It can be so exciting! Your baby is moving from breastmilk/formula and baby food to eating regular table foods. However, it can also be rather daunting not to mention sad as your baby is growing up so fast. It also brings up many questions. What if your baby doesn’t like things that they liked pureed? How do you know what is safe and easy?
First finger foods don’t have to be complicated or expensive. Here are some great ideas, some of which have been favorites of my children! All are safe for around 10 months and up and all are fairly easy to find and are affordable. Some are more expensive at certain times of the year, but if you only buy enough for the baby, the expense is manageable.
First Finger Foods – Vegetables
(All are cooked to softness unless it says otherwise and cut to the size of about a pea)
Peas
Carrots (easier to cut after cooking)
Potatoes, boiled
Cucumbers, seeds removed
Sweet potatoes (can also roast in strips and serve that way if the baby is around 12 months and good at taking bites instead of shoving food in their mouths)
Green beans
First Finger Foods – Fruit
(all are diced to the size of a pea unless otherwise indicated)
Apples, cooked to be soft
Strawberries
Grapes
Bananas
Pears, cooked to be soft
Peaches
Blueberries
Watermelon
First Finger Foods – Proteins
Chicken or turkey, cooked and diced
Chicken nuggets, diced
Ground beef, crumbled
Cheese, diced
Cream cheese on lightly toasted bread
Peanut butter on bread (this is up to you as to when you introduce. Sources are now saying 8 months is safe, I still prefer to wait until 12 months)
Egg, scrambled and crumbled
First Finger Foods – Grains
Cheerios, Kix
Baby snacks like puffs or wagon wheels (store brand is more affordable)
Crackers (like Town House)
Pasta, diced
Rice
Cheese crackers
Graham crackers
Whole wheat bread, plain or lightly toasted
Obviously, there are many other choices for first finger foods in each category. These are just the most affordable options. Your baby may not like all these choices. My first kid loved fruit. My second one has never been a fan. She did finally decide she liked pureed fruit but, given the choice, she prefers vegetables. Only you know if you baby is ready for certain foods. If your baby is a “shove all the food in at once” type of eater, hold back a little on the things like crackers that involve holding and taking bites.
What foods did your baby like when they first started eating table foods?
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