Finger foods

[NoTeaForMe]

Hi,

After posting on here not that long ago about my daughters lack of real interest or skill with finger foods she's suddenly loving it!! At lunch today she would only take purée once she had eaten her rice cake and cheese on toast!!

So.....I have realised I need to give her more fruit and veg as finger foods. So do I just steam the fruit and veg to make it softer and then give her chunks/strips?! Stupid questions now......can I do a small batch and keep them in the fridge for a few days? Do I need to peel cucumbers? Any other advice for me?

By the way she's 7 months old and has 2 teeth if that makes a difference?!

Thanks

Let me just clarify-she has lots of pureed fruit and veg, just wondering about doing them as finger foods!

Thanks

Dd3 is 7months & BLW so everything is finger foods.no teeth yet either.most things are in strips.
Carrot/parsnip/squash/potato all roasted/boiled/steamed in strips.
Grapes & cherry toms cut in half
Oranges cut so she can get the juice out
Cucumber easier to hold with the skin on & she just gums the flesh off.

Roasted parsnips have gone down a treat today with DS (6mo), I think he found them easier to manage than steamed strips. Strawberries have been a hit too, though messy obviously... just whole and he sticks his fingers into the flesh like a bowling ball. Avocado, mango and melon with the skin left on, chunks of banana, steamed brocolli florets, whole new potatoes, and chips have all been gummed/sucked/wiped on his face/eaten to varying degrees. I'd just try anything you feel like tbh.

DS is 7 months and LOVING finger food this week (up til now he was far happier at us shoveling purees in!) So far he's had...
Cold pasta spirals
Strips of frittata (with chunks of veg and some cheese in)
Chunks of cheese
Steamed/boiled veg eg broccoli, carrots etc
Cherry toms (he finds these hilarious for some reason)
Strawberries
Banana
Breadsticks
Boiled egg
Cold meat in strips
I'm with TittyBojangles - give anything a go!

Thanks all! We're really going to crack on with these now as she really does seem to be loving it! I'm sure it's just my imagination but she does look a bit smug at her new skill!

My only concern is that with her 2 teeth she does literally seem to be able to bite off more than she can chew!!! What size pieces should I be giving her? She bit off a massive bit of cucumber at dinner but luckily spat it out again....I know you're going to say don't worry she'll spit things out etc but I'd like to minimize the risk!!

Thanks

DD is just 7 months and has two bottom teeth.

In terms of no prep veg, she loves, just loves, baby sweetcorn. She'll sit and gnaw on it for ages. Asparagus is tolerated but is a bit difficult for her to bite bits off. It tends to be sucked and squished a bit more.

Chip sized bits of sweet potato, broccoli and cauliflower florets and slices of banana with some of the skin left on to aid grip are also a hit.

I also make slices of omlette with veg in for DD to pick up and feed herself with. I grate whatever veg I have in, such as courgettes, sweet potato, parsnip etc, then sweat it off with some onion in unsalted butter or olive oil, and then mix with egg and grated cheese and then cook it like a thick pancake. The grated veg tends to boost the structural integrity of the omlette strips!

I prepare all DD's food fresh each meal so can't advise on keeping it in the fridge. If I'm pushed for time, I slice a few sweet potato/courgette/carrot etc chips or rip off some broccoli florets, stick them in a bowl covered with clingfilm and blast in the microwave. Takes no time at all and they are soft enough for DD to chew/mash/fling across the room/feed to the dog :)

great advice everybody... my GP has advised that I start with iron rich / fortified food rather than fruit and veg, chicken / meat / egg yolk not whites etc. Frittata sounds a good idea, anybody know why my GP has specified no whites? Can I start chicken as a finger food? DS doesn't like the texture of pureed and is so enjoying doing it himself.

BTW my DS doesn't have any health concerns, just EBF and I am currently in Canada so they seem to do things a bit differently here.

Some people are allergic to eggs (specifically the whites) so there is a school of thought that you should avoid them til 12 months.

Chicken or any meat is ok as a finger food - I used to cut them into strips and ds would mainly suck/gum at them. Now at 9 months he can pick up bits of mince or eat meatballs/minced chicken patties with his hands.

NoTea - if she bites off a bit that is too big to swallow her gag reflex will make sure it comes back out. You can minimse the risk by ensuring she is sitting upright, keeping at eye on her and not having the TV or anything on as a distraction so she can concentrate.

Thanks RitaMorgan. I guess you have to just take the plunge and not let fear of choking get in the way of progress!