wafer biscuits, cereals Always buy baby varieties but check labels for salt and sugar – if your not sure don’t buy there are plenty of other good stuff to feed them.
Beware not to give to many sweet snacks, as this leads to a sweet tooth and too much sugary foods is unhealthy for small children.