FINGER FOODS

• Some babies will like soft foods and some prefer finger foods and it may take a while for them to accept one or the other. You can try either method or both together. If they don’t take food one way try the other and it they take neither leave it a few days and retry.
• Babies weaned after 6 months are far less likely to choke and gag on food as they sit up for their food. Babies also have a tongue thrusting reflex that helps to protect them against choking and by 6 months they have mastered new skills to enable them to pass food from the front to the back of their months and swallow allowing them to commence baby led weaning
• Baby led weaning can be enjoyable if approached without expectation and is relaxed.
• Finger foods to include easy to eat food that they can pick up and eat by themselves, that will mush easily, melt in the mouth but can be gummed, for example :-

Small chunks/fingers of cheese, lightly toasted bread or bagels. Well cooked – cauliflower, broccoli florets, potato, sweet potato, carrot, butter nut squash, parsnips. Soft fruits like pear, cooked apples, banana, mango, plum-ripe, papaya, avocado- seedless and peeled

 

Click here to read the Unicef Start for Life Introducing Solid Foods Leaflet