Wanted: Finger Food Suggestions for 7 Month Old

I have an 8-month old without teeth so I was wondering the same as you. I did find today while at Meijer organic teething biscuits. I have been looking everywhere for teething biscuits since thats how I got my older son chewing his food. I am also happy that they are organic. They are in the baby food isle right by the gerber graduates.

I have a 7 month old grand son that I'm in the process of adopting I give him graduate finger foods by gerber and we feed him soft foods from the table but the snacks are a finger food that they can feed them selves with and they melt in their mouths my grand son only has his two front bottom teeth and these really work well.I do feed him the second stage foods as long as they aren't really chunky

Try string cheese, whole wheat bread or english muffins, organic mac and chesse (my daughter likes Annie's or Anne's (?) brand at Kroger, avocados and green beans.

Good luck.

Cooked pasta, cut up peaches (I use fresh), you can also bake apples and cut them up, try the Gerber puffs, toast, waffles, the carrots in soup. Also check out www.wholesomebabyfoods.com this is an excellent website with wonderful ideas. You can also break up nutri grain bars.

Gerber or Meijer brand "puffs" are terrific and wholesome. They come in fruit and veggie flavors. You could also introduce most foods at this point, just in tiny pieces that he can gum if he doesn't have teeth. Pasta, cooked veggies even chicken. If you wait too much longer to introduce table food regularly you may run into him having trouble or not being interested. If he already gums pancakes he will do fine. :)

Mom of 2~ ages almost 2 and 5, and married 7 yrs.

I started giving my kids the foods that we eat with dinner. The only peas that my gang will eat are "Lesueur, very young small sweet peas". We really don't like peas, but we like these ones. I get them at walmart, in a silver can. You can give them pasta, cut up into small pieces (just save some for baby when you are making dinner). Often what I do is save any leftovers (1/4 of a chicken breast) and cut it into small pieces. I test it by putting a little on my tongue and smashing it against the roof of my mouth. If it breaks apart, he can have it, if not then he can't.

I want to suggest that you keep benadryl on hand when trying new foods. My 7 month old had a biter biscuit and within minutes was having a horrible reaction (turns out he is allergic to wheat). Had I not had benadryl on hand, I would've had to call 911 because his lower lip was swelling and he was breaking out in hives. The pharmacist said to give him 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of benadryl and if it didn't start working quickly, to go to e/r.

Some snacks that are wheat free that I give him are:
rice crispie cereal
gerber puffs
fruity pebble cereal (but he only gets about 10 ttl in his mouth)
cooked carrots cut in strips

not too many options yet, but I have to try each new food for about 5 days seperately

K.

just a couple of ideas.... I have a 1yr old daughter and struggled with the same thing. I pretty much always have steamed broccoli, cauliflower, peas, and maybe some small pieces of bread. If you always have veggies on hand then you don't have to worry about steaming them when your baby is cranky hungry. They will last about 5-6 days or so. Pretty much any vegetable that is soft enough that he won't choke on it and firm enough to handle with out it smushing. I know it's not a finger food but my daughter LVOES avocado, and that is nice because it's always ready to eat and stays in the fridge for a long time, as long as it's not mashed yet, then it gets really brown.

Hope that helps

i started giving my daughter cheerios around 5 months which i think gave her a good start for finger foods. i make elbow pasta and cut it in half and she loves it!!!! i give her almost everything now (10 months), such as brown rice, black beans, avocado, mac-n-cheese (not much of that), you name it i'm sure my daughter has eaten it...lol. if you make mac-n-cheese for instance, it's hard for them to pic up so i sprinkle some flax seed mill on it so it's easier to grip. also you can mash up almost anything to where it still has chunks in it. just to let you know, there are days that my daughter doesn't like something she loved last week.hope this helps.

Your baby is probably ready for cheerios and if you are worried about processed foods you could look for an organic version. check trader joes for that, still processed but it would be better. Also you can slice and peel grapes. at this age they still need to be peeled. It is kind of a lot of work but not as bad as you think. Any other soft fruits, I think the red seedless peel easier than the green. Soft cooked carrots and green beans are good too. If your doctor okays some cow's milk at this time you can also introduce shredded cheese or "crumblers" mozzella is a nice mild cheese to start a baby on. Not exactly finger foods but you could also do whole milk yogurt,plain which is kind of sour or try yo baby organic versions and cottage cheese. On my last three recommendations I would consult your peiditrician, mine recommended it because my 2nd child wasn't a big milk/formula drinker. Your baby is just 7 months so some of these ideas he might have to grow into. Oh one more when he gets a little bigger. There is a pasta shape called Ditali (or something close to that) It is a small tube pasta perfect for little ones and it doesn't have to be cut up. Toss them with a little olive oil for a healthy fat and to keep them from being dry. I try to stay away from too many crackers as there isn't much nutritional vanlue and little ones fill up fast.

