Finger foods ideas please, from real mums!

[MrsClark24]

Do you chop it up into baby bits? Or boil it within an inch of its life?

Omg I am so backward with this. So when you say sandwiches (omfg for real?!?) do you just cut up the bread into little squares? How can they even eat that?!?

I need some serious help with trusting my baby when it comes to the foods she can eat!

I vary the size. When we started out BLW at six months, he could only hold fist sized, finger shaped pieces and often needed a bit of help picking up slippery food (BLW guidelines are that you shouldn't put anything into baby's mouth as that is when choking can happen - basically they won't choke on anything they can pick up as they can't pick up small things at first). As his pincer grip and manipulation of getting food into his mouth improved, I chopped into smaller pieces. Then he became greedy and would shove loads in his mouth so I began making it a bit bigger again so he'd take bites. Small things like blueberries are a fun way to develop a pincer grip. Foods like shepherd's pie and stew just get served as they come - LO picks up handfuls and smushes them into his mouth.

I guess the thing is, you get to know your baby. As with everything else, there isn't a blanket rule. I don't over boil things as I don't see the point of taking the goodness out - he'll get the hang of it eventually, but I do help make food a bit more manageable - I cut orange segments into small chunks as the skin can be a bit tough, and I grate apple as I'm worried about him biting big pieces (I've seen him do this) and swallowing them whole.

Let your baby lead you and try not to worry. Bizarrely I've never worried about choking as I trust my LO. I've seen him learn the whole process. I don't leave him alone with food though and there have been occasions when I've taken food off him. I also read up on what to do if a baby is choking before I started.

This is kinda what I needed to hear. Thank you for being so kind, and helpful!

 

[cupcaker]

Some lovely ideas here, I too took the traditional weaning route but very promptly introduced finger foods alongside, so it's been a bit of both in the end. I struggle sometimes with the whole 'eat what we eat' ...not always applicable for families with different timetables, work commitments etc. It's getting harder though, as I am getting reliant on fingerfoods as he is becoming a spoon snob! Doesn't want the spoon, wants to do things himself (but not yet capable of using a spoon)

So far we have had:

organics/goodies puffs/snacks
chunks of cheese
flakes of salmon and white fish
Birdseye 'steam veg' packs, then cut up a little smaller if needed
cucumber strips
I attempted a bit of tinned tuna
Bits of chicken/turkey when it was xmas, also sprouts and potatoes
Pizza strips made from a wholewheat wrap, tomato puree and cheese
Strips of omelette
Toast
Sandwich with soft cheese
Sometimes I try and con him into healthier meals by dipping bread into blended veg, then he can feed himself and not be stressful over the spoon :doh:


This is going to sound vile, but I used to worry about how much he actually takes in this way (through finger foods). It all seems like a 'mess about' with half the food contents all over the floor and highchair...just how much can actually go in?

However on one, extremely rare occasion,my son was sick right after tea time (I think he wretched on some calpol I gave him for teething) and the contents of his stomach were impressive! Disgusting, but I was also very interested to see what goes in during one meal time! More than I thought.

 

[BellaBoo0512]

I know I'm probably being dumb here but I didn't know that the majority of things suggested are even possible for an 8 month old to eat? My son is 8 months old and has no teeth and I just don't understand how he would eat things like that?

I tried him with toast a few weeks ago and he just ripped big pieces off and tried to shove it all in his mouth and almost chocked so I've been too paranoid to try things like that again.

This was me too, well IS me. But I guess we just have to try and trust our babies!! Its gonna be super hard for me to do, but I suppose its about starting slowly and working our way up. I'm gonna try scrambled egg or omlette or something tomorrow and just keep going from there!

It's going to be super hard for me too I'm so scared of him choking. He choked on his milk a few months ago and I was terrified. I give him food that I eat but mash it up with a fork so it is lumpy. I just don't feel ready to let him feed himself just yet!

 

[baileybubs]

Some lovely ideas here, I too took the traditional weaning route but very promptly introduced finger foods alongside, so it's been a bit of both in the end. I struggle sometimes with the whole 'eat what we eat' ...not always applicable for families with different timetables, work commitments etc. It's getting harder though, as I am getting reliant on fingerfoods as he is becoming a spoon snob! Doesn't want the spoon, wants to do things himself (but not yet capable of using a spoon)

So far we have had:

organics/goodies puffs/snacks
chunks of cheese
flakes of salmon and white fish
Birdseye 'steam veg' packs, then cut up a little smaller if needed
cucumber strips
I attempted a bit of tinned tuna
Bits of chicken/turkey when it was xmas, also sprouts and potatoes
Pizza strips made from a wholewheat wrap, tomato puree and cheese
Strips of omelette
Toast
Sandwich with soft cheese
Sometimes I try and con him into healthier meals by dipping bread into blended veg, then he can feed himself and not be stressful over the spoon :doh:


This is going to sound vile, but I used to worry about how much he actually takes in this way (through finger foods). It all seems like a 'mess about' with half the food contents all over the floor and highchair...just how much can actually go in?

