All in a Day's Work...: First Finger Foods!

Several different friends have been asking me lately what I feed my 10 month old since she won't eat pureed baby food, so I thought I would share a few! Not because I am a know it all or have really any clue what I'm doing haha -- but just so you can have some new ideas for your sweetness. Sometimes we get in a rut and it's nice to have some new inspirations.

Since my baby only has two teeth and started finger food basically instead of pureed food, it needed to be really soft so she wouldn't choke. We got a late start on solids because it took Jules so long to get the hang of nursing and I didn't wanna mess with a good thing too early. So she was around 7 months when we started solids. There are LOTS of different opinions on what to start with but that's a different post for a different day!!!

Here are some ideas for your little one. Acorn and butternut squash are great because they get really soft. I just cut them in half, de-seed and put them face down in a baking dish with about 1/2 inch of water. Bake at 400 for, oh, about 15-25 minutes. I also plop a sweet potato in the oven too. Needs nothing but a cookie sheet below in case it drips. Roast until soft enough for your baby.

Then I peal and put in Tupperware. It's great because it lasts you the whole week! You can just grab a few cubes and be done.

I've also been trying to give her meats. I'm not gonna lie....baby food meat literally makes me gag. I know she needs the protein and iron and many other wonderful things meat provides but it grosses me out! She loves ground meat because while cooking it in a pan I can chop it up really tiny. I also add a little cumin to it -- did you know you can use spices in your babies food??? Yum! I've given her ground beef, chicken and turkey.

Another thing we do that I know sounds weird at first.........is tofu. Regardless of your feelings about tofu it's a great source of protein and actually ideal finger food since it's so soft. You can buy soft or firm tofu it really doesn't matter. I prefer to make sure it's Non - GMO. What I quickly discovered was that it was too slimy for her to grab. So I put some oatmeal cereal and cinnamon in a bowl and tossed the cubes in it.

Another perfect finger food that requires NO work is avocado! Full of good fats and oils, avocado is a favorite for Jules because it's nice and soft --- and of course, lets just face it, avocado is amazing!

When it comes to green beans, peas, carrots and corn I've actually gone with frozen. I couldn't get fresh soft enough when cooking. A huge plus of these frozen treats is that you can pour just what you need.

If you're having trouble with your baby wanting to eat bananas because of the texture (or maybe none of your kids are as sensitive as mine!!!) , try breaking the banana into it's natural 3 sections. They love it cause then they can hold it like a Popsicle!

And of course there's good ol Joe's O's!!! She loves these and I feel good about giving them to her :)

Trader Joe's also carries these awesome freeze dried fruit. They are just like meltables except they are just fruit!

Next time you're in the baby isle and grabbing for some puffs, check the back! I decided all the extra sugar was unnecessary in baby puffs!!!! I found these organic puffs at sprouts and she likes them just as much.