Introducing finger foods is a milestone for babies after pureed baby food. Recommended at 7-8 months, options include fruit, veggies, cheese, pasta, and crackers. Homemade or store-bought options are available. Encouraging healthy eating habits can lead to a lifetime of smart food choices.
Initiating finger foods is a milestone in the first year of a child’s life. After two or three months of pureed baby food, most babies are eager to try the food their parents are eating. Between seven and eight months is the recommended time to start finger foods for babies. There are several staple foods suitable for these first foods.
Some baby food manufacturers make special finger foods for babies. These include teether cookies and cereal-like puffs. These finger foods melt in the mouth, which makes it less likely for a child to choke on them. Cream puffs come in different flavors and are made by a few different companies. Another great finger food idea is toasted oatmeal cereal. They are perfect for kids working on their pincher’s grip and dissolve quite easily. Rice cakes and toasted sandwiches are other good options, as they are easy to chew and little hands can easily hold onto them.
Kids love something sweet. Fruit is an excellent choice for finger foods for children. Berries, like bananas and peaches, are great options. Grapes and hard fruit should be avoided at this point, along with anything citrus. The apples can be peeled and cooked over the heat in a little butter until soft. Other options are soft veggies, such as peas, carrots, and beans. Spinach is also easy for a child to eat. Kids love to pick it up and feel its texture before eating it. Some children also like pieces of ripe avocado, watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew melon.
When babies are around ten months old, they can start experimenting with even more finger foods. This is a great time to introduce cheese cubes and cooked pasta. Spaghetti is a very popular finger food for children. Cooked rice, mixed with diced vegetables, gives kids some variety. Pieces of chicken, turkey or meat can also be introduced at this time. Grapes, peeled and quartered, make a great snack. Green beans are another fun idea. Wheat or cheese crackers are great finger foods for kids.
There are many choices in choosing finger foods for kids. Many baby food manufacturers also make great appetizers for starters. There are also many homemade options. Babies enjoy anything that is soft and easy to grasp. Sometimes babies need to be introduced to a food several times before enjoying it. The introduction of healthy eating habits by young people can not only lead to a lifetime of smart food choices but also an interest in trying new foods.
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