Finger foods are often introduced to babies around 8 months of age. As your baby's dexterity improves, she develops the pincer grasp and the ability to pick up small objects with a finger and the thumb. She is also ready for more variety in food texture at this age. When choosing finger foods, avoid items that could become a choking hazard such as whole grapes, nuts, raw vegetables, hot dogs and popcorn. If a food is naturally soft, melts in the mouth, can be mashed easily or can be gummed, it generally makes a good finger food for your baby, according to FamilyDoctor.org.
Fruit
Wash and peel fruit such as a soft well-ripened plum, apricot, peach, and banana. Cut the fruit into small pieces. Consider delaying the introduction to fruits that are more likely to trigger an allergic reaction. This is especially advisable if any family member has allergies. The University of Maryland Medical Center lists the following fruits as frequently responsible for allergic reactions: strawberries, melon and tropical fruits such as pineapple.
Cooked Vegetables
Offer your baby small soft pieces of well-cooked vegetables such as carrots, sweet potatoes, green beans, or peas. You don't need to add any salt, sugar, butter or oil to the cooked vegetables; just allow him to enjoy their natural flavors. Even if he does not take to a vegetable immediately, keep offering it from time to time. Babies may need to taste a new food several times before growing accustomed to it.
Pasta
Offer your baby macaroni or long thin noodles cut into bite sized pieces. Avoid shapes like pasta shells, which could present a choking hazard. Cook the pasta well, making it easier for baby to chew. Don't put any seasonings or sauce on the pasta.
Cereal
Whole-grain O-shaped cereal is a common finger food for babies. Fortified with vitamins and minerals, ready-to-eat cereals offer an interesting texture for your baby, an alternative to the primarily soft fare she's been consuming up to this point. Avoid giving her highly sweetened cereals.
Cheese
Although you should delay the introduction of most dairy products until after age 1, you may give your baby small pieces of mild cheese. Cheese is a source of protein and of the fat that babies need for proper growth. Limit cheese intake to small amounts though, advises the National Institutes of Health.
