Finger Foodie

So we have successfully transitioned to the world of finger foods.  It is amazing how much easier meal time is now that my son can finger feed himself.  Tonight's dinner menu included raspberries, Swiss cheese pieces, avocado pieces, wheat bread and steamed sweet potato chucks.  I have been trying to give Dylan some variety and I have tried not to limit him by my likes and dislikes.  For example, I absolutely hate cottage cheese...the thought and smell of it makes me nauseous...Dylan loves it!  I put it on his tray and he will pick up every last cheese curd and basically lick the tray clean.

Nothing is set in stone when introducing finger foods to your little one.  Most babies start finger foods between 7 and 8 months, but some start as late as 10 months.  Believe it or not your baby does not need to have teeth to eat finger foods...however they should be able to "chew" the food with their gums.  All of the foods that I have been giving Dylan are soft and easy to mash in his mouth.  Here are some examples of Dylan's new food repertoire:

    Fruits:

• Quartered Blueberries
• Ripe Banana Pieces
• Ripe Kiwi Pieces
• Watermelon Pieces
• Cantaloupe Pieces
• Quartered Grapes (Actually...quarters cut in half)
• Tomato Pieces (Yes, tomatoes are fruits)
• Ripe Fig Pieces

   Veggies:

• Steamed or Baked Sweet Potato Pieces
• Steamed Zucchini Pieces
• Steamed (Very Soft) Carrot Pieces
• Steamed Green and Yellow Bean Pieces
• Steamed Peas
• Steamed or Baked Butternut Squash

  Meats:

• Shredded Chicken or Turkey (boiled or slow cooked in the crock pot)
• Flaked Grilled Salmon (watch for hard pieces and bones)

  Misc:

• Wheat Pasta (cut into pea sized pieces)
• Extra Firm Tofu
• Wheat Bread (I remove the crust and give the soft inside part)
• Wheat Bagels (I only give chunks of the soft inside)
• Swiss, Cheddar, Colby Jack Cheese
• Cottage Cheese (Yuck!)

Now that Dylan is eating finger foods...I thought it would be important to review what to do if he started to choke!  Watch the video below and be prepared to know what to do.  Hopefully we will never need it, but it is always good to be prepared!

Related articles by Zemanta

• Good Finger Foods for Babies (brighthub.com)