However on one, extremely rare occasion,my son was sick right after tea time (I think he wretched on some calpol I gave him for teething) and the contents of his stomach were impressive! Disgusting, but I was also very interested to see what goes in during one meal time! More than I thought.

I'm sorry this made me giggle, not that your LO was sick of course but your interest in it because (sorry tmi) I always wondered that, even now we have such a mess in the chair and on the floor, but after some explosive nappies there was definite evidence of all the foods she'd been eating!!

 

[lozzy21]

Really don't want to scare you but LO is more likely to choke on mashed foods that you spoon feed than foods they feed themself, they have no control of how much goes in, they don't know the texture or temperature of the food. With self feeding they know all of that before it gets into their mouth.

 

[HKateH]

Really don't want to scare you but LO is more likely to choke on mashed foods that you spoon feed than foods they feed themself, they have no control of how much goes in, they don't know the texture or temperature of the food. With self feeding they know all of that before it gets into their mouth.

^^^ This.

Self feeding is a process and if you watch your LO, they will let chunks of food slide out their mouths frequently. They learn to move the food towards the back of their mouths and eventually to swallow. It took my LO around a month or so to really consume what he'd put in his mouth. With spoon feeding though, babies suck and swallow. This means they can choke more easily. It's ironic really - I believe TW to actually be more risky in terms of choking that BLW. A fully BLW baby really doesn't do all that much eating at first, whereas a TW baby is consuming solids from the get go. I think this is why most BLW parents don't worry too much about choking - when you watch the process being learned, it all seems so natural and babies' innate defence mechanisms (gag reflex in middle of mouth, spitting food out) become obvious!

 

[BellaBoo0512]

If baby led weaning is safer and better for the child then how come health visitors advise against it? I'm not trying to start a debate on traditional weaning vs BLW, I'm just generally curious. I questioned baby led weaning with a health visitor and she said she strongly advises against it and that babies are best off starting off on puréed food and then gradually introduce lumps. She told me that if I let LO feed himself at such a young age then he is more likely to choke. Then again she did tell me that if he does choke to just leave him to it and his gag reflex will ensure he brings it back up.

I don't trust a word that comes out of health visitors mouths as they all give contradicting information!

 

[_Lexi_]

My health visitor strongly encouraged blw. Its crazy the amount of conflicting info you get. If choking is a big concern, get on a baby first aid course. I know my local sure start centre run them. With blw there's a big difference between gagging and choking. Gagging is usually noisy, and the gag reflex generally kicks in, enabling baby to move the food out the way. Happened with us once. She coughed the food out, then ate it again. Choking is normally silent. If they don't move it, hold them over your knee and 3 sharp pats to their back (high up). If still struggling, carry on with the sharp hard pats and ring 999. If food is stuck in the throat, don't use your fingers as you can push it further down. Choking is a risk with any method of feeding, but I agree with pp that with blw, baby has much more control over what goes in and choking is less likely as they learn to control food and work their mouths. x

 

[HKateH]

If baby led weaning is safer and better for the child then how come health visitors advise against it? I'm not trying to start a debate on traditional weaning vs BLW, I'm just generally curious. I questioned baby led weaning with a health visitor and she said she strongly advises against it and that babies are best off starting off on puréed food and then gradually introduce lumps. She told me that if I let LO feed himself at such a young age then he is more likely to choke. Then again she did tell me that if he does choke to just leave him to it and his gag reflex will ensure he brings it back up.

I don't trust a word that comes out of health visitors mouths as they all give contradicting information!

Because they don't have a clue what it is. Until you read about it, it sounds unsafe. I actually attended a weaning class run by a dietician months ago and when a mother asked about BLW, she said she doesn't recommend it because most people don't eat well enough to feed their babies what they eat themselves. She said that the worry is if it is advocated that some parents will feed their children takeaways and frozen/convenience foods etc. I think they feel that most parents will either blend a few fresh veg or feed nutritious jars, but that very few people either eat a suitable enough diet themselves, or are willing to overhaul their own diets (or even, learn to cook from scratch) in order to BLW.

 

[lozzy21]

My HV team do recommend BLW over purées.

 

[BellaBoo0512]

It's crazy how different areas advise different things. When the HV came round for LO's weaning visit at 4 months she gave me a few leaflets and none of them even mentioned BLW. I didn't know what it was then but she didn't mention it. I'd never heard of it only through coming on B&B.

