3 Fast and Healthy Finger Food Recipes for Your Baby (2024)

Watching your baby taste real food for the first time is one of the most exciting milestones for a new parent to witness. Your baby’s life suddenly becomes more fun and interesting (not to mention messy!), and your daily routine as a parent changes too. But starting solids can also be confusing - especially for first-time parents.

Should you start solids at four or six months? Should you only serve purees or should you jump right into finger foods like your friend did? And what about common allergens like peanut butter and eggs?

You’ve likely heard many conflicting and confusing messages around first foods, which can be frustrating. Luckily, registered dietitians like myself and organizations such as the Egg Farmers of Canada are helping new parents navigate the confusing messages around starting solids since the guidelines have recently changed...for the better!

What are the new guidelines surrounding new food introduction?

The new infant feeding guidelines, issued by Health Canada, the Canadian Pediatric Society, Dietitians of Canada, and the Breastfeeding Committee for Canada all recommend introducing solids around six months of age. Usually, this is when your baby shows signs of readiness such as sitting up on her own and showing interest in solids. Iron-rich foods should be introduced right from the get-go, as your baby's iron needs increase around this time. Iron is an important mineral for brain health and red blood cell production. Although babies have a reserve built up from being in the womb, at about six months it starts to deplete and a daily dose of iron-rich solid foods is needed to keep your baby physically and developmentally healthy.

It’s now recommended that babies be introduced to a variety of textures within the first few months of starting solids—spoon-feeding purees is no longer the one and only way. In fact, you can jump right in with soft finger foods if you feel comfortable with it, just like I did with my daughter.

3 Fast and Healthy Finger Food Recipes for Your Baby (1)

The new guidelines also suggest that parents need not delay the introduction of common allergens such as whole, well-cooked eggs, peanuts, and fish. These foods may now be introduced as early as six months because we now know that early introduction can help to prevent food allergies later on. My daughter's first food was a hard-boiled egg cut into quarters. She loved it and has enjoyed eggs regularly ever since.

Why eggs are a great choice for your baby

As a mom and a dietician, I love that eggs have six grams of high-quality protein and 14 essential nutrients. They are also a natural source of choline, a nutrient that plays an important role in brain development. Not only are eggs one of the most nutritious foods on the planet, they are also extremely versatile, economical, and easy to prepare. They have a mild texture and taste that babies love and they are easy for them to self-feed, chew and digest. Eggs, in fact, are an excellent, yet largely overlooked first food option for babies.

When my kids were babies, we would often make baked poached eggs (crack whole eggs into greased or non-stick muffin tins and bake at 375F until hard boiled) because they made for such an easy, nutritious meal or snack. I will definitely be doing this again when baby #3 starts solids.

Here are three more of our favourite egg recipes that babies can pick up and eat themselves starting at six months of age:

Mini zucchini and carrot egg muffins

These mini snacks are great for on-the-go or for a quick meal. They also freeze very well.

Ingredients:

6 whole eggs
1/3 cup water, breast milk, formula or milk, depending on age of baby (whole cow’s milk should not be introduced until 9 months)
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 cup carrots, grated
1 small zucchini, grated
1/3 cup grated cheddar cheese

Directions:

3 Fast and Healthy Finger Food Recipes for Your Baby (2) Preheat oven to 375F and grease a 24-cup mini muffin tin.

3 Fast and Healthy Finger Food Recipes for Your Baby (3) Whisk eggs, water or milk and garlic powder together.

3 Fast and Healthy Finger Food Recipes for Your Baby (4) Add grated carrot and zucchini and whisk until combined.

3 Fast and Healthy Finger Food Recipes for Your Baby (5) Using a tablespoon measure, spoon mixture into muffin tins.

3 Fast and Healthy Finger Food Recipes for Your Baby (6) Sprinkle grated cheese on top of each muffin.

3 Fast and Healthy Finger Food Recipes for Your Baby (7) Place in the oven and bake for 20-minutes.

3 Fast and Healthy Finger Food Recipes for Your Baby (8) Remove from oven and allow 10-minutes to cool.

Makes 24 mini muffins

3 Fast and Healthy Finger Food Recipes for Your Baby (9)

Baby's first meatballs

Made with ground meat, oats, eggs, and veggies, these meatballs are a finger food your baby will love. They also freeze well and make for great leftovers!

Ingredients:

1lb of lean ground meat (I usually use extra lean ground beef or bison)
1/2 cup rolled oats
2 eggs
1 cup grated or chopped veggies (I use a combo of grated carrot, chopped spinach, and grated zucchini)
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 tsp garlic powder
other dried herbs (optional)

Directions:

3 Fast and Healthy Finger Food Recipes for Your Baby (10) Preheat oven to 400F and line or grease a baking sheet.

3 Fast and Healthy Finger Food Recipes for Your Baby (11) Combine all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well with clean hands.

