Ideas for Fingers Foods?

Food - my favorite topic!!!

Good fingerfoods:
Baby Mum Mums ( excellent rice cracker!!! melts in the mouth)
Diced cooked carrots
Cooked beans and peas (smooshed abit)
Steamed broccoli florets
Tiny cubes of tofu
Small chunks of avocado
Grated cheese
Blueberries ( give one at a time)
Grapes- skin off and quartered
Small squares of bread with cream cheese on top
Diced Mangos
Scrambled eggs
Chicken noodles ( without soup)

Hi there,
My son was also very late getting teeth. He was 12 mos when he got the front 4 and at 18mos is just getting 6 more teeth (yes, at once!). Anyway, you can really try just about anything that isn't too tough or hard. Try french toast, pancakes, waffles, and scrambled eggs for breakfast. American, munster and colby cheeses are all soft... well cooked pasta with sauce or cheese, ravioli etc. Almost any fruit cut into little pieces... canned veggies are very soft, or well steamed fresh veggies. My son isn't huge on veggies, but he loves rice and pasta dishes and if I cut up steamed veggies and throw them in the rice, he gobbles it up no problem. Soups are also great. You can fish out the veggies and noodles and serve them as finger foods (soft and flavorful). My son doesn't care for plain chicken or chicken nuggets either, but will eat deli chicken or turkey, and ground turkey or beef served in sauces or sloppy joe, and he eats meat balls sometimes. Don't be afraid to try a variety of flavors, even if they don't seem kid friendly... my 3 and 1/2 year old daughter started eating (and enjoying) spinich at 10 mos and still loves it! Just let him try bits of whatever your eating... the early he is introduced to a variety of foods, the better. Good Luck!

Hi Adriana,

I have a great idea ... just started using it myself. Try cutting a squash (green, yellow, whatever you like) lengthwise, and then again, into finger-sized wedges/sticks. Use an eggwash, then bread them. I usually mix a little salt, pepper, and grated parmesan cheese in with the breadcrumbs (my son loves the extra flavor). Then bake the sticks at 350 degrees until brown and soft. Once they're cooled, kids can even just sit in front of the TV watching Barney having a nutitional snack. This would even work with eggplant, which I've found my son also likes. And the best part? My hubby and I love 'em too! Plus, if a child has an intolerance to dairy, you can adjust the recipe--just brush the sticks with a little olive oil instead of using an eggwash.

Also, try making graham cracker sandwiches. I break the cracker in half, spread on a little peanut butter (homeade peanut butter is good if you have the time--yeah right!! LOL )and mashed banana, and freeze in little baggies. When baby wants a snack, I just pull one out of the freezer, and he munches away. Also a really great treat for teething babies--the cold helps soothe the gums. Of course, these don't have to be frozen first. And, again, if there's a peanut allergy or fear of one, just spread on something else, or just use the mashed fruits! Yummy, yum! Again, the best part? My hubby and I like 'em too :-D

Good luck! I can't wait to read the other suggestions myself! Can never have too many ideas!

-T.

When my son was ready for finger foods, I used a lot of canned fruits and veggies...they are softer than fresh and healthy IF you read the labels...sometimes they are loaded with sodium, so be careful. Whetehr you steam them yourself or do this...it is important to feed lots of fruit and veggies...i did and my now 5 year old son still loves to eat them...no arguments about finishing his carrots or broccoli...

Hi Adriana! I agree...chicken breast is too dry! I found that roast chicken off the bone is great, since there is still a little bit of fat left, it's not so dry. (Babies need the extra fat, so a little bit is ok). And, my daughter loves shredded or diced cheese. I've tried the veggie patties by Happy Bites and oven roasted carrots and parsnips.

Messy, but tiny pieces of bread or tortilla dipped in hummus. (protein) ground hamburger/cut up meatballs, steamed broccoli, toast with cream cheese, pirates booty, tiny pieces of cheese and turkey (deli), cut up ravioli (I use the mini), perogis, pancakes, eggs, mac and cheese, strawberries, blueberries, canteloupe, Bocca burgers or 'chicken' patties cut up. Thats off the top of my head. Both of my daughters were early self eaters. These are some of their favorites. Pasta wheels are also favorites. I sometimes put peas in with it. Any pasta is easier for them after refrigerated, its more sticky, like rice.

Try bagels - as long as they don't have teeth, they can't get a chunk off so it is a great thing for them to naw on. They don't eat a lot of it, but if you put some cream cheese on it, they can suck the cream cheese off. It is quite messy, though.

Good luck!

