When your baby reaches about 8 or 9 months of age, you'll notice he has developed his pincer grasp, the ability to pick up objects within his thumb and forefinger. This milestone, combined with his interest in eating your food, signals he is ready for finger foods. Babies without teeth actually use their gums to chew their food. Focus on choosing foods that can be gummed easily to avoid choking hazards.
Foods that Melt
Foods that naturally melt in your baby's mouth require no chewing and pose little choking risk. Choose foods such as dry, round pieces of cereal with holes in the middle--these allow the passage of air if it does become lodged in your baby's throat. She can easily grasp these pieces of foods once she develops the pincer grasp. Light and flaky crackers are easy to grasp and they melt quickly in a baby's mouth. Although slippery, a child can hold a square of flavored gelatin in her hand and it will dissolve once placed in her mouth.
Mushy Foods
Mushy foods include soft fruits--remove the skins first--and cooked foods. Pieces of banana, any soft fruit such as melon or mango, cooked vegetables such as cooked squash or sweet potatoes, or canned fruit are gummed easily. Pieces of pasta cooked until extra soft also have a mushy texture that he can eat easily. If you're concerned about allergies, wait until he reaches a year to introduce egg whites. You can still serve him scrambled egg yolks cut into bite-size pieces in the meantime.
Soft Foods
Soft foods, in small pieces, pose no choking risk. Some soft foods, such as cottage cheese, are messy, but she should easily be able to grip the curds. She can grip pieces of shredded cheese by the time she starts eating finger foods, as it's soft enough for her to gum. Tofu pieces tossed in a bag with finely crushed cereal or graham crackers function as a snack or as a protein replacement. Chicken or other soft meats boiled can be cut into pea-sized pieces to make it soft enough for her to eat.
