8 month old - Food options

[lee12345]

Hi,

My 8 month old son eats really well, however he still does not have any teeth. I have moved on to mashing, rather then blending to purées, but is there any finger foods I can safely give him, without him having teeth? I want to try to vary his diet & he will be starting nursery in a few weeks, so would like to try some new things with him before then, as I know they have lots more food options for him.

Hi there OP,

We're just giving this a little bump for you, in case anyone that can help sees it.

My little one ate lots of finger food before he had teeth. Toast was a particular favourite. Steamed vegetables cut into fingers which he could hold. Lentil and pea puff crisps.

Cut strips of omlettes, the inside part of cucmbers, let him loose on shepherds pie with a spoon of his own?

My 8 month old doesn't have teeth but manages toast, banana, nectarine, omelette. Rice-based dishes also work OK because they can be smushed together and shovelled in! Also rice cakes, baby crisps etc disintegrate so work quite well.

DD same, nine months no teeth.

She loves egg muffins. So I add spinach, tomato, mushrooms, all chopped up, herbs, sometimes cheese to muffin tins. Then whisk eggs, dash of milk, pour over and bake for about fifteen minutes.

I usually break into bits and she picks away.

Quarter of an orange in a segment. Skin on.

Baby puffs and biscuits.

Wedge of melon, skin on.

I freeze fruit pouches into ice lollies and she loves those.

I'm overly anxious about choking and not confident with a lot of finger foods but am getting there slowly.

Tiny pasta stars. Grated cheese.

No need to worry about teeth. One of my DC could manage an apple ( peel and all) with his gums as long as I made a little dent in it to start him off. He was over one before he had teeth but by that time had had a normal adult diet for about six months( weaned earlier than today's advice ). Learning to eat is more about macerating the food into little pieces and swallowing without choking and it requires practice.