Finger Foods

Extract from Feeding Little Tummies

Stage 2 - from 7 to 8 months

By now your child will want to get his hands into everything, making feeding time a rather messy affair. If he grabs for the spoon while you are feeding him, give him his own spoon to use while you feed him with another. To develop his coordination further, offer a selection of easy-to-hold finger foods:

  • pieces of avocado
  • steamed or roasted vegetables pieces
  • finger of meat
  • chicken bone
  • peeled cucumber rounds
  • celery stalks
  • cooked corn cob with kernels removed
  • soft fruit pieces (banana, peach)
  • fruit wedges wrapped in muslin – apple, pear
  • pasta shapes
  • unflavoured rice cakes/ thins spread with avocado or cottage cheese.

Always stay with your baby while he is eating so you are close should something go down the wrong way.

Stage 3 – from 8 months on

As your child becomes more independent and wants to feed herself, she may prefer to eat individual finger foods rather than combinations. Make sure these are nutritious, and avoid processed foods, as these tend to be high in sugar and salt. Once babies develop a taste for overly flavoured processed foods it can be difficult to get them to eat nutrient-rich vegetables and homemade meals. Children that experience no sugar or salt for their first year and then minimal amounts during early childhood are often more adventurous eaters and enjoy plenty of vegetables without fuss.

Ideas for finger foods for babies in this age group include:

  • Raw vegetable sticks, such as celery, cucumber and carrot. These can also have cottage cheese or nut butter spread on them
  • Steamed or roast vegetable pieces
  • Peeled wedges of seasonal fruit, such as pear, apple, melon, kiwifruit, banana
  • Toast fingers spread with cottage cheese or nut butter
  • French Toast Fingers (page  69 – Feeding Little Tummies)
  • Cheese sticks, cut fresh  from the block as needed (rather than highly processed and expensive individually wrapped cheese slices)
  • Crackers - unflavoured rice or corn thins
  • Pasta shapes       
  • Chewy Apricot Muesli bars (sugar-free) (page 79 – Feeding Little Tummies)
  • Grated apple, pear, cheese or carrot
  • Gherkins – some babies love them          
  • Mini avocado and tuna sushi pieces
  • Mini Protein-rich Pancakes (page 72 – Feeding Little Tummies)
  • Zucchini Fritters (page 128 – Feeding Little Tummies)
  • Vegetable Frittata/ Omelette

Note When preparing meals or snacks for young children, balance with some carbohydrate (bread, crackers, pasta, vegetables, fruit) and protein (cheese, meat, fish, chicken, egg, legumes, nuts/seeds).