Solids - finger foods

[drewid]

Hi everyone :)

My little one (erm, big one i should say) of 7 months shoves everything in his mouth these days, most especially my fingers. He loves to munch on things, whatever is within reach, so am rather keen to get him munching on food instead of furniture/fingers/whatever.

So far the only finger food he has had in his mouth is a stick of carrot - and only cos he grabbed it off me when I was eating them! Needless to say, it wasn't cooked, so he was really just sucking on a raw carrot :) Yummo....

Now, does anyone have some suggestions as to what to offer? I mean, I know what kind of food to offer, but suggestions as to how to prepare it, what cuts works best, whether to par-boil etc etc. He does tend to like to shove things right in, so trying to keep away from small things for a while.

Oh, and he doesn't have teeth yet, but some sure sharp chomping gums!

(Edited to add - he has been eating pureed fruits and vegies for a few months, no dairy yet on advice from medicos)

Thanks guys :)

[Harmony83]

I'm also interested in knowing what finger foods are safe for littlies.

I have tried a boiled stick of carot, and toast fingers with a little bit of vegemite, plus some rockmelon, all of them he sucks, chews and plays with (I don't think he actually eats that much) but he has so much fun with them.

Is it okay to be giving him this stuff, and what other suggestions??

[Chickadee]

There have been a few threads on finger food options, if you want to try a search you should get a few hits.

I gave DD peas fairly early, figuring they were small enough and soft enough to be a low choking risk. Also dead easy to prepare quickly (buy frozen, steam in microwave and rinse in cold water until cool). Also cooked pasta shapes like fusilli, toast fingers as mentioned, grapes (cut into quarters or eigths), watermelon, and cut up sliced deli meat such as ham or roast turkey. DD also had rice pretty early on at daycare. Sticky rice would be easier for little fingers to grab handfuls of.

If you don't mind the mess then you can just give them their regular mushy dinner in a bowl and let them have fun shoving it in with their hands. A fair bit will actually get in their mouth, plus extra in hair, ears, on the dog, walls, ceiling....

[Briannabear]

Some finger food I give my DD are:
* Steamed vegetable sticks
* Grated cheese or carrot
* noodles
* Pieces of watermelon, rockmelon, banana etc
* Apple quaters
* toast fingers
These are fine to give - even when they are gummy bears!! :D

[draught]

In addition to the things the other's have suggested I also give my girls chicken tenderloin pieces - cooked in a little bit of lemon juice and butter and cut up small - they are so tender it doesn't matter that they have no or few teeth.

I also give them sausages - with the skin off and cut into fingers length ways.

Vege chips are another one - cut your vegies like zucchini and carrot into strips then spray with a little oil and roast in the oven. When they are cool they are soft and sweet and easy to eat.

We are also fans of rice crackers - although they are crunchy they go soggy quickly so are easy to eat.

And pear is great - soft enough to reduce the choking hazzards of apple and carrot but not too mushy.

And when you are ready for dairy my girls love cheese sticks and cheese slices.

[jembelina]

Can I please urge you not to give raw carrot or apple - big choking risk!! So far i have found these to be a hit - kiwi fruit fingers (cut into 6), orange or mandarin segments (i remove the pith(?)), toast finger with a little grilled cheese (helps hold teh bread together too), blueberries, pear fingers, par boiled carrot sticks. HAvefun!!

[onabreak]

My daughter is 10mths old and she just loves eating, well I think she eats it, rockmelon and honeydew melon. She loves to squash it aswell and has the juices running down her arms. I also make her vegemite sandwiches and cut them up into tiny squares, she loves vegemite.

I have also been told not to give apple to babies, but with carrot I would steam them first and make them soft.