Finger Foods for Young Toddlers…
What are finger foods?
Parents really are at a loss as to what to feed their baby as they transform into a young toddlers. Suddenly they are no longer reliant on baby food and bottles. They want more. They need more. They want to feed themselves! Now is the time to begin introducing finger foods.
What do I mean by finger foods? Food that the child can pick up with their fingers so they can feed themselves.
Dried cereal made of oats shaped in an O is great to start with. They can be picked up easily and will turn into mush when they are sucked on by the baby in transition. Many of the popular baby food manufactures are producing real fruit and vegetable puffs that melt away when eaten. You child is getting teeth so you can start introducing soft foods.
Suggested Beginner Finger Foods
Time to introduce finger foods to your child.
Bananas, grapes, oranges, blue berries, strawberries cut into small pieces. (Any Soft Fruit)
Meat sticks cut up.
Potatoes boiled or steamed cut into small pieces.
Toast, waffles, pancakes, with butter cut up into small pieces.
TENDER steamed or canned vegetables. Carrots, peas, beans, broccoli, zucchini. ( STEAMED NOT ROASTED)
Cheeses.
Soft meats cut into manageable pieces.
Crackers.
Scrambled eggs.
Spaghetti or macaroni.
Avoid Quinoa, rice, couscous or any food that will break apart into tiny particles. This will only frustrate your toddler and can pose a choking hazard. Yes, self feeding by Young Toddlers is and will be messy. (If you have a dog this is their nirvana time.) But, if you take proper precautions to protect clothing (Large Bib) and floor. It will be fine. Don’t sweat messes they are all apart of the transition to independence for your child.
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