Bite-size pieces of fruit are the perfect introduction to finger foods for babies from around eight months. Start with small chunks of soft fruits like ripe pear or banana slices. Bite-size pieces of vegetables make great finger foods too. Try cooked potato, pumpkin, carrot, peas and corn kernels.
Good finger foods for babies include soft, easy-to-swallow foods like steamed veggies; soft fruits; whole-grain bread, pasta, or cereal; crackers; chicken; cheese; and scrambled eggs.
As mentioned above, finger foods are classified based on their low amount of mess and ease of eating. This means that many foods that are fried or baked, and don't require a fork and knife, are considered finger foods. Vegetables and a side of dip are also commonly classified as finger foods.
✘ Avoid foods that could cause choking: crisp fruits, hard candy, raw veggies, large pieces of meat, hot dogs, nuts, seeds, chips, whole grapes, popcorn, or dried fruit. ✘ Avoid raw and unpasteurized foods: honey, raw milk, sushi, or raw fish.
You can start weaning with single vegetables and fruits – try blended, mashed, or soft cooked sticks of parsnip, broccoli, potato, yam, sweet potato, carrot, apple or pear. You could also try baby rice mixed with your baby's usual milk. Make sure any cooked food has cooled right down before offering it to your baby.
Pasta may be introduced as soon as a baby is ready to start solids, which is generally around 6 months of age. Take care when introducing pasta if you haven't already introduced egg or wheat into baby's diet yet, as pasta often contains both egg and wheat, which are common food allergens.
Toast is actually one of the top 8 foods I recommend for starting your baby on solids, and is a great first food! Although, it's important to note that while toast is safe for babies to eat at 6 months, fresh or un-toasted bread isn't, and is considered a choking hazard.
9 to 12 months old: At this age, babies develop a pincer grasp (where the thumb and pointer finger meet), which enables them to pick up smaller pieces of food. As such, this is a great time to move down in size to thin matchstick strips of toast or small, bite-sized pieces of bread.
Rice can be served to your baby, whether for baby-led weaning, which happens around 6 months of age, or during the finger foods stage at 9 months.
If your baby shows signs of readiness, such as grabbing your food or getting hungry soon after finishing purees, consider giving finger foods a try, especially softer options such as ripe avocado or banana!
At 9 months old, babies can typically eat soft finger foods including bananas. You can dice them up, or try slicing, then pushing a little to break into their natural segments. This is usually less slippery for baby to pick up with their fingers.
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.
An ideal first meal when weaning, soft scrambled egg is not only easy for baby to eat but also provides high quality protein and many important vitamins and minerals, including folate, vitamins B2 (riboflavin), B12, A and D, iodine, selenium, choline and long-chain omega-3 fatty acids. Suitable from six months.
Why Is It Important to Transition to Finger Foods? Most guidelines on textured food advise babies to be introduced to chunkier purees around the age of 7 months and finger foods by no later than 10 months. (So just when you've gotten a bit more relaxed with smooth purees!)
Yogurt can be introduced as soon as baby is ready to start solids, which is generally around 6 months of age.
Cheese can form part of a healthy, balanced diet for babies and young children, and provides calcium, protein and vitamins. Babies can eat pasteurised full-fat cheese from 6 months old. This includes hard cheeses, such as mild cheddar cheese, cottage cheese and cream cheese.
Weetabix Note: baby must be over six months before they can have a wheat based cereal. Add fruit, yoghurt or milk.
In summary, the answer is a definite yes, provided you choose a crumpet brand with low salt levels, or make your own! Crumpets make a great baby led weaning breakfast, lunch, and dinner for babies and can be topped with a variety of healthy foods to help babies explore flavours and textures.
Vegemite is relatively safe to introduce to your little one's diet once they are eating a variety of different foods. NSW Health suggests a small amount is finely spread onto toast fingers from around six months old.
As the body grows and activity and appetite increase, baby's intake of butter may naturally rise as a result. Fats, such as those from butter, provide an excellent source of energy for growing babies. Try offering butter on toast, vegetables cooked in butter, or butter mixed into grains.
Avocado can be introduced as soon as baby is ready to start solids, which is generally around 6 months of age. Ripe avocados are soft and loaded with nutrients, making them a wonderful first food.