Examples
of finger foods that can be served raw include small pieces
of:
- Banana
-
Avocado
- Tofu
- Semi-hard
cheeses -- Jack, Colby, (introduce over 12 months)
- “O”
shaped cereal
- Puffed
rice cereal
Examples
of cooked finger foods:
-
Apples slices
-
Pear slices
- Whole
asparagus spears
- Carrots
sticks/rounds or baby carrots
- Zucchini
or yellow squash rounds
- Broccoli
spears
- Sweet
potato slices or cubes
- Whole
green beans
To
smooth the way for introducing finger foods here are few tips
that may help you out:
-
Always feed your baby in a “seated position.”
The risk of choking rises as you introduce finger foods.
-
Never let your baby eat foods without adult supervision.
- Don’t
be in a rush. Introduce finger foods one at a time and
slowly add different ones.
- Continue
to feed your baby softly, pureed baby foods for most of
the meal, and transition to more finger foods over a six-
to eight-month period.
- Start
with foods your baby likes.
Here
are few finger food recipes to help you get started with finger
food fun!
Sweet
Potato Cubes
Your
baby will like the bright orange color and sweet taste of
these little morsels. Babies have a natural sweet tooth developed
from drinking breast milk or formula, which are sweet. The
natural sweetness of sweet potatoes make 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 microwave-safe dish,
cover, and cook them in the microwave on HIGH for 5 to 7 minutes.
Let them stand for 5 minutes. You'll know they are done if
you can mash them with a fork.
Add
a little spice in her life: Sprinkle a dash of cinnamon,
nutmeg or ground ginger on the sweet potato cubes before you
cook them for a little extra flavor.
Storage: Covered container. Stays fresh four
to five days in the refrigerator or up to two months in the
freezer.
Age to introduce: About nine months
Cinnamon Apple Slices
Your
baby will like the sweet juicy flavor and the challenge of
picking these up will help develop her fine motor skills.
These are super easy to make and great for any meal or as
a snack!
Directions:
Wash, peel and core 1-2 golden delicious apples. Cut the apples
into slices about ¼-inch thick. Place the slices of
apples in plastic bag and sprinkle a dash of cinnamon over
the apples slices. Close the bag and shake it up so the cinnamon
is distributed evenly over all of the slices. Place the slices
in a microwave safe dish and cook them in the microwave on
HIGH for 3 minutes. Let them stand for 5 minutes. They are
done if a fork slides into them easily. Cool completely before
serving.
Storage: Lasts four to five days in the refrigerator or up
to two months in the freezer.
Age to introduce: About nine months
Dusted
Tofu Cubes
These
nutritious, little cubes are fun to pick up and they taste
good too! For a little variety, you can use 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/graham crackers in a bag
and crush into crumbs. Add tofu and shake lightly to coat
the tofu cubes with the crumb mixture. Serve immediately.
Age to introduce: Over 12 months (without
flax seed 8-10 months)
About
the authors: Cheryl Tallman and Joan Ahlers are sisters, the
mothers of five children, and founders of Fresh Baby (www.FreshBaby.com).
Raised by parents who love fresh foods and entertaining, their
mom, a gourmet cook, ensured that they were well-equipped
with extraordinary skills in the kitchen. Both with long track
records of business success, they decided to combine their
skills in the kitchen with their knowledge of healthy foods
and children to create Fresh Baby. Cheryl and Joan put a modern
twist on the conventional wisdom that when you make it yourself,
you know it’s better. Their goal at Fresh Baby is to
make the task of raising a healthy eater a little bit easier
for all parents. Fresh Baby’s breastfeeding accessories
and baby food making supplies provide parents with practical
knowledge and innovative tools to support them in introducing
their children to great tasting, all-natural foods –
easily and conveniently. Visit them online at www.FreshBaby.com
and subscribe to their Fresh Ideas newsletter to get monthly
ideas, tips and activities for developing your family's healthy
eating habits!
