finger food ideas for 9 month old

cooks2010 · Aug 27, 2014

Hi, can anyone share there snack finger food ideas for a 9 month old.

At the moment for breakfast I alternate between egg yolk omelette cut into strips with toast strips and strips of rava-rice flour uttapum with onion/ coriander. This way we can have breakfast peacefully while she has fun and eats too.

After we feed her the main meal I will give hersome kind of fruit ( banana, melon, mango) or roasted slices of sweet potato, carrot etc. or pieces of roti. This keeps her busy while we have our own lunch/ dinner and while we clean up after.

Would love some other ideas too, where she can eat by herself.

Thanks,

Cooks.

Armaity25 · Aug 27, 2014

Hi.Here is a link.Hope it helps.There are many other useful recipes too for babies on this blog.Hope it helps.

http://indianbabyfood.blogspot.in/2009/01/finger-foods.html

cooks2010 · Aug 27, 2014

Thanks like the idea of pasta, didn't think of that.

Cooks

cooks2010 · Aug 29, 2014

I gave turkey meatballs today morning, she had fun eating them. Recipe below:

Mash 1 slice bread (crust removed ) with 1-2 tbsp water or buttermilk with fork. Mix this with 1/4 lb ground turkey ( 1/2 - 3/4 cup) , 1 egg yolk, ground pepper, 1-2 cloves ground garlic, grated Parmesan cheese ( optional), salt( optional).

Make medium size meatballs ( around 10) big enough for baby to hold, place them on plate, cover and place in fridge for 1 hr to firm. I left overnight and made in the morning.

Take some oil in non stick pan, cook meatballs till they are brown on all sides, around 10 min.

It was a little messy but she had great fun eating them!!

Cooks.

rose8282 · Sep 2, 2014

Cooks, is your baby able to pick up fruits? My little one picked up puffs since her 4th month itself but when she tries to pick up fruits like banana or any other and they slip away, she loses interest. This way she hasn't been picking up on anything. I tried making sooji plus carrot purée and she didnt like that texture. I am at wits end on how to make a progression from purée to other types. I do make her purees little thick but that's it. My pediatrician says all babies are different and let her take her time but I am not sure what to give now

For eg, I tried giving her bits of yolk omlette and she refuses to take it in. I feel I'm stuck with my options if I give her purees.

Chitravivek · Sep 2, 2014

rose8282: This may not be something you want to hear but this is how it went with my DD when she was baby: I used to give anything and everything in puree (rice, dal, fruits, veggies ect) up unti she was 12 months. Then I started giving rice and dal with textures. It took her a while to start chewing and liking it. Fruits like apples and pears I started giving as is from say 17 months with skin and she took it like a pro from the start.

I think your baby is acting normal and you should keep doing what youre now. Try giving gerber puffs and another yogurt melts in a bowl and see what happens. Those are small bits and can be easily handled by her. Give her mini idlis too in bite size. Baby carrots, cucumber thin slices,etc...

rose8282 · Sep 3, 2014

On the contrary, it's exactly what I wanted to hear, Chitra. My doctor said its ok but I just wanted reassurance from a mom that it's normal. It's just that I feel she takes a lot of time to get adjusted to something so I was trying different combinations but she refuses or is awefully slow, takes few spoons of textured food and then stops. Purees she just goes so fast. Anyway I will continue this. Thanks...what a relief!

cooks2010 · Sep 3, 2014

Hi rose,
In terms of banana, it was the same with my daughter, too slippery, then a friend of mine recommended this crinkle cutter. I bought it from amazon:

Dezine Black Handled Crinkle Cut Knife:Amazon:Kitchen & Dining

It really helped. I started with banana...she likes that. Then gave cantaloupe wedges, first time threw on floor, second time...one bite..again on floor, third time not interested. Then slowly fifth , sixth time she liked it. She did the same thing with watermelon, mango...banana was the only thing she liked in an instant.

