Finger Foods for the Toothless

Hi L.,

I have a little one about that same age. We give her tofu, loves it another good one is kiwi and apricot, they both get real soft when ripe and make great finger foods. Hope this helps.

I hope this helps

Breads, Cereals and Grains
Cooked whole wheat pasta (small shells or twists)
Dry, unsweetened cereal without nuts
Whole grain toast, waffle, or French toast strips (good with veggie or fruit purees)
Crisp crackers and Graham crackers
Soft cooked brown rice, pressed into a small ball
Bagels (stale ones are great for teething)
Tender, homemade, whole grain mini-muffins
Fruits and Vegetables
Soft, ripe or cooked fruit wedges: kiwi, pear, apple, banana, peach, nectarine, mango, papaya (be sure to peel)
Membrane-peeled oranges or tangerines for older babies
Dried fruit soaked or cooked until soft
Fork-mashed, cooked green peas
Vegetable strips (1' x 3") cooked until soft: sweet potato, broccoli, potato, parsnip, zucchini, asparagus tips, carrot
Ripe avocado slices
Dairy and Protein Foods
Grated mild cheese (Edam, Monterey Jack or Cheddar)
Cottage or ricotta cheese in small lumps
Soft-cooked, fork-smashed dry beans
Chopped, hard-cooked egg (yolk only for under age one)
Small slices of firm tofu
Mini meat or chicken balls, or small slices of meat loaf
Cottage cheese and pear puree finger sandwiches
Peanut butter thinned with mashed banana
Flaked fish or Healthy fish sticks
Cooked Garden Burgers cut into slices
Fats, Oils and Sweets
For needed fat: buttered bread, peanut butter crackers.
Avoid candy and other empty-calorie foods.

CHOKING HAZARDS: hard candy, chips, olives, popcorn, hot dogs, hard vegetable pieces, grapes, raisins, cherries and nuts. Potentially dangerous foods should be sliced small.

Oh my, at 10 months old he needs more protein and brain food for proper growth. Are the foods you described in addition to his breakfast/lunch/dinner? When you mentioned "staples" I got the idea that is the main foods he eats? Have you tried scrambled eggs? Hard boiled Egg yolks?

What about the "natural food" line of babyfood? They have great foods such as beef, chicken, turkey, ect. Course you will have to spoon feed these, which is good anyhow because it won't be long he will be "on his own finger feeding" and 10 months is just too young to "be on his own already".

Definetly, try to stay away from canned store products as the sodium is literally heart damaging and the chemical preservatives, as well. (spaghettio's ,ect.) They do have first baby finger foods in jars that are organic, such as soft chicken sticks, ect. Babies also love pea's as they pick them up one at a time...get the tiny small ones if you're nervous about choking. (better in this case to go with canned as they pack in water, as opposed to frozen which have chemical preservatives.)

A baby's earliest solid foods should be mostly animal foods since his digestive system, although immature, is better equipped to supply enzymes for digestion of fats and proteins rather than carbohydrates. This explains why current research is pointing to meat (including nutrient-dense organ meat) as being a nourishing early food.

Here is an excellent link that explains why and what is best due to the baby's body and what can be tolerated, ect. http://www.westonaprice.org/children/nourish-baby.html
Good luck and have fun with your little one as they grow up TOO Fast!

One of the easiest things I do is to buy frozen veggies and then pour hot water over them until they are defrosted. I don't actually cook them because they are already cooked and if I cook them according to the instructions they get too hot. They are usually soft enough for a toothless child and they are finger sized.

My daughter also loves sweet potato fries. I peel and cut them and then steam them in the microwave until they are soft but not falling apart. If I want the outside to have a little texture then I put them in the toaster oven. My sister-in-law does a version of this when she is making mashed white or sweet potato. She cuts up the potato and boils it and then reserves a few peices before mashing the rest up.

Oh, Cheerios and bananas were my daughters first finger food sand she still loves them.

Mango, kiwi and avocado are also nice soft finger foods.

A.

Another idea for you- butternut squash ravioli ! Comes frozen next to the other raviolis, all natural, also loves the cheese ones. I boil just till they float , cool and cut into 4's. A tiny speck of butter too, her absolute favorite since about a year old.

My baby also loves it when I cut up sweet potato, carrots, zucchini squash , and even peeled apple chunks(add cinnamon) and and STEAM the heck out of them on the stovetop. I put them into little Glad-ware cups and freeze some too. Any fruit or veg. can be steamed until you can squish it with your finger, it's done. I've done prime rib before when my 9 year old was a baby and he loved it just plain and chopped!

I also use a little mini-chopper and put chunks of meat, chicken usually, into and chop fine in a quick minute. I
make a very fine chicken salad and put on a flax pita bread and cut into very small bites. Messy but she loves that too.
Be Creative. Nothing processed no sugar all natural!
They are growing and you are what you eat! :)Don't be chocolate pudding and pizza!

french fries, corn pops, bagels, peas... He's eating enough good foods though.. try giving him a spoon and give him mashed potatoes or oatmeal.. he'll make a mess, but he'll learn to use a spoon..

A friend suggested tofu for my daughter, which I don't usually eat, but my daughter loves it! I cut it into cubes and I can stir fry it with diced carrots (they sell them already cut up and cooked in the baby food aisle so you're basically just warming them up). She'll also eat tofu just cold out of the fridge, which is pretty nasty in my opinion but she thinks it's fantastic and it really couldn't be any easier!

I also give her small pieces of pasta, like wagon wheels or little shells. I use regular tomato sauce on it (very little sauce since she's picking it up with her fingers) or I also use jarred commercial baby food veggies, like pureed peas or squash, as the sauce to get her to eat more veggies. She likes a sprinkle of parmesan cheese on top.

Also try toast, spread lightly with applesauce or some other baby food fruit, topped with cinnamon and cut into little cubes.

Other suggestions: turkey from the deli, hard boiled eggs (or scrambled, which can be messy), small pieces of chicken, chopped cooked broccoli tops (again, really messy).

My daughter was the same way. My mother and my pediatrician suggested cooking carrots until they were soft enough to squish with your fingers -- those are great for babies with no teeth. My daughter even ate chicken --- if you cook it all day in a crock pot it gets wonderfully soft. Just toss a few chicken breasts into a small crock pot -- add the carrots, too! -- and a little chicken or vegetable broth. They'll come out soft and flavorful and your son will be able to gum it up.

My daughter also likes steamed corn, too.

you can try different foods but trying blending them in a blender so he won't choke like meat. they have htese toddler time entrees made by gerber in baby aisle. they have pasta and green beans mac and cheese chicken and noddles my son will be 11 months tomorrow and loves them. he is alos tired of pureed baby food soi try and mix it up a bit.

My daughter is the same way - however she is a little younger and I am getting braver about the finger foods I give her. She really likes peeled peaches (just watch him because of the pit!) Also, cooked white fish (haddock, cod, and tilapia) I just give her small chunks - she loves it. Also, it's a great thing to order in a restaurant. We have a great baby cookbook with tons of new ideas, too. First Meals, by Annabel Karmel. Have Fun!
L.

My daughter loves canned carrots and beets NO SALT ADDED though becasue they do not need the extra salt. The carrots and beets are so soft they melt in their mouth. Chicken shredded was always good too. Cottage cheese is a good source of protein too. Frozen blueberries are easy to defrost if you let them sit in warm water same with frozen peas. Actually the are good semi defrosted if she is teething.

Have you tried Cheerios? I remember my daughter used to LOVVVVVE those!

try gerber puffs greatest things ever and they come in a bunch of flavors babys love them!