I know this opinion is not shared by all, but I really love feeding a baby. I enjoyed making my own baby food for my kids, but even more so I love introducing them to ‘real’ solid foods. My husband, on the other hand, hates it. He’s terrified! He is watching like a hawk at every bite, making sure they don’t choke. (It is just his personality – I catch him doing this to my three year old all the time!)
I find it so fun to experiment with food, and to watch my baby explore and show interest makes it even better. We started my daughter (now 10 months) on purees when she turned six months, and started introducing finger foods at 7 months. She was ready, but don’t worry if your baby isn’t ready until closer to 8-9 months. As we all know, every baby is different. They have their whole lives to eat food – no need to rush it!
It can definitely be a bit overwhelming when introducing new foods, especially to a baby – they are still learning how to mash, chew, and swallow food! In order to take it slow, I started first with these finger foods that are soft, easy to pick up, and tasty! Remember, even if your baby doesn’t have a mouthful of teeth, they are still able to “chew” – their gums are hard and are able to break down food.
*A personal note about allergens – as per her pediatrician, we are introducing common allergens and monitoring for a reaction. So far she has tolerated the common allergens just fine, but do what you’re comfortable with!
- Banana – for us, the trick is to roll small pieces of banana in crushed cheerios or graham crackers (not honey ones, though).
- Speaking of, Cheerios are great as well! They are easy to pick up and soften once in their mouth. And they’re much cheaper than Puffs.
- Frozen vegetables are great (once they are cooked) because they soften up once steamed. Some favorites include chopped broccoli florets, diced carrots and peas, and corn.
- Watermelon – it almost dissolves when chewed.
- Soft cheese – my daughter loves Babybel!
- Scrambled eggs – I monitored for an allergic reaction, which she did not exhibit, so we went ahead with these.
- Pasta – she loves it with a little marinara sauce!
- Sweet potato – I cut it into “fries” and bake them, which makes it easy to hold and gnaw on!
- Avocado slices – if it is too slippery to pick up, trying rolling it in crushed Cheerios like a banana.
- Black beans – a great source of iron!
- Baked chicken – it’s soft and mild, but don’t be afraid of spices. You are helping to mold your baby’s palate.
Keep your camera handy- you can take great photos of your little one exploring with foods!