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Weaning

Find weaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Weaning forum. Use our child development calendar for more information.

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Original poster

Least messy finger foods?

17 replies

HolidaysQueen · 21/10/2008 09:38

DS (6.5mo) and I are off to lunch at a friend's house on Thursday. He feeds himself at lunch and it is usually very messy as he loves nothing better than smearing his food on his high chair tray and then licking it off Obviously I'd like him to demonstrate slightly better table manners than that on Thursday as friend's baby is puree-fed and not very messy at all...

Fruit is out as he really mushes that in his hand and I would be really worried about where that ended up. Anything with a sauce would be a disaster as he gets too excited and slaps it with his hands causing the room to look like a Jackson Pollock in progress.

I'm looking for something that stays in fairly reasonable chunks and is fairly innocuous stain wise so I can pick it up and tidy up easily, and not worry about it staining my friend's table/floor.

Any suggestions?

OP posts:

NBheebieGeebies · 21/10/2008 09:40

Toast, breadsticks, precooked veg sticks like carrot, brocoli. Mango, banana?

Aitch · 21/10/2008 09:41

steamed carrot, cucumber, cheese, fairly plain pasta, toast and hummous etc. if it's too stressful i'd grab a spoon.

Aitch · 21/10/2008 09:41

no broccoli!!!!!! lololol

MrsBadger · 21/10/2008 09:41

our lowest-mess options are pasta with a light dab of pesto (oily marks only ), or toast that's been spread with hummus while still hot so it soaks right in and can't be wiped off.
Cheese is ok if you don't have one who chews then spits out.
Mini shredded wheat are surprisingly low mess but I think that's because dd loves them so much she can't bear to waste any...

MrsBadger · 21/10/2008 09:42

oh NOT banana

the mess when they grab a bit and squeeze is awful

and it stains like buggery

Aitch · 21/10/2008 09:50

and no pear either, it stains black for some reason.

witchandchips · 21/10/2008 09:51

The ability of a 6 month old to make a mess even with the driest finger food is unbelievable. I honestly wouldn't bother; and in the end this is the polite thing to do. Can you imagine how your friend would feel if your lo was self feeding AND not making a mess while hers had to be spoon fed. This way you she can think "if i was prepared to put up with such a mess, my child could do it too"

Aitch · 21/10/2008 09:53

i disagree. your priend would have to be incredibly prissy to expect you to change your methods in order to keep herr house in pristine conditions.

witchandchips · 21/10/2008 09:57

was probably badly phrased, meant don't bother on keeping it tidy rather than to start to give purees

giving purees to a blw baby is counterproductive anyway as you know

Original poster

HolidaysQueen · 21/10/2008 10:06

My friend is a fairly new friend and while I know she isn't worried about mess too much (she has her own 6mo), I want to minimise any likelihood of us ruining her house. If it was my best friend I would be in there with the meatballs and tomato sauce, no problem

Spoons are out as he is actually far messier because he won't not grab the spoon and then ends up smearing it and flicking it everywhere. Hence it needs to be finger foods for least mess, but careful selection needed.

Ok, no pear and banana (shame - he loves them but he is messy with them). I've suddenly thought of cauli which he hasn't had for a while but is at least white - any horror stories with that? - then your suggestions of toast with hummus and cheese.

OP posts:

Aitch · 21/10/2008 10:09

gotcha, soz withcy.

cucumber, pasta, don't forget

CantSleepWontSleep · 21/10/2008 10:18

Make sweetcorn fritters and cut them into fingers. They are fine to do in advance and have cold.

Original poster

HolidaysQueen · 21/10/2008 10:25

oooh they sound great - been wondering how to get sweetcorn into DS as he had it once as a puree and loved it but kernels all a bit tiny for him and his fists at the moment

OP posts:

NBheebieGeebies · 21/10/2008 11:15

I know banana and brocoli is messy. I have 2 BLW's!!!
I don't think theres anything you can give that isnt messy. It always ends up everywhere.

babyOcho · 21/10/2008 13:29

DD had lunch with her other 'buddies' a few weeks back - she was the only BLW baby. I was a bit worried as well, but the mum that was hosting was quite excited to see her in action and encouraged it!

I took cheese and cucumber sticks and also pasta twirls. I was really brave and took mango as well (it needed to be eaten). Apart from the mango, the rest of it was all quite ok. I think that DD was showing off a bit and was amazingly tidier than usual!

Tommy · 21/10/2008 13:33

DS3 was always very clean with quiche - it was his favourite - he wouldn't let any fall on the floor.

Wouldn't worry about it too much though. When DS3 was about 7m he ad to go into hospital and the food was very un-BLW-friendly - you should have seen the mess he made with the egg salad

CharleeInChains · 21/10/2008 13:36

My DS is 2 and is still the messiest thing on 2 legs.

He has daily a mixture of finger foods for lunch, usually a combo of.

Cubes of Cheese
Carrot Stick (blanched for a couple of mins so there not to hard)
Cucumber
Peppers
Crackers
Bread/toast
Hula Hoops
Grapes
Raisins
Pasta
Home made fishfinger or chicken nugget chunks.
A small cake/biscuit

But like everyone says they will make mess with everything and anything and im sure your friend will understand any mess. Have a nice time

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