How about regular canned apples and pears(or soften them yourself by cooking slices a minute until softer) or any cooked veggies like carrots, winter squash and potatoes. They aren't too slippery. My kids also liked large curd cottage cheese, scrambled eggs, firm tofu,and mandarin oranges. They'll have to try things 4 or 5 times to get to know it well enough to like it. That's normal. The more variety you offer now, the better eater they will be later!

You can try whole wheat toast cut into small pieces. I give my 11 month old twins small pieces of well cooked veggies - sweet potato, squash, cauliflower, carrots. They also eat small bits of banana, cheerios, and very ripe mango. Your son will probably push the food out and/or it will get packed away in his cheek at first until he figures out how to gum it, get it mushed up, and swallow it. He may also gag a bit as he gets used to it. One of my twins has great eating skills but the other still prefers the consistency of jarred food or banana bits or cheerios (but gets upset when I sneak in bits of other foods).

Blueberries! You do not have to cut them and your baby will go crazy. Blueberries are my son's favorite. Also you can give raspberries and break them in half or not. Organic Panda Puffs cereal is so yummy and they look like kix. Tofu is another good one, get the firm (you can get it already seasoned) and dice it. You can broil parsnips and carrots then let them cool and dice them, that is really yummy. Cheese is good too. And a great one is avocado. Your baby is going to love all the new foods that you are going to be giving!! Have fun.

There is a wonderful book, Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron. You may want to check it out.

Hi K.,

Have you ever shopped at Trader Joes? I LOVE shopping there! Everything is all natural. I always buy their mac & chz and my kids absolutley love it! My youngest is 11 months and she has been eating finger foods since she was about 6 months. I didn't really introduce the mac & chz until about 7 - 71/2 months. Her Dr. said it would be fine to give it to her. She loves it. I'm not sure how you feel about Gerber products, but they make these little banana puffs (they have other flavors) someone bought some for my little one and she ate them like crazy, that is a great finger food that disolves quickly in their mouths. Those puffs helped her "practice" eating. Be sure to talk to your Dr. about what he/she thinks is good for your little one, I saw someone suggested whole wheat bread... becareful with that, I think they should only have white breads until they are 1 year old due to wheat allergies.

Blessings to you and your family,
C.

Good Luck on the non-processed stuff. It is hard to find. I gave my boys lots of fruit (Srawberries, Raspberries, Mushy peaches) Also cubed cheese. I also gave them grapes but I cut them into really small pieces as they can be a choking hazard. Also, if you can bake, there are some great muffin recipes. Bake some mini muffins for him. He will love them! Good lUck

I agree with the response on the Kraft Cheese Crumbles. Although my 2 month old is not at that point, his cousins have both used them and love them!

K.,

I gave my son the puff things. He likes them. Also, I give him peas and he loves them!! I buy the frozen bag of peas, put a little in a small bowl with a bit of water and put them in the microwave for about 20 seconds. Of course I then test them to make sure that they are not too hot or cold before I give them to him. I usually give those to him right at the beginning of meal time while I warm up the other jar food that he will be having for lunch or dinner. Now that he is 9 months I get him deli ham and turkey. He has it with his peas for lunch. You can probably get the bag of frozen mixed vegies (cut smaller) and it has peas, corn and carrorts and lima beans I think. I only give him the carrots and peas out of whatever I make. The carrots are the perfect size. I bought the crinkle cut carrots but they are a little harder and Have to be cut up. Just too much work right now.

Also, I have bought pineapple and cut up the ring into small pieces. I do buy the canned pineapple but I make sure that the can says no sugar added and in real pineapple juice. He loves that too! Hope this helps for your finger food ideas. You are already on the right track with banana and pancake. We did those 1st too.

OH! Cheerios are always great too! Also, I give my son egg yolk. The egg white is what has the allergin in it so that just seperate the yolk, fry it up, cut it up and serve. lol!

D.

My daughter gets jarred baby food for her main course and then we give her foods to feed herself after. She really enjoys feeding herself and she's getting teeth in now so it feels good on her gums too.

We give her:
-Cheerios
-Gerber Puffs
-Bits of Cheese (though I don't think cheese is good at 7 months - I believe it's 10 months they suggest you start cheeses at)
-Canned (no salt added) green beans, carrots & mixed veggies (has corn, carrots, green beans, peas & lima beans) The canned variety is a bit softer than the frozen or fresh so it works for her right now with not many teeth to chew with.
-Canned fruits (in juice - not in syrup. Too much sugar in the syrup kind. Often called "light" on the can). Mostly peaches & pears.
-Gerber has some meat sticks that are nice and soft. Like a hot dog but not so chewy.
-Gerber also has diced apples that are fun.
-Sliced up bananas are a favorite.

Really, at 7 months, he doesn't need much other than his milk (breast or formula) and some jarred foods. It is fun though to let him experiment with getting the food in his mouth. Try giving him some of the Gerber puffs to experiment with at first since they aren't really messy and they won't get all over everything. They pretty much disintegrate in their mouths so you don't have to worry too much about choking. Obviously though, keep a close eye on him and remember it's just for fun and so he can learn to get what he picks up into his mouth!

