Healthy Eating

15 Finger Foods For Your Baby

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Every baby needs finger food at the toddler stage. Finger foods are any small piece of food that your 6-9-month-old child can pick up and bring to its mouth. This food concept helps develop the skill in your baby to pick up food at different ages, however, it's better to offer finger foods at the 6-month mark.

Finger food can help your toddler learn to feed itself and chew. Also, research shows that most babies enjoy touching food and eating with their own hands. This article delves into the 15 finger foods for your baby that you must know.

1. Banana Slice

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Bananas are the easiest and most highly recommended food for your baby. It can be the right choice if you are thinking about introducing solids to your toddler. Since it is easy to eat and digest for babies, you should provide them with this delicious food in small slices.

You may feel that your baby is messing up with the banana sticking it all over the hands, eventually, they will succeed in reaching the banana slice to their mouth. You can also give them a mashed banana. 

This is the most used and easy food option that your baby need not struggle to chew. They will enjoy the sweet and bland taste of banana pieces. 

2. Steamed Carrot Sticks

Another best finger food option for your baby is steamed carrot sticks. Rich in vitamin A, this food is healthy as well as tasty for your young one. You can introduce this food to your baby by peeling the carrot and cutting it into sticks, it's better to cut the sticks about the size of a chip.

Then, you need to steam the sticks for 8-10 minutes until they are soft. Cool them slightly and serve them to your baby. The beautiful color and softness of thsi food are the appealing factor for your babies. They will enjoy this steamed bliss with much passion. 

3. Cucumber Sticks

As a first food, you can introduce cucumber sticks to your child. This food is rich in nutrients like fiber, and vitamins C and K that help support hydration, digestion, wound healing, and blood clotting to your babies.

To offer this wonderful finger food to your toddler, first, chop off the tough skin and focus mainly on the soft jelly-like section in the middle of the cucumber. This is a better option for your baby's gums too. You should feed them on this jelly-like part of the cucumber by cutting the jelly portion in a long sticks-like form.

However, feeding too much can create health issues, so you need to be careful about the right portion.

4. Rice Cakes

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Rice cakes are the most common and healthy finger food option for your baby. Actually, this food is lower in calories than bread and also lower in fiber and other important nutrients. Being lower in nutritional content, it will be easy to digest for the babies.

Likewise, the plain, whole-grain brown rice varieties are considered slightly healthier and make your toddler filler for a long time. The white cake-like structure can of course attract them and they enjoy feeding on this. You should definitely offer this wonderful finger food to your baby after 6 months.

5. Sweet Potato Fries

Have you tried sweet potato fries in your baby's finger food? If not, then you should definitely give it a try, it is a healthy as well as tasty food option that you will love to repeat again and again. 

These are nutritious, being packed with a good amount of vitamin A, vitamin C, and manganese in each serving. They also contain anticancer properties that promote immune function along with offering other health benefits to your young one.

To serve this amazing finger food to your baby, first peel the sweet potatoes and boil them. After boiling you can fry them just like French fries, they will love it.

6. Soft Baked Apple Slices

Apple is the most beneficial food that you should definitely introduce to your baby after 6 months. One of the best ways to offer this food is by baking. Yes, you heard that right, your baby will love the soft baked apple slices.

To make this finger food, first, peel the apples and cut them into fine slices. Then bake them until they are soft. Again make small pieces of those baked apples and serve them to your babies, they will love this wonderful joy.

7. Avocado Cubes

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Avocado cubes are a healthy and cheerful option for your babies. Being low in heavy metals, high in potassium, neutral in taste, and retaining a wonderful creamy texture this food makes it an ideal baby food. Actually, these foods do not require any kind of sweetening or cooking.

It's definitely the best idea to offer your babies avocados for the first few feedings as it is all about exposing the toddlers to new food textures. To offer them these foods kindly cut the avocado in half and peel off the skin. Then, use a knife to cut the avocado into cubes and serve them without needing to either baking or boiling.

This is the easiest way to feed your baby's first food that is both tasty and healthy.

8. Small Tofu Cubes

Tofu is another healthy and decent finger food option for your babies. It is a minimally processed, healthy food that provides a sufficient amount of nutrients. Actually, this food is a fantastic source of plant-based protein, fiber, and many essential micronutrients including iron, zinc, and calcium that your baby needs in its early stage.

Also, this food is an easy and charming finger food that you should definitely offer to your toddler while starting solids after 6 months. You need to offer tofu to your baby which is very, very soft and goes easy to their gum or chew. This recipe is regarded as best for 9-month-old babies also when cut into cubes making soft by cooking or baking.

