Giving finger foods to toddlers helps them develop coordination and fine motor skills and allows them to gain independence by learning to feed themselves. Toddlers often like to play with their food as much as, if not more than, they like to eat it. So, be patient during the finger food stage and expect that your child will make a mess at meal or snack time. Talk with your health care professional about choking risks associated with feeding toddlers and follow their instructions for the appropriate ages at which to introduce different foods.
Fruits
Cut fruits into strips to minimize choking risk, and cook hard fruits like apples and pears for younger toddlers. Halve or quarter grapes for children under four years old. Soft fruits such as ripe peaches and bananas are safer for young toddlers, but also messier.
Vegetables
Raw, hard vegetables can pose a choking risk, so cook baby carrots, broccoli or cauliflower trees and sweet potato sticks before offering them to a young toddler. Softer vegetables such as cucumber, zucchini or summer squash may be less of a risk. Serve vegetable sticks or strips with hummus, guacamole or salsa for dipping.
Grains
Many grain products work well as finger foods. Serve whole-grain crackers, animal crackers or graham crackers alone or spread with peanut butter or yogurt for dipping. Well-cooked pasta spirals or straight tubes, or pieces of toast spread with peanut butter, cream cheese or hummus also make healthy finger foods for your toddler. Whole-grain cereal rings or puffs make good finger foods for travel.
Meat and Dairy
Cut hard-boiled eggs into slices or wedges to make them finger-friendly. Once your toddler is able to chew food, offer low-fat cheese cubes or low-fat string cheese; these foods can pose a choking risk if swallowed whole.
Make quesadillas or grilled cheese sandwiches and cut them into finger food-sized strips. Roll up low-fat, low-sodium lunch meat spread with low-fat cream cheese around a well-cooked asparagus spear; cut the rolls into pieces as appropriate for your child's age and chewing ability.
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