Fun Finger Foods

I'm excited to share some of Doll Baby's favorite finger foods with you today! We started finger foods shortly after she really picked up solids, around 7.5 months old. My healthy eater was becoming very impatient as mommy spoon fed her the homemade purees I had whipped up in the kitchen several months before we gave her the first bite of sweet potato. I couldn't shovel the homemade purees fast enough so I decided a little early pincer work would be good for her. I have a happy, healthy eater on my hands so I knew I better get busy finding more variety so she wouldn't get bored. 

I know how confusing starting solids can be and they wreck havoc on your "routine" especially the more kiddos you have (so I hear) but I'm here to help give you ideas to keep their diet as healthy as possible, still feel like you can go out to lunch and not order chicken fingers for every meal! It's such a blessing to have a great eater--I know many of you probably struggle with the opposite of what I'm describing here so my advice would be to not push food and offer LOTS of variety at the dinner table. Over the last 6 months I've eaten the almost exact same meal that I offer my baby unless it was too spicy or not soft enough. She realizes now that my plate has the same things and reaches for mine. It would be hard for her to understand that she can't eat off mommy's plate if I had a diet coke and pizza for dinner every night. Feeding my child has brought on a whole new level of responsibility for me-- Whew, I look at that piece of cake a LOT differently now!!! 

I make about 80% of what Doll Baby eats so I usually take meals with us everywhere since she started solids at 6 months so we have a pretty good routine down now. I'll share the products we use to make life easier when you go out to eat in another post. 

Now to the good stuff...

I've had many of you ask about the first finger foods I introduced to Doll Baby's diet so I've decided to share a list from my favorite baby site, Isis Parenting. 

http://blog.isisparenting.com/favorite-finger-foods-for-babies-to-self-feed/

Here are some of our favorite finger foods:

• Steamed Asparagus 

• Sauteed Mushrooms

• Avocado rolled in Cheerios for a better grip

• Cheerios

• Bell pepper slices

• Black Beans 

• Blueberries 

• Steamed Broccoli

• Roasted Carrots 

• Bag Cheese

• Chick peas

• Cucumber (diced)

• French toast strips

• Frozen peas

• Grapes (sliced)

• Mandarin oranges and Clementines

• Peaches

• Pears

• Raisins (hint: soak in hot water to soften)

• Roasted vegetables: Sweet Potatoes, Carrots, Parsnips

• Egg Yolk

• Diced Strawberries 

• Roasted Sweet potatoes

• Turkey breast slices from deli (quality, Low sodium)

• Watermelon

Until next time...Happy Cooking!