8 month old advice please!

[Alicia870]

Been doing a bit of both spoon feeds and baby led with dd but she definitely prefers eating away herself by picking things up and it's going well.
Tonight for example had baby potatoes cut into discs, some peas and some cod.
She mostly refuses the spoon for some reason though I do try to encourage a bit of both.
Just wondered if anyone had any other ideas for things she could pick away at for lunches/dinners? She's starting childminder soon and she asked me for the first while to bring along some meals she would usually eat so that she will know eventually what kinds of things to give her. Any ideas on what I could pack up?

Also with anyone who has done baby led when do you start trying to get them to feed with a spoon. Eg things like rice and sauces, or mash, porridge et how did baby learn to eat these? Thank you!

Slices of fruit, DS loves pears and bananas in particular, and grapes sliced vertically so he doesn't choke. Slices of meat and cheese, and we do yogurts as well but obviously on a spoon. Breadsticks is another favourite with a dip (he likes whatever, soft cheese, ketchup, curry sauce) but breadsticks may be hit and miss. I can't remember how old he was when we tried him with those.

Missed a bit: We used a spoon early on alongside BLW. DS likes to try eating rice and pasta whenever he can and will happily use his hands. They learn to pick food up, but can be very VERY messy. I'd try both at the same time just so a spoon is a regular thing.

An assortment of the following:
Fruit: little box of raisins, halved grapes, berries, sliced kiwi, satsuma
Veg: sliced red pepper, cucumber sticks, avocado, cherry tomatoes, cooked carrot, broccoli, baby sweetcorn, green beans, butternut squash
Carbs: mini rice cakes, strips of pitta bread, oat cakes, half a packet of Pom bears, a couple of cheese biscuits, mini breadsticks, cooked pasta shape, boiled potato chunks, a little pot of Cheerios, malt loaf lunch bar, mini pizza
Protein: torn up strips of ham, chopped up sausage (baked, not grilled as the skin would be too tough), cubes of tofu, cheese cubes, hard boiled egg, torn up cooked chicken breast, tuna chunks, butterbeans, a little pot of cooked chickpeas, crab sticks

Other ideas:
Meatballs www.annabelkarmel.com/recipes/mini-meatballs-2/
Tuna balls www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1445/tuna-balls-with-pea-and-sweetcorn-pasta
Bean burgers www.babyledfeeding.com/recipes/baby-veggie-burgers-updated-recipe-baby-led-feeding-cookbook/
Lentil slice www.healthylittlefoodies.com/curried-lentil-bake/
Omelette www.nhs.uk/start4life/weaning/recipes-and-meal-ideas/omelette-fingers/
Guacamole on toast
Cheese on toast
Frittatas www.babyledfeeding.com/recipes/easy-peasy-baby-frittatas-perfect-for-blw/
Yorkshire puds
Sweetcorn fritters www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/toddler-recipe-sweetcorn-spinach-fritters

Sorry not sure how to link but if you google Clare’s Little Tots broccoli and cheese muffins the recipe will come up.
I made them with no great expectation that they would be nice, but they are really tasty, freeze well and taste just as nice if not nicer when they’ve been heated up.