Baby's first finger foods

I have an adorable 9-month-old niece who is ready to start finger foods. This process can seem scary to new moms as they navigate the world of introducing new food to their babies. It's really not difficult if you start thinking in terms of transitioning the baby from breastmilk or formula and baby food/purees to the same table food that the whole family eats.

At some time between 4- to 6-months of age we start feeding our babies purees and baby cereal. During the next several months parents carefully introduce many fruits, vegetables, grains, meats, beans, and dairy to the baby, watching for any preferences and food allergies.

After a while babies get the hang of being fed, and you can introduce safe finger foods so they can practice picking up food, putting it in their mouths, chewing (or as close to it as they can get without back teeth) and swallowing.

My sister wanted ideas of finger foods to introduce, so I suggested the following:

Baby “puffs,” or Cheerios

Small pieces of soft fruit: peaches, plums, grapes, bananas, apples or pears cut into tiny “matchsticks”

Small pieces of soft cooked veggies: carrots, sweet potatoes, green beans, beets, squash

Tiny shreds of tender meat: chicken, beef, turkey

Beans (cut in half if large)

Shredded cheese

Whole wheat toast that has been cut into very small pieces

Scrambled eggs

French toast that is cut into very small pieces

Small pasta
Tofu

You get the idea. You can really feed your baby small pieces of any food that he/she has already been eating as a puree. You can also introduce any new foods they are ready to try this way, just be careful to keep an eye out for signs of food allergies.

Please be careful and watch your baby as they try new things. Some babies are fine with new textures while others gag more easily. Start out cutting food into the smallest size they can pick up. I remember sitting at the kitchen table with a knife just chopping food into tiny pieces for Ned, thinking he would never be able to handle anything bigger than a speck. I cut grapes into sixteenths. Slowly he has advanced (and gotten more teeth) and at 17 months he eats what we do – I am happy to hand him a piece of toast or bagel and watch as he chomps away!

Today's tip: Once your baby has the hang of being fed purees you can slowly introduce finger foods.

Egg Triangles

My kids aren't huge fans of scrambled eggs, but they love egg triangles! They are just as easy to make for a yummy breakfast, brunch, or quick dinner like the one the kids had Saturday night (after a day of too many snacks).

Beat up as many eggs as you need with a little water or milk. Lila (4) can eat two, Deacon (2) just gets one. Preheat a small nonstick skillet over medium heat and spray with cooking spray. Pour a thin layer of eggs in the pan and let them cook until they are practically set. Gently flip the eggs over to quickly cook the other side. Remove to a plate and slice like a pizza. Voila, egg triangles! They can be cut further if your child wants to use a fork (in our house they are finger food). My kids dip them in a bit of ketchup, but salsa would be a great choice here, too.

Lila helped me cook these, so I broke all the eggs into a container with a tight-fitting lid. She shook the eggs to beat them, then I did the cooking at the stove.

 Today's tip: Try egg triangles instead of scrambled eggs.

Excellent eggs

It's that time of the year! Do you have a big bowl of colored eggs? This is a great time of the year to try hard-boiled eggs if your kids don't eat them already. They are one of the best sources of protein, plus vitamins (including vitamin D!) and minerals.

Kids love to crack and peel them. Here are some ideas for adding hard-boiled eggs to meals:

• Slice eggs horizontally and use them for a "circle meal" or as the centers of pepper flowers
• Make quick egg salad -- mash peeled eggs with a potato masher, then add a bit of mayo or greek yogurt, mustard, and chopped celery. To add more crunch I often add finely chopped carrots and peppers, too. This makes a yummy sandwich on whole-grain bread, or add a small scoop to half a seeded tomato or pepper for lunch in an edible bowl.
• For a hearty breakfast: cut a slice of toast in half, add sliced hard-boiled eggs and a bit of reduced-fat cheese. Throw this in the toaster oven or broiler for a minute to melt the cheese, then add the other half of the toast for a delicious breakfast sandwich.
• Add chopped hard-boiled eggs to a salad.

Be safe! Make sure that hard-boiled eggs are well chilled. They should not spend more than a few hours total out of the refrigerator during the cooking and dying process, including any time they are out for display or egg hunts. Eat hard-boiled eggs within a week of cooking.

Today's tip: Enjoy eggs!