Food which is known as finger food – a term often used for foods that can be held by the hands or fingers of the baby – is a type of snack food or snack. The most common example is a special baby biscuits which are available on the market. But finger food is not limited to only biscuits. Vegetables, fruits, or other processed foods that can be grasped by infants is also considered as a finger food.

Preparing Baby Finger Foods

If you planned to give finger food for your baby make sure that you adjust the ingredients to the one that are allowed per stage of infancy. For babies aged 6 months, for example, the foods suggested are:

• cereals (white rice, brown rice, oatmeal)
• vegetables (green beans, potatoes, pumpkin, sweet potato, cucumber)
• fruits (bananas, avocados, apples and pears)

Entering the age of 7-8 months, the food can be more diverse. Just like
vegetables (asparagus, carrots, spinach, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, beets, turnips) fruits (mango, peach), and also food which contains much protein (chicken meat, beef, tofu).

Avoid dairy products (cheese, cream, yogurt) in the initial introductions, because it is feared that it could trigger allergies. However, after entering the age of 9 months, it is safe to give dairy foods for your baby.

Foodstuffs such as those mentioned above can be processed into a variety of baby finger foods. Noteworthy is its texture. In the early stages of (infant age 6 months) finger food should still soft textured. Only when the age of 9 months of a baby step, finger food can be made with a rougher texture. For instance, by making a processed food made from minced chicken or beef (nuggets).

Please also take a note about the size. Give the finger food in a size that can be grasped by the hands of a tiny baby. Not too big or too small. Snakcs which is too small can cause a baby to choke. While the pieces which are too big make the baby not even could held.

And another point about security is that to not to harm the baby, some certain vegetables, like carrots, beans, squash, asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, turnips, should be boiled first so that it will be softer.

Finger Foods for Babies: When to Give and How Much?

Most of you maybe thinking “When is the right time to provide finger food for babies?” “Is it necessary to wait until the baby grows teeth first so that he can bite snacks that?”

The right moment to provide finger food is when your baby is able to sit properly (usually at the age of 6 months).

At that time the baby will require complementary food. So, no need to wait until the baby’s teeth grow to give him or her a finger food.

As for the schedule, it should be adjusted to the age of the child. For babies at the age of 6-8 months it can be done once a day. Entering the age of 9 months until 1 year, it can be further increased to 2 times a day.

It is also important to note that finger food nutritional value should not exceed 30% of nutritional value that must be met in one day. For baby at the age of 6-8 months, the nutritional value of finger food for babies per day is approximately 165 calories. That nutritional value is approximately equivalent to 1 or 2 carrots biscuits poured with milk. Another option, the nutritional value of 1 piece of medium-size bananas that weight approximately 50 grams has 40 calories nutritional value. A piece of medium-sized papaya that weight 100 grams has 40 calories nutritional value.

While entering the age of 9-12 months, the recommended nutritional value reaches approximately 195 calories per day. That amount of nutritional value is equivalent for a pancake with 2 pieces of fruit and 5 vegetables and also fruit jelly. Another option is a slice of cheese of medium size that has a weight of 30 grams has 110 calories nutritional value. Or, 2 seed-sized meatballs weighing approximately 50 grams has 45 calories nutritional value.

Another thing that deserves attention, to anticipate things that do not leave unwanted babies who had been enjoying finger food alone. Remember, he is still learning to eat. Avoid finger food in the form of nuts, pop corn, or other foodstuffs which are small because it was feared could make it choke.

Benefits of the Finger Food for Babies

There are a lot of benefits contained in the finger food, including:

Baby will learn to feed themselves Hold and insert your own food into the mouth is one way of learning for your child to feed themselves. Later this will foster confidence of the baby that she or he is able to perform activities of self-feeding and do not need to be fed again.

Starting solid foods first

Providing finger food can also be classified as a training to give solid foods. It’s just more special form which can be grasped by the hand of the little guy.

Stimulate the baby’s fine motor skills

When the baby holding a finger food with their fingers, followed by a slipped it into his mouth, has actually been classified as a training to the development of baby’s fine motor skills. Particularly the holding reflex.

Stimulates tooth growth generally ahead of teething.

Your baby will experience itching in the gums as the time pass. Providing finger food can stimulate the growth of teeth, while reducing the itching that can result from finger food which generally has a texture.

Providing various kind of finger food which various taste can also be used as a medium to introduce variety in the baby food flavor. So that future children may prefer foods with a wide variety of flavors.

Baby Finger Foods : First Vegetable or Fruit?

Some nutritionists recommend that vegetables are introduced to the baby before the fruit. The reason is that the fruit that tastes sweet will make a less sweet vegetables become unattractive for the baby. Start with vegetables that tasted bland like potatoes, green beans, squash and cucumbers. Then, introduce new fruits such as bananas, avocados, pears, and others.

“Introduction” also should be gradual. In a sense, a food ingredient used in a certain period of time, and then introduced to other foods. Example, present the menu of green beans for 4 days on the little guy, only then introduced him to other foodstuffs.

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