The big snack: when your baby wants to nibble

The most important things in brief

• Parents are role models for their babies in everything, and that also applies to food.
• After a certain age, which can be different for all infants, a large part of the observations revolve around nutrition.
• As soon as babies can hold food in their hands, the big snacking can begin.
• Parents only need to keep a few basic things in mind.

Finger food means finger food because you are eating with your fingers. Sounds reasonable. And what is true for adults is even more true for babies. Because if babies can grab and hold their food with their own fingers, then they can decide for themselves when to put something in their mouth. If in doubt, very often, because the feeling for the degree of saturation often does not work properly.

Healthy finger food in the right dose

Parents don't just have to pay attention to what kind of finger food they give their little darling. But also on the crowd. And, last but not least, the haptic component of the food served. Because with finger food - the name suggests it - it is not least important to be able to grab the food with your fingers.

Ideally, your baby already masters the so-called tweezer grip, i.e. grasping the food with two fingers. Then vegetable sticks such as a carrot are just the right thing, a piece of a peeled apple or a bit of baguette (without the rind) is also perfect for your child. If he can't hold the food with this grip yet, but needs a fist to do it, then the pieces have to be a little bigger.

Doesn't a baby need teeth first?

Many parents believe that baby teeth – or at least some of them – must be in place before infants can experience solid food. But that's not true, because if the food given isn't hard, even babies can usually easily crush and crush the food with their tongue or with the chewing strips, which still have no teeth. You can also find delicious baby snacks here.

The fact that food falls on the floor or that your baby deliberately throws the food on the floor: free of charge. The little ones learn the principle of gravity. And of course they don't know that food isn't thrown away either. So be patient with your protégé. And at the beginning of the experiment, make sure your child is in a good sitting position before you hand your daughter or son a solid piece of food.

Sitting upright is extremely important

Whether in the high chair, on mum's lap or on dad's knees: Parents must make sure that their baby is sitting as upright as possible before they start eating vegetable sticks and the like swallowed solid food. Especially when the piece of carrot is still a little too hard, there is a certain risk of swallowing it.

Otherwise, let your child try out a lot, if not everything. Don't say no too often, that will curb natural curiosity and interest in food in the long run - and that would be a shame.