Finger Food for Babies Recipes

Try these finger food tips and recipes as you teach your baby to feed himself

• Introduce finger foods at 8 or 9 months and do it one at a time, slowly adding new ones for your baby to try.
• Start with finger foods your baby likes in puréed form before introducing new tastes.
• Finger foods should be soft enough for your child to gum.
• A few raw finger foods to try include banana, avocado and grated cheese.
• Finger foods such as apple slices or asparagus spears should be cooked first so your child can manage them.

elf-feeding is an exciting developmental milestone for both mom and baby, but serving the wrong size or texture of food can put your little one at risk of choking. A few simple tips can help you take the fear out of introducing finger foods.

How to start

You can begin introducing finger foods when your baby is between eight and nine months old. Your infant will have few, if any, teeth at this age so it's crucial that the texture is soft so he can "gum" the foods (some foods will need to be cooked first).

Your baby should always be seated-and supervised-when eating to prevent him from choking. Start by giving him puréed food for most of the meal, then gradually transition to more finger foods over a six- to eight-month period. Start with finger foods your baby likes in puréed form before introducing new tastes. And don't be in a rush-introduce finger foods one at a time and slowly add new ones as he starts to get the hang of things.

Finger food for babies that are great raw include:

• Banana
• Avocado
• Tofu
• Semi-hard cheeses, such as Jack and Colby (introduce at 12 months)
• "O" shaped cereal
• Puffed rice cereal

Finger food for babies that need to be cooked include:

• Apple slices
• Pear slices
• Whole asparagus spears
• Carrots
• Zucchini
• Broccoli
• Sweet potato
• Whole green beans

Finger Food for Babies Recipes:

Cinnamon Apple Slices

Your baby will like the sweet juicy flavor and the challenge of picking up these finger foods will help develop his fine motor skills.

Directions: Wash, peel and core a golden delicious apple. Cut the apple into slices about ¼-inch thick. Place the slices in a plastic bag and sprinkle a little cinnamon overtop. Close the bag and shake it so the cinnamon is distributed evenly over the slices. Place the slices in a microwave-safe dish and cook for 3 minutes. They are done if a fork slides into them easily. Cool completely before serving.
Storage: Will last 4 days in the refrigerator, or 2 months in the freezer.
Age to introduce: About 9 months

Dusted Tofu Cubes

These nutritious little cubes are fun to pick up and taste good too. For variety, try banana instead of tofu.

Ingredients:
1/4 teaspoon flax seed, finely ground
1-2 tablespoons of Cheerios (or other cereal) OR 2-3 graham crackers
5-6 1/2-inch cubes of firm tofu

Directions: Place ground flax seed and cereal or graham crackers in a bag and crush into crumbs. Add tofu and shake lightly to coat the cubes with the crumb mixture. Serve immediately.
Age to introduce: 12 months (without flaxseeds, 8-10 months)

Sweet Potato Cubes

The natural sweetness of sweet potatoes (and their bright orange color) makes them a favorite among babies.

Directions: Wash, peel and dice a sweet potato into small cubes about ½-inch in size. Place the cubes in a microwave-safe dish, cover, and cook for 5 to 7 minutes. Let them stand for five minutes. You'll know they're done if you can easily mash a cube with a fork.

Add a little spice: Sprinkle a dash of cinnamon, nutmeg or ground ginger on the sweet potato cubes before you cook them for added flavor.
Storage: Cubes will stay fresh 4 days in the refrigerator or 2 months in the freezer.
Age to introduce: About 9 months