Finger Foods for Toddlers

Introducing finger foods for toddlers into your child's daily routine is a fun milestone for both parents and baby. While you want to encourage your child to eat a healthy diet, eating finger foods will help with dexterity skills as well.

When your toddler was just a baby, he depended upon you to feed him and take care of all his basic needs. You probably enjoyed the fact that he was so dependent upon you. As he steps into toddlerhood, however, his need for independence begins to grow. While you'll still need to do many things for your toddler, there are some activities he can begin doing on his own, including feeding himself finger foods.

Finger foods for toddlers are often an interesting novelty to baby, especially when they are first introduced. She may spend more time examining them than actually eating them, but that's okay. The key is to encourage her to try to new foods and enjoy eating.

Manipulating small foods with those tiny hands is just one of the many ways in which a toddler builds dexterity. As she concentrates on using her "pincher fingers" to pick up food items, she becomes more adroit at using her fingers. This is just another way she improves her motor skills.

When you begin introducing finger foods for toddlers, consider the following points:

• Stick with one or two foods before expanding his selection. This will help you eliminate possible food allergies.
• Choose foods that are easy to pick up.
• Look for healthy food choices. Avoid those that have added sugars and preservatives.
• Choose foods that won't pose a choking hazard for your baby.

Once your baby becomes more adept at handling finger foods, you can add a broader variety of items to the menu. To begin with, however, stick to soft foods, like the following:

• Green beans
• Cooked, sliced or cubed apples
• Cut up bananas
• Cubed, baked sweet potatoes
• Cheerios (always a favorite!)
• Small pieces of soft cheese, such as feta, cut or cubed
• Cooked pears, sliced or cubed
• Teething biscuits

Once your baby has mastered the above list of foods, you can a few more to his menu. Many of these require more chewing than the first list, so be sure your child can handle this.

• Cooked or steamed, cut up carrot sticks
• Steamed broccoli
• Graham crackers
• Cubed cheddar cheese
• Cantaloupe, cubed
• Vanilla wafers

Once your baby has become more skilled at handling finger foods, you can continue to give her a wider variety of foods. Almost any food that is soft and easy to chew can become a finger food. The following list of foods include common suggestions, buy you may want to add to this list as well. With most of these foods, however, your toddler will need to have at least a few teeth to help with biting and chewing.

• Raisins
• Cooked peas
• Bagels
• Blueberries
• Cooked legumes, such as pintos and white beans
• Cooked pasta (Toddlers are fascinated with the variety of pasta shapes available.)
• Hard boiled egg
• Toast sticks
• Mini-muffins
• Whole grain cereals
• Whole grain crackers
• Small, cubed meats

Finally, giving your toddler a variety of finger foods will encourage her to enjoy meal times and snack times throughout the day. You'll feel satisfied knowing that your little one is eating right, and she'll enjoy her newfound independence.

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• Category:Toddlers