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Finger food is food that is easy for babies to bite, chew and hold on their own. Finger food can be given to introduce certain foods to your little one
Babies aged 8-9 months are usually ready to feed themselves. By giving him finger food, Mother can train her little one to eat without being fed, as well as train their fine motor skills, as well as their ability to bite and chew food.
Different Finger Foods for Babies
Are you still confused about the choice of food to make finger food? Come on, let's look at some types of food that Mother can make finger food for the Little One:
1. Boiled vegetables
For starters, you can give it vegetables, such as potatoes, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, or sweet potatoes. But before giving it, steam or roast the vegetables until they are soft.
After that, cut it into small pieces so that the little one can hold it. Besides being he althy, boiled vegetables also provide lots of good nutrition for baby's development.
2. Fruit cut
Besides boiled vegetables, another food that Mother can make as a snack for your little one is fruit. Bananas, cucumbers, avocados, mangoes, pineapples, cantaloupe, pears, and watermelons are various fruits that you can serve as finger food. In addition, dried fruit such as raisins and dried apricots that are cut into pieces can also be given as snacks or additional finger food for your little one.
Before giving it to your little one, make sure the fruit has been cut into small pieces and cleaned of skin and seeds.
3. Pasta
Although in Indonesia, pasta is still rarely used as a snack for babies, this food can actually be used as an option for finger food. Give the Little One the pasta that has been boiled until it is completely cooked.
The type of pasta that can be given to babies is fusilli or pasta that has been cut into small pieces.
4. Cereal
Mom can also give cereal as a finger food snack for your little one. Give him a cereal that is easy for him to handle and choose one that is low in sugar and without added coloring.
5. Toast
Toast can be a finger food menu for babies when they get older. Cut the toast into small pieces, so your little one can grip it easily.
6. Egg
Eggs are foods that are rich in protein, choline, vitamins B2, B12, and folate which are good for baby development. But before giving eggs to your little one, make sure the eggs are fully cooked. The reason is, undercooked or raw eggs may still contain Salmonella bacteria which can cause poisoning for babies.
7. Cheese
Cheese contains calcium which is good for supporting baby's bone growth. Therefore, giving cheese as a complementary food to breast milk (MPASI) in the first year is the right thing. Choose a cheese that has a soft, odorless, and non-sticky texture.
8. Meat
Meat is a good source of iron for growth. Mothers are advised to give meat when the little one can be introduced to complementary foods (MPASI). Before giving it to your little one, make sure the meat has been cooked until tender and shredded to make it easier to chew.
Every time you give finger food to your little one, you need to taste it first to make sure the food is easy to bite, the cut is right, soft, and melts in the mouth.
Introducing finger food to babies from an early age is important. However, you should still be aware of the possibility of your little one choking while eating it. So, always supervise and accompany your little one when consuming finger food, yes, Bun.