Have fun and good luck!

EDIT* One more thing - the canned fruits and veggies are available in smaller cans if you look around by the rest of the cans in the grocery store. It costs a bit more per ounce that way, but you won't waste so much. Unless you eat them too there is no way he will eat a whole can before you throw them out! Also, I put the contents of the can in a zip-loc baggie because it tends to taste "metally" if you leave it in the can in the fridge.

I used to make my own baby food for our son. It really isnt hard. You could bake a sweet potatoe. Steam some peaches until they are the consictensy (msp?) of a banana. Really ripe pears are great as well. Gerber makes fruit and veggie puffs that disolve in the mouth and they are good. There are many things that you could give him. Toast, peas, green beans, etc. Good luck. I had fun trying to find new things that he could eat.
V.

Cheerios are a great start because they have a hole in the middle so it is unlikely a baby will choke on them. Also, they don't really need to be chewed - they just dissolve in the mouth. Also the fruit puffs that Gerber sells are great because they also dissolve. Start off with just snacks and then gradually incorporate more finger foods into meals.

Hi K.-
I have a 4 year old and a 10 month old- my little one likes: cheerios, cinnamon nutragrain waffles cut up with butter, scrambled eggs, grilled cheese (tiny pieces), occasionally Chef Boyardee ravioli or spagetti-o's (she likes the sauce), they make mini ravioli finger foods by gerber in the baby isle but my baby doesn't like them, peas, cooked carrots/potatoes/squash, any type of macaroni and cheese, tofu is great, grapes-with the skin peeled off and cut up, Campbells soups- the noodles, veggies, meat, etc. in the soup (it is really soft with lots of flavor), graham crackers, buttered toast (the crust is good while she still gums it but once they get teeth and can rip it apart they can get too big pieces and choke so you are better off cutting it into small pieces), cantalope-
I think your staple is your bottle so add foods at meal time. He will start to prefer more food and less bottle so let him tell you. The baby food is always a good back up if you are worried about nutrition.
Hope this helps!
-patti

I also have a 7 month. We use one of those mesh baggies that you can put food into and then our 7 month old chews and sucks the food out. She love mandarin oranges. I have put grapes, frozen strawberries, frozen blueberries(messy) and I even put a pancake in there one time. It's very nice to give it to her and not worry about her choking on the food.

Any of the things you are currently feeding him baby food wise would work. Soft cooked carrot pieces, baked sweet potato cooled and cut into chunks, over ripe pear peeled and chopped, cheerios turn to mush easily and there are organic varieties available (might be a bit early for those, depends on his "gummabilities"), chopped cooked apple (bake, microwave or boil), graham crackers (mushy with a little spit added), no salt added canned green beans chopped into small pieces, peas, soft pasta like spaghetti chopped up small. YES! start incorporating into regular meals. Let him practice with finger foods after or before you help feed him and while you and your hubby are at the table eating your meal. Having him there in his chair will make for "family meal time" that is so important. My 1st son would have ate baby food till he was 6 had I let him. He's still a picky eater and it's part my fault for not doing the above things I'm giving advice on. I catered separate meals for him thinking he couldn't eat what we were eating (wrong!!) What I have learned from having 3 kids: Your first child is an experiment and you will inevitably wreck them in some way. *smile* 2nd & 3rd kids are not picky with the 3rd being least picky of all 3. I think it's because I gave them lots of "adult" foods. L.

cheerios. the first finger food for babies.

gerber makes something called puffs... - alot like a cheerio.. but more expensive.. (they are a bit softer)

gerber makes "biter biscuits" hard cookies good for teething.

and zwieback toast.. (my kids love the biter biscuits and hate the toast..)

Kraft makes cheese crumbles.. - right next to the shredded cheese packs.. small pieces of cheese easy to pick up..

Peas are good- then canned green beans (cut them first) canned carrots...

canned peaches and pears...(peaches are slippery.. try pears first..

gerber makes little jars of diced fruit and veggies..

in the beginning they rarely get the food in their mouth.. so I give the finger food after the baby has eaten their jarred food...or I put some on the tray while I am cooking dinner and the baby is entertained while I am busy.

Babies naturally want to put things in their mouth so if you put in on the tray they will try it..

I was able to give my two boys (6 & 4) pretty much everything my husband and I ate. I made sure to cut pieces of meat or anything that was larger than a match into slivers not square or circle pieces this way it prevents them from getting it stuck. I was able to use cheese sticky, veggie hot dogs, cooked carrots, cooked squash, cooked asparagus, and small noodles. Also at Toys R Us they have a mesh product that you can put frozen, cooked veggies or fruit, even meat in so that your child can gum it and get use to flavors. My boys loved it while they were teething, I also froze breast milk into ice trays and used them in it as well. (can freeze juice as well) Hope I could help you out with a few ideas. Keep up the good work!