Is she just not hungry? Am I worrying too much?

[LittleLadysMama]

My DD is 8.5 months old and been on solids since 6 months. Generally been fine with purees and porridge etc but doesnt show interest in eating finger foods or any random foods that I leave on her high chair.
She always wants to grab her bowl and play with the food inside it. And anything on her tray gets picked up and squished in her hand and played with but she never puts her hand to her mouth.
I dont think theres any texture problem given that she doesnt mind playing with food.
And theres no coordination issue as she almost always grabs the spoon off me to feed herself the purees or yoghurts.
It just seems strange to me that she doesnt seem to want to eat or chew any of the other foods on her plate and just plays with them instead.
Am I worrying for nothing?
For info, she has 8 teeth already too 🤷‍♀️

Just keep offering, she'll do it eventually. Have you tried the baby crisps type snacks? A bit more tempting that a stick of cucumber

Does she realise finger foods are for eating? Are you eating with her?

I found it helps if you eat it too, so baby can copy. The little rice cakes are ok but the baby crisps are rank.

Gosh, please don't give her crisps! First foods shouldn't be junk food! Why give her an habit for ultra processed food. Even rice cakes are artificial zero nutrition, no taste unless powders applied. Yes to rice but in the form of a risotto or rice balls or rice in chunk soup .

@LittleLadysMama you have a clean slate. You can determine your DD's food preference and take this opportunity to give her only real food and not industrial snacks.

Sit together for meals, each with a plate. She enjoys the spoon, try one of the baby fork and stab a small piece of very soft veggie (pumpkin roasted in the oven for over an hour with some rosemary and extra virgin olive oil) or even a poached banana which will be softer and sweeter than the classic Cavendish.
Steam asparagus slightly more than you would do for an adult and give her one, and let her suck on the tip. Cook very chunks of chicken in a pan with onion, a bit of carrot and some broth. Or rip some very soft pieces of a roasted chicken and let them simmer in a small pot with a bit of onion, cubes of tomatoes, so that they absorb the juice from the veggies.
Buy a classic French stick and leave it aside for a day, the following morning it will be very hard and give her a long stripes of the baguette end to suck and munch on. Boil a small piece of frozen cod in a pot with a carrot, one leek and one onion for flavour. Remove the fish when it floats and keep any water that comes out with the fish. Out in a small plate, add a piece of butter which will mix with the water and make a sauce and why not a bit of parsley.

With the summer coming up, you will find watermelon, that she might enjoy.