Key Points at a Glance
- Parents serve as role models for their babies in every way, and that goes for eating, too.
- Starting at a certain age—which can vary from infant to infant—a large part of the observations revolve around feeding.
- As soon as babies can hold food in their hands, it's time to start snacking in a big way.
- Parents just need to keep a few basic things in mind.
Finger food is called finger food because you eat it with your fingers. That makes sense. And what applies to adults applies even more so to babies. After all, when infants can grab and hold their food with their own fingers, they can also decide for themselves when to put some of it in their mouths. In many cases, this happens very often, because their sense of fullness often isn’t fully developed yet.
Healthy finger foods in the right portions
So parents need to pay attention not only to the type of finger food they give their little ones, but also to the amount. And, last but not least, they need to consider the tactile aspect of the food they’re giving them. After all, with finger foods—as the name suggests—it’s crucial that children be able to pick up the food with their fingers.
Ideally, your baby has already mastered the so-called “pincer grip”—that is, picking up food with two fingers. In that case, vegetable sticks like a carrot are just the thing; a small piece of a peeled apple or a bit of baguette (without the crust) is also perfect for your child. If your baby can’t hold the food with this grip yet and still needs to use a fist, then the pieces need to be a little bigger.
Doesn't a baby need to grow teeth first?
Many parents believe that baby teeth—or at least some of them—must be present before infants can begin eating solid foods. But that’s not true, because if the food offered isn’t hard, even babies can usually crush and break it down quite easily with their tongues or with their toothless gums. You can find delicious baby snacks here, for example.
It’s no big deal if food falls on the floor or if your baby occasionally flings it on the floor on purpose. That’s how little ones learn the principle of gravity. And, of course, they don’t yet know that you’re not supposed to throw food away. So be very patient with your little one. And when you start the “experiment,” make sure your child is sitting upright before you place a solid food item in your daughter’s or son’s hand.
Sitting up straight is extremely important
Whether in a high chair, on Mom’s lap, or on Dad’s knee: Parents must make sure their infant is sitting as upright as possible before introducing vegetable sticks and the like. This is because any other sitting position increases the risk that the child will choke on solid foods. Especially when that piece of carrot is just a little too hard, choking poses a certain risk.
Otherwise, the rule is: Let your child try—if not everything, then at least a lot of things. Don’t say “no” too often; in the long run, that stifles natural curiosity and interest in food—and that would be a shame.