My almost one year old is just hitting this stage where he does not want anymore baby food. Unfortunately, I think he may be somewhat lactose intolerant, so even though he LOVES cheese, I try to stay away from it. He does love ANYTHING we are eating. Pasta, rice, couscous, eggplant with sauce, avocado, deli turkey, chicken nuggests and fries (from his 4 year old brother). I also give him yogurt (soy for him), the cereal bars- strawberry and apple flavored from Nature's best, gerber puffs and wagon wheels and I also started giving him some of the gerber toddler meals (he loves the turkey, mashed potato and carrot ones), canned carrots, squash, sweet potato. He also loves any kind of bread or crackers. He recently got his hands on his brother's quaker granola bar (chocolate chip-25% less sugar) and LOVED IT too.

I too am looking for more ideas, I feel like he eats the same few things and since he loves everything we eat (but can't do it all just yet with 4 teeth) I can't wait to see more responses!

The website I lived by was WholesomeBabyFood.com specifically http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/babyfingerfood.htm for finger foods. I probably referenced this website once a day during the first + year as it has answers to SO many of my questions. Some of our beginning finger food favorites were: SILKEN TOFU (find in the Organic refrigerated section) - Silken is the name of the texture of tofu (as opposed to soft, firm, etc). It's very mashable with just the gums. PLAIN RICE PUFFS (can find in the Organic cereal section in a plastic bag). They're a little small but melts easily in the mouth. PIRATES BOOTY - VEGGIE (can find in the Organic snack food section) - these basically begin to 'melt' as soon as it hits the mouth. In fact, I felt that these 'melted' better than the Gerber Puffs (which have too many additives anyway). Even small pieces of GRAHAM CRACKERS are good too. A good test is to put the food in question into your mouth and try to mash it with just your tongue on the roof of your mouth. If it mashes or melts easily, try offering a small piece. I continue to be surprised what my daughter is really able to handle as opposed to what I think she can. Good luck!

My son has been eating oatmeal since before his first birthday. I cook the the 3 minute type and add a bit of fruit and organic plain yogart to it. At 19 months he still eats it almost every morning with diffent types of fruit that are in season. It has been great to teach him how to use a spoon; even though he often uses his hands.

I also fed him french toast cut into bite size pieces. For a quick snack, I spread cream cheese on to a soft tortilla and roll it up then cut into bite size pieces. I usually serve this with cut up veggies (he especially likes cucumber)

scrambled eggs; cheese cubes; soft carrots, peas, green beans; meatballs; fish; pasta... he can eat pretty much anything. Have fun!

Try steaming frozen peas, carrots, beans, mixed veggies- i sometimes give them to my little one plain or with a little butter; grilled cheese sandwiches, buttered toast; any kind of cut up soft fruit that he likes; you can also try grapes and blueberries (cut in half. i used to slice up a peeled apple and steam it for 30-45 seconds so that it would be softer to eat, but still be finger food, same with carrots.
at a year old you can also start giving him white fish and other kinds of meat. maybe try jazzing up the chicken a bit with italian dressing or something to make it not so dry.
oh, and pasta any kind or shape is good and make it plain, with butter, tomato sauce, cheese sauce...
mashed potatoes and rice are good too.

at a year old babies can start to eat whatever your eating, so just cut up your dinner into small pieces.

good luck!

Dr praegers line of pancakes are great! Broccoli, spinach, sweet potato and even breaded fish all easy to toast or microwave are soft enough to gum and swlf-feed.
Also mini waffles, cut up deli food (ham, turkey) and any soft cooked veggies cut small (carrots...).

Good luck!

I see loads of god ideas have been shared with you, so good luck. I did not see hard boiled eggs on the responses, so thought I would share that my son (who loves scrambled eggs with cheese and veggies, also) LOVES hard-boiled egg WHITES. Everyone seems to have a fear of egg whites regarding allergies but he absolutely loved the whites, and still does. You can cook the eggs in advance, keep them in the fridge, they also travel well. Some kids also love the cooked yolks, nut my son only goes for the whites. Great protein!

My daughter is the same age with just one tooth, so it doesn't really help her at all, lol. She loves canned carrots and canned peas. They are mushy enough that she can gum them really well and I just break up the carrots a little bit. I try to buy the kind with no added sugar or salt, but if they don't have that in the store brand, we get the regular ones. My daughter also loves the gerber graduates melt in their mouths puffs. They have all kinds of flavors from sweet potato to strawberry apple, to banana. They are great on the go too! We have also given her veggie straws. They are in the potato chip aisle, but they are made with spinach, potato and tomato. (We like them too) Also, any cut up fruits are good. She can't eat raw veggies yet, but we've given her carrot sticks to "chew" on and keep her busy for a while too. Good luck with the finger foods!