Third Stage - Growing Independence
What sort of finger foods should I give my child, she is 9 months?
Offering finger foods at around 8 months is a good idea as many babies learn to eat lumps this way rather than in purees and this is fine. Toast fingers, lightly steamed vegetable sticks, banana, tiny pieces of cheese and later sticks of cheese, grated apple, rice cakes etc are good finger foods. Steamed cauliflower and broccoli florets are also good. Introduce soft fruits to begin with like banana or pear and then move onto apple and other hard fruits but don’t give whole grapes or fruits with stones or pips . Dried fruits like ready to eat dried apricots, raisins and apple rings are also good. Babies who are teething will like chewing on chilled cucumber sticks as something cold helps sooth sore gums.
Fresh fruit makes perfect finger food but be careful not to give whole fruit with stones as your baby could choke. My babies would often store food in their mouth long after I thought they had finished, so check your little one has swallowed everything before you leave the room.
You can also give protein finger foods like mini meat salmon or chicken balls or goujons of fish.
What are good foods to take out with me to feed my baby?
A banana makes perfect portable food as it comes in its own eco friendly packaging and only needs to be mashed. Avocado is good too as its quick to prepare and its rich in nutrients. Carrot and cucumber sticks make good snacks. A little tip – if you wrap them in damp kitchen towel they wont dry out and will stay fresh...
Try my weaning recipes for babies 9 to 12 months, please visit www.annabelkarmel.com
Featured Breakfast Recipe
Third Stage Weaning
Bananas make perfect instant baby food and they combine well with many other fruits like peach, mango, blueberry and strawberries.