The only thing with texture that she loves is kichdi...she has a bowl of that every evening. I used to make it with powdered rice, then normal rice but mashed it a little and then our normal kichdi but really soft and watery. I use a handful of rice, one handful masoor or moong dal ( I soak and pressure cook that before) and I mix a big bowl of finely cut vegetables ( carrot, green beans, potato, cabbage, eggplant, zucchini) with tiny bit of garlic/Ginger, hing, turmeric powder and pav bhajji masala. I added red chilli....she didn't like it...so I am sticking with pav bhaji masala. Start out really slow and only change one meal of the day with little texture. Even when I gave textured kichdi, she would spit it out, but because she likes kchdi, she kept eating and spitting too .

I give oatmeal in mid morning which is completely pureed with pureed fruits and prunes.

For the fruits...I would give at the end of a meal. She would ignore the piece at first, then slowly pick it up, play with it and take a tiny taste. I would just keep placing a piece of fruit or roasted sweet potato slices after the main meal and they will learn to pick it up. It took about a month for me, now I place anything in front of her and she grabs it, looks at it weird then tastes it. Then its up to get whether to continue eating or place on side.

For breakfast I got tired of trying to give her idli, upma etc etc...she didn't like it...it would ruin the start of the day and our breakfast too. That's when I stopped feeding her breakfast with a spoon, its just wasn't working. I gave her banana slices and then moved on to pieces of egg yolk and she liked that.

I think picking up food starts when they develop the pincer grip.. Mine just got the hang of that 2 weeks ago and now starts pulling at the rug, probing in the carpet with fingers and picking up tiny things from the carpet ( paper, plant leaves, etc etc)....so now I have to make sure I vaccumm.

I think it's completely normal to like purees, as you said take it slow. You can take my example..I ate jarred baby food till a year and started having textured food at 18 months. I turned out fine ...am a real foodie and love to eat everything.

I think as parents we worry about everything and just want reassurance that what we are doing is ok. For me, its that my baby isn't sitting or crawling, she spends her whole day rolling over, on her tummy and she's just happy that way. When I take her to storytime and see 6 month old sitting...I worry and feel..wow is she slow or something wrong. Anyway I am going off topic.

Try the crinkle cutter and take it slow..make sure she enjoys mealtimes and its not a battle. For us breakfast was a battle, lunch still is. She hates textured sabji with roti. She will eat pieces of roti, but when mixed with textured sabji spits everywhere. I still have to give her pureed sabji for lunch or the baby food pouch.

Cooks

tashidelek2002 · Sep 3, 2014

Cooks:
Glad to see you are allowing your baby to experience food. Some actions that babies use with food are not about disliking the food but about learning about their environment. You know, what they can do is limited and flinging a piece of something is learning that you can do something. It has nothing to do with the banana (or whatever). Experiencing texture by smearing it all over themselves and the table. Spewing stuff. Well this is just a phase so baby proof the high chair area and hose down your kid afterwards. It is not uncommon that a baby will take an hour to eat by themselves. Just putter around during the process and let your baby enjoy this new experience.

rose8282 · Sep 3, 2014

Cooks, thanks for the detailed reply! Thank you for the link of the crinkle cutter. I will try it. Earlier today I crushed Cheerios and coated banana bits with the powder. She was able to pick up some this way. After 3-4 bits, she got bored. Then I gave her a baby fork with the pieces and that way she had a couple after playing.
Previously we got this mesh thing (can't find where it is now in our home!). You can put a big chunk of fruit in it and the baby can hold it via a ring and suck on it till she eats it completely. My baby enjoyed watermelon like that but I lost it somewhere now.

Great pointers there on your transition. I am giving her fruits as part of snacks as I don't have time in the morning during breakfast.She goes to daycare now. Don't worry about sitting or crawling. Your daughter will pick up suddenly one day and surprise you by crossing a couple of milestones within a month!