Failed at spoon feeding - time to try baby led but need help!!

[Mayandbump23]

I started weaning my DC at 5 months but due to lack of interest on his part (despite showing all the signs of grabbing food from my plate, chewing everything in sight etc) stopped after a week as thought he was not ready. I started again two weeks ago when he turned 6 months and have worked out that it's not so much food that he objects to but being fed said food with a spoon.

Have therefore decided to try baby led weaning as it seems like the obvious solution to our problem. However, I am running out of ideas for foods to give him. He is not so good at swallowing lumps yet but will happily suck and chew on things that go very mushy. So far I have given him banana, mango, plum, carrot, apricot, sweet potato but am keen to introduce gluten and dairy fairly soon. Can anyone give me any ideas of foods to give him?

My DS did exactly the same! Slices of any fruit or veg as already suggested - although you might want to avoid kiwi and strawberries in the first year as it is linked to allergies. Mine loved any bread product - toast, bagel, muffin etc with margerine, cream cheese or houmous. Also, breadsticks went down well, as did organix crisps and rice cakes. Slices of sweet pepper or cucumber. Sticks of cheddar. Once he had got his pincer grip, he loved shreddies, cheerios or mini shredded wheat with just a little milk. I gave pasta dry to begin with (penne or fusilli), but now he has it with a cheese or tomato sauce. Another good call is risotto as the sticky rice is nice and easy to pick up.
In theory, he can have whatever you're having - so if you're having a cheese sandwich for lunch, he cound have toast fingers, sticks of cheese and some fruit for pudding, for example.

My DS2 revealed a passion for thick noodles today, I have never seen anything like it, he has certainly never consumed so much in one sitting before, just kept hoovering them up!

Any ideas for clean, easy to eat lunches to take out in the early days? DC is not yet mastered picking up food and feeding himself without making an almighty mess which I don't mind in my own kitchen but can't really go out and plaster other people's kitchens/pubs/cafes with bits of food and don't fancy spending the next couple of months at home on our own whilst DC learns to eat in a semi civilised manner... I guess bread would work so I could make him mini sandwiches? Any other ideas?

Fingers of roast courgette work surprisingly well with our DD - also small-cut roast potatoes.