12 Baby Finger Food Recipes For Your Little One To Move Past Purees (2024)

FAQs

How do you turn puree into finger food? ›

Place the puree into a bowl or glass container in the fridge for 3+ hours. The mixture should firm and can then be cut into safe shaped finger foods for your baby.

Try sweet potato, carrot, broccoli, cauliflower or beets (opt for yellow beets for less mess) to start. As baby gets bigger, you can offer steamed carrot sticks or peeled, roasted sweet potato wedges. 9. Cheese.

Once your baby has reached about 10 months of age, he or she will likely be ready to move past baby purees and into the exciting world of self-feeding. Although meals can get more creative with thicker solids in the mix, the transition from Stage 2 to Stage 3 baby food can also be a…

Tempt little fingers with big, colourful bowls of fresh fruit like sliced apples, melon and blueberries. Or hummus to dip carrot and cucumber sticks in to. And when it comes to the cake, why not make mini muffins? They're perfect for little hands to pick up!

Baby-led weaning (BLW) involves skipping the spoon-fed purées and letting babies feed themselves finger foods when starting solids. While the baby-led feeding can be a great option for some families, it's important to note that it might not benefit every baby or every family.

In fact, research shows that there's an optimal window for introducing chewable food between 6 and 9 months of age. Around 6-9 months old, babies have a set of reflexes and oral motor mechanisms in place to support chewing and learning to eat solids.

Original Cheerios may be introduced as soon as baby can pick them up and bring them to their mouth. For many babies, this will occur closer to 9 months of age, but some babies develop the skill earlier. If baby can pick up Cheerios and bring them to their mouth independently, it's okay to serve them.

First Finger Foods for Your Baby

fruit (soft, or cooked without adding sugar), such as apple, pear, peach, melon, banana. grabbable bits of avocado. cooked starchy foods, such as potato, sweet potato, cassava, pasta, noodles, chapatti, rice. pulses, such as beans and lentils.

Start with menu items like pieces of soft cheese; small pieces of pasta or bread; finely chopped soft vegetables; and fruits like bananas, avocado, and ripe peaches or nectarines. These foods should require minimal chewing, as your baby may not yet have teeth.

What should a 7 month old's eating schedule be? ›

Bottle feeding: How much formula for a 7-month-old baby? They should be drinking about six to eight ounces of formula, four to six times per day, but this may vary. Breastfeeding: Seven-month-olds still typically nurse about every three or four hours, but, again, this can vary based on baby's needs.

Choking Hazards

Parents and caregivers can help prevent choking by supervising the baby during eating. Foods that are choking hazards include: pieces of raw vegetables or hard fruits. whole grapes, berries, cherry or grape tomatoes (instead, peel and slice or cut in quarters)

Each meal needs to be packed with nutritious food. Be sure your child has a portion of animal foods (milk, dairy, eggs, meat, fish and poultry) each day, plus legumes (like chickpeas, lentils or peas) – or nuts, and orange or green vegetables and fruits. Add a little oil or fat to their food for energy.

If your baby won't eat finger foods

If your baby has primarily been spoon-fed by you up until now, they may need some time to get the hang of feeding themselves finger foods. Or they may not be ready yet – babies can't pick up and feed themselves finger foods well until they learn the pincer grasp.

Start with menu items like pieces of soft cheese; small pieces of pasta or bread; finely chopped soft vegetables; and fruits like bananas, avocado, and ripe peaches or nectarines. These foods should require minimal chewing, as your baby may not yet have teeth.