Thanks for the info on how to deal with choking, I've done my paediatric first aid course and we covered that but when LO choked on his bottle I panicked.. I know that's the worst thing you can do.

I think ill do some research on BLW and take it from there. All this weaning business is so confusing and I don't find the staff at the baby clinic very useful. They just give you leaflets of what is ok to feed LO and what isn't.

 

[HKateH]

It's crazy how different areas advise different things.

It does depend on which area the children's group you attend is in I think. My weaning class was in a socially deprived area not far from the area in which I live. I think HV have to take into account average education levels and attitudes towards food before advising how to wean.

 

[Athena]

My HV fully advocated blw too. It is a bit nerve wracking at first but it's amazing how quickly they pick it up, honestly. I've done both TW and BLW and I am enjoying BLW so much more it's an absolute pleasure to watch.

 

[special_kala]

If baby led weaning is safer and better for the child then how come health visitors advise against it? I'm not trying to start a debate on traditional weaning vs BLW, I'm just generally curious. I questioned baby led weaning with a health visitor and she said she strongly advises against it and that babies are best off starting off on puréed food and then gradually introduce lumps. She told me that if I let LO feed himself at such a young age then he is more likely to choke. Then again she did tell me that if he does choke to just leave him to it and his gag reflex will ensure he brings it back up.

I don't trust a word that comes out of health visitors mouths as they all give contradicting information!

If she told you that then frankly she needs reporting. You do not leave a choking child to it!

Choking and gagging are 2 very different things.

Lozzy is right, mashed foods are much more of a risk and imo waiting too long to introduce finger foods is also a risk as the gag reflex gradually moves further back as they get older, if they havnt mastered food by that point then choking is a bigger risk.

All mine have been BLW and no purees at all and we have never had a choking incident and after the first few months gagging is few and far between.

 

[special_kala]

My HV with my eldest questioned BLW and didnt really agree with me doing it yet funnily enough the HV with Fox started trying to sell it to me (which made me laugh).

 

[catty]

I really like the idea of BLW but every Wednesday my MIl drops of heaps of pureed food she makes which have obviously taken her time and effort and LO does enjoy them and they are nutritious. So i think i will give him the purees for lunch and for breakfast and dinner he can have finger foods.

I have looked on several babyled weaning websites and they say you cant say you are doing BLW and then also spoonfeed purees as you cant be a vegetarian and a carnivore, which i do agree with but i think it will work for us.

I have only gave him a few finger food so far, a banana, piece of melon ( i then found out you shouldnt feed melon until 8 months woops!) and he has had toast.

He loved the toast and i was surprised that almost half of it was gone after he gummed it to death but i did see a few bits get eaten. I hope to get a bit more adventurous with what i give him finger food wise but for now im just taken it slow as hes not even 6 months yet.

 

[BellaBoo0512]

I'm having fresh cod, broccoli and baby new potatoes for tea. I know LO can't have any cod because of the chance of bones but how would I give him the potatoes and broccoli if I was BLW?

 

[lozzy21]

I'm having fresh cod, broccoli and baby new potatoes for tea. I know LO can't have any cod because of the chance of bones but how would I give him the potatoes and broccoli if I was BLW?

He can have the cod, just flake it into chunks to remove the big ones. I'd give the broccoli in florets whole and cut the new potatoes into chunky slices.

 

[BellaBoo0512]

I'm having fresh cod, broccoli and baby new potatoes for tea. I know LO can't have any cod because of the chance of bones but how would I give him the potatoes and broccoli if I was BLW?

He can have the cod, just flake it into chunks to remove the big ones. I'd give the broccoli in florets whole and cut the new potatoes into chunky slices.

Ok thanks I'll give it a go! Scared!

 

[Athena]

I really like the idea of BLW but every Wednesday my MIl drops of heaps of pureed food she makes which have obviously taken her time and effort and LO does enjoy them and they are nutritious. So i think i will give him the purees for lunch and for breakfast and dinner he can have finger foods.

I have looked on several babyled weaning websites and they say you cant say you are doing BLW and then also spoonfeed purees as you cant be a vegetarian and a carnivore, which i do agree with but i think it will work for us.

I have only gave him a few finger food so far, a banana, piece of melon ( i then found out you shouldnt feed melon until 8 months woops!) and he has had toast.

He loved the toast and i was surprised that almost half of it was gone after he gummed it to death but i did see a few bits get eaten. I hope to get a bit more adventurous with what i give him finger food wise but for now im just taken it slow as hes not even 6 months yet.

Oh why no melon til 8 months? I've given it too, thought it would be ok?