At first babies “rake” food into their hand, but soon they develop the “pincer grasp” that allows them to pick up small objects between thumb and forefinger. That's a serious milestone, but you'll need to follow these safety rules: Always buckle a baby into their chair for safety, even if they are unable to get out with the tray in place. Tips for Serving fruit to baby as a finger food. If your baby is around this age, can sit up well with support, and shows interest in the foods they see you eating, it’s probably a good time to venture into feeding your baby solid food. Cooked peas can make a wonderful finger food for older babies – a bowl of cooked peas would keep our little ones occupied for ages and our eldest daughter loved them so much that – when we introduced corn kernels – she would only eat them when we told her they were yellow peas! Track your baby’s most exciting moments with our milestone checklist. Mastering eating with utensils is a long process. My toddler eats these by the handful! “Chunking up” babies’ food is a process -- obviously, they shouldn’t go straight from rice cereal to raisin bran. If your baby is exclusively breastfed, it is recommended that you wait until they are 6 months to start solids. When Should You Introduce Your Preemie to Solid Foods? If your baby won't eat what you offer the first time, try again in a few days. (I’ve never worked for or been paid by the company, I just love them!) Additionally, you'll want to follow these tips before starting your baby on finger foods: Once baby can sit up and bring her hands or other objects to her mouth, you can give her finger foods to help her learn to feed herself. Which Foods Should Not Be Given to a Baby, Choosing Beginner Finger Foods for Your Baby, How Finger Foods Can Help Your Baby to Eat More Independently, How Often and How Much to Feed and Breastfeed Your 8 to 12 Month Old, Starting Solid Foods With Baby-Led Weaning, How Much Breast Milk Your Baby Needs From Birth to 12 Months, Pumpkin Can Be a Nutritious Food for Your Baby, How to Know When a Child Can Start Using Spoons. These foods often contain more salt and other preservatives. Babies don't need water during their first 6 months of life. Easy to Serve: fresh fruit is by far the easiest finger food to feed baby. Most pediatricians, and the American Academy of Pediatrics, recommend introducing solid foods to babies when they are between ages 4 and 6 months. That doesn't mean they're graceful, of course. Choking can happen in the proverbial blink of an eye. There are plenty of healthy finger foods your baby can enjoy. As they get older and become more active, they may be able to squirm out. You may get distracted for a moment, which happens really easily when we are trying to do a million things at once! Peas . Contrary to popular opinion, your baby does not need a single tooth in order to eat finger foods, just as long as the food is diced into small enough pieces and is soft enough for his gums to chew. So easy for a 9-month -old to grab and put in his mouth. Never ever leave your baby unattended while eating finger foods. Continued Baby Milestone 4: When They Can Manage Finger Foods. At that point, your baby can become a pro at self-feeding, so encourage finger foods and let your baby explore! Cooked, soft beans or lentils are a healthy plant-based source of protein, iron, zinc and fiber. That’s when they start to lose the “tongue-thrust reflex” or extrusion reflex, which is important for sucking the breast or bottle when they are younger, but interferes with feeding.