Keep your baby fed on this wonderful food as long as they aren't allergic or intolerant to soy. If any allergies or health issues arise, immediately rush to the doctor as it may show some allergic reactions to some individuals.

9. Soft Bread Pieces

You can also offer soft bread pieces to your young ones as their first solid introduction. It is better to serve soft flatbreads to them as soon as babies are ready for solids, which is generally after 6 months of age. Research shows that certain types of bread such as injera, wheat tortillas, and others may get gummy in a baby's mouth but little portion is good for their health.

At the age of 8 or 9 months you can introduce crispy, cracker-like flatbreads to your older toddlers, they will enjoy them. Making your baby's habit of homemade bread is better than feeding them on ready-made foods to keep them healthy and nutrient-sufficient. 

Its better to feed your babies at least one time a day with bread made from various flours. It fills the stomach as well as offers nutritional benefits.

10. Steamed Broccoli Florets

Broccoli contains a good amount of calcium, Vitamin K, and fiber that your baby needs for proper development. Interestingly, this food can be a finger food for your baby when steamed with florets. 

To make this healthy food, you need to bring a pan of water to the boil, thereby placing chopped broccoli florets in the pan and cooking them until tender. Normally it takes about 8 minutes.

Now, drain the mixture and blend or mash with a fork to achieve a smooth consistency. If you feel the mixture is too thick, gently add a little full-fat milk or baby's usual milk. Then, make the dish cool for some time and serve it to your baby. 

11. Mini Pancakes

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Pancakes are without a doubt the most delicious and healthy option for your baby. You can introduce your babies to this delicious finger food when they are 6 months old or older toddler. You can use any flour either wheat, millet, buckwheat, or barley to make pancakes for your babies.

You can serve any type of pancake by cutting them into bite-sized pieces or continue to offer pancake strips for biting and tearing practice. If your baby is overstuffing their mouth, you need to try serving it just one bite-sized piece or pancake strip at a time. This will help you feed your toddler in the right amount.

This is a right finger food which develops your baby's good habit of eating healthy. they will also feel fuller with a sufficient amount of nutrition content in the flour you use.

12. Mini Muffins

Mini muffins are always the best and easiest finger food option that your toddler enjoys all the time. These foods are perfect for little hands and the portion size just remains right for tiny tummies. You need not offer them whole muffins, just a quarter or half of a full-sized muffin will work perfectly for them.

Since these foods are soft and spongy, the kids enjoy the ease of chewing as well as get attracted by the fruity smell. These are good finger foods that your babies need for the new texture and chewing skills.

You can offer them this delicious food but be careful about the large amount every day. It's better not to feed them baked items every time since the bakery items are also found to hamper their health when consumed regularly.

13. Cheese Cubes

Cheese cubes are a rich source of calcium for babies which they need for the bones and teeth health. The calcium content also helps strengthen bones and prevents issues such as fractures and cavities in the young ones. 

Not just that, cheese cubes can form part of a healthy, balanced diet for babies as they also provide a good amount of protein and vitamins. You should feed your toddler pasteurized full-fat cheese or cheese cubes right from 6 months. 

However, doctors suggest the right age for babies to feed on cheese cubes is 9 months. Offer them soft and small cheese cubes this will not only fill their stomach but also provide essential nutrients for proper growth and development.

14. Cooked Egg Strips

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Egg strips are a wonderful choice for your babies as their finger food. This food is high in protein content as well as tasty which makes your baby blissful. If your baby is 6 months old you should think about considering this food in your finger food list.

To make this delicious and healthy food, first of all, break the egg and whisk in a vessel. Then kindly pour it over the heated pan and make the omelet. As your baby is too young to digest spices or salt, you can skip them. After the egg is golden brown, turn it and cool it for some time. 

Now, put the egg on a plate and make thin strips. The even size of strips is recommended for attractive presentation. Finally, your baby's finger food is ready, you can serve it after cooling for some time. Your little monster will love to repeat these strips and again.

15. Yogurt Drops

Health experts suggest that babies can eat yogurt melts after they are about 8 or 9 months old. This is a stage when they have developed the pincer grasp, or their ability to pick up small pieces of food with their tiny fingers.

Well, yogurts are often high in protein, calcium, vitamins, and live culture, or probiotics, which play a major role in enhancing the gut microbiota. Despite many health benefits babies cannot be fed much yogurt as this is not the right age for them to digest such heavy contents.

You can offer them yogurt drops to experience different tastes and enhance digestion slightly. They may enjoy the sweetness of yogurt.