Fish fingers and waffles

[MrTrebus]

So my DD doesn't use cutlery yet. Starting to get there but generally just wants finger food as she doesn't want us to feed her like a baby!

She ends up eating a lot of chicken, potatoes, waffles, peas, green beans, fish fingers etc finger food but I really need ideas for meals I can make and cook because I feel like otherwise she's going to end up eating crap. So what the hell do I feed a non cutlery using, finger food loving toddler (17 months) help a mother out.....

How about a plate of fresh or steamed chopped up vegetables? Perhaps with hummus to dip them in.

Veg sticks (raw or steamed) and hummus are a good, quick standby. The hummus will get a bit messy but then what doesn't at that age! And they love dipping the sticks in. You could also use smooth peanut butter if no allergies in play.

Lol great minds aqua

Quesedilla.
Omelette cut into fingers.
Strips of cooked chicken breast.
Broccoli florrets.
Baby corn.
Sweet potato wedges.
Yorkshire puddings.
Strips of cooked beef.
Crudites (carrot; cucumber; peppers)
Halved cherry tomatoes.
Halved strawberries.
Sandwiches pressed down on and cut into fingers.

Butternut squash, roasted and cut into ‘chips’? Plenty of veggies you could do this with!

She loves veg we're lucky and i do steam bags often because theyre quick. She doesnt like hummus sadly.

Eggy bread cut diagonally.
Tiny cubes of cheddar.

That's tulips she has a lot of that but some new ideas there too!

You could make some pasta and put some vegetable sauce on it and cheese- still a sort of non messy finger food? Or just any food you're cooking- let her eat with her fingers, it's messy but at least she's trying new things :) maybe leave a spoon next to the food too so she may choose to use it eventually.

Captain good call I often make our own veggie chips in the oven for the adults definitely could try her on them

She'll only eat plain pasta. If it has sauce on it she'll expect me to feed it to her or it all goes on the floor because she doesn't understand why it's slimy or something?! Maybe I should spend more time getting her to use cutlery for meals like that?

Scrambled egg
Rice and microveg 'omlette'
Mini homemade fish cakes
Thick pancakes spread with peanut butter or similar
Quesadilla

If you make thick mushy foods like mash etc, pre load a couple of spoons and leave them on the tray. She may pick them up herself and do it without thinking.

Sweetcorn fritters

Anything you eat, just with fingers. Our 16 month old has the same we do, we put cutlery next to his plate, if he uses it great, if not, no big deal.

Anything solid. Doesn't have to be crap.
To be honest, my dds are now 10 & 8 and still don't really eat anything you would think of as a being 'a meal'. Everything is separate and plain. I dont mind as essentially this makes everything easier to prepare and healthier. Tonight they had rice noodles, cabbage, cucumber and a big handful of walnuts. Gross really but they eat it.

Almost any food can be breaded/battered and made into fingers or fritters.

Sausages (my dd loved sausages at this point)
Meat cooked and cut into strips
Loads of veggies cut into chip shapes either cooked and cooled or uncooked
Fruit - sliced into finger food size portions - old style apple corer/slicers and egg slicers are perfect for this, and oranges come ready portioned as it were.

If you can be bothered to make the effort or can buy local to you - sushi (doesn't have to be fishy or spicy).

Noodles and pasta can be eaten plain and cold by finger.

Meatballs sans sauce

Egg "muffins" (make in a bun tin.

Cubes of frittata.
Slices of cheese.
If she doesn't like hummus, you could try a yoghurt or yoghurt & sieved cottage cheese dip for the vegetables.
Paris mushrooms stuffed with cheese & breadcrumbs and lightly baked, eaten at room temperature.

Fritatta with lots of veggies in? You could make mini ones for her - batch cook a load?

Maybe veggies with a cheese dip ? (Like cauliflower cheese but deconstructed!)

Instead of hummus you could try tzatziki - with mini sweet potato falafels

At 18 months why not just teach her to use cutlery?

If you're vaguely Midlands based, get some Staffordshire oatcakes. I get them in Sainsbury's. Grill lightly until slightly toasted, then cut into wedge shapes like a mini pizza

Great with cream cheese, avocado and ham, or scrambled eggs, beans etc.

fingers of wholemeal toast with cream cheese or soft pate on
fingers of melted cheese on wholemeal toast
pasta twists dipped in a bit of tomato mascarpone or creamy sauce
chicken goujons
peeled sliced pear, apple, melon, peach, cucumber

mashed avocado with crudites and breadsticks. When DC were small, it was fashionable to mix avocado with mashed banana and/or greek yoghurt for weaning. Bit weird with banana but DC loved it.

Baby rice cakes smeared with a bit of smooth nut butter or cream cheese

Courgette fritters.

What does she like to eat?