3 Fast and Healthy Finger Food Recipes for Your Baby (12) Form into 24 medium-sized balls and place on a lined, greased, or non-stick baking sheet.

3 Fast and Healthy Finger Food Recipes for Your Baby (13) Place in the oven and bake for 12-minutes, or until they reach an internal temperature of 170F.

Makes 24 meatballs

3 Fast and Healthy Finger Food Recipes for Your Baby (14)

Baby-Friendly Apple Cinnamon Oat Muffins

These muffins are moist and delicious. They are a healthy option for breakfast (or any meal) as well as snacks.

Ingredients:

2 eggs
3 ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup whole milk, or unsweetened almond milk (whole milk shouldn’t be introduced until at least 9 months)
1/4 cup packed brown sugar - optional (you may leave this out, especially for babies younger than 9 months)
2 tbsp butter
2 tsp vanilla
2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
3/4 tsp baking powder
dash of salt
3 small peeled apples or pears, chopped finely

Instructions:

3 Fast and Healthy Finger Food Recipes for Your Baby (15) Preheat oven to 375F and grease a muffin tin (or mini muffin tin).

3 Fast and Healthy Finger Food Recipes for Your Baby (16) In a large bowl, mix together eggs, bananas, milk, packed brown sugar, butter, and vanilla until blended well.

3 Fast and Healthy Finger Food Recipes for Your Baby (17) Mix oats, cinnamon, baking powder and salt together in a separate bowl.

3 Fast and Healthy Finger Food Recipes for Your Baby (18) Combine wet and dry ingredients. Add chopped apple or pear and combine until well blended.

3 Fast and Healthy Finger Food Recipes for Your Baby (19) Fill muffin tins almost to the top (they don't expand too much).

3 Fast and Healthy Finger Food Recipes for Your Baby (20) Bake for 25 mins or until golden brown.

Makes 12 regular muffins or 24 mini muffins

3 Fast and Healthy Finger Food Recipes for Your Baby (21)

Enjoy!

3 Fast and Healthy Finger Food Recipes for Your Baby (2024)

FAQs

What is a healthy finger food for a 1 year old? ›

Once your baby is 1 year old, you can introduce 2 healthy snacks in between meals. For example: vegetables, such as broccoli florets, carrot sticks or cucumber sticks. slices of fruit, such as apple, banana or soft, ripe peeled pear or peach.

What are healthy finger foods for kids? ›

Finger foods are small pieces of food that children can pick up and eat by themselves. From around 8 months, small, soft pieces of fruit are good for finger foods. Start with pear, banana, melon, kiwifruit or avocado. Small pieces of cooked vegetables make great finger foods too.

What are three finger foods? ›

Safe Finger Foods for Kids

hard (like a raw carrot) round (like a slice of hot dog or a whole grape) sticky (like a spoonful of nut butter)

What is the easiest finger food for babies? ›

What are the best baby finger foods?
  • Banana.
  • Pear.
  • Blueberries.
  • Mango.
  • Peach.
  • Strawberries.
  • Avocado.
  • Steamed soft carrot, sweet potato or parsnip sticks.

What finger foods can a 7 month old eat? ›

Some good finger food ideas:

Rice cakes. Very ripe, peeled pear or banana pieces. Tofu chunks. Scrambled eggs.

What is easy party food for 1 year old? ›

Tempt little fingers with big, colourful bowls of fresh fruit like sliced apples, melon and blueberries. Or hummus to dip carrot and cucumber sticks in to. And when it comes to the cake, why not make mini muffins? They're perfect for little hands to pick up!

When can baby eat cheerios? ›

Eating solid foods is an exciting milestone. But you might wonder what to start with and when to introduce certain foods like Cheerios and other cereals. According to Dr. Whitney Casares, babies start eating Cheerios at about eight months to nine months old.

What cheese can baby eat? ›

Cheese can form part of a healthy, balanced diet for babies and young children, and provides calcium, protein and vitamins. Babies can eat pasteurised full-fat cheese from 6 months old. This includes hard cheeses, such as mild cheddar cheese, cottage cheese and cream cheese.

Are finger foods for babies? ›

Once your baby is a pro at eating soft mashed foods, they may be ready to move on to finger foods around 8 months. They have the dexterity to pick the food up and release it or mash it, and will become more efficient and independent as they master the pincer grip around 9 months.

What are the first finger foods for kids? ›

Read on for plenty of tasty-yet-safe finger food suggestions.
  • Bread or crackers. Even babies who can't pick things up with their fingers can hold a biscuit or a piece of lightly toasted bread in their hands and suck on it until it dissolves into a gooey mess. ...
  • Oat circle cereal. ...
  • Cheese. ...
  • Fruit. ...
  • Veggies. ...
  • Fish. ...
  • Meatballs. ...
  • Tofu.
Nov 15, 2022

What finger foods can a 9 month old eat? ›

Finger Foods for Baby: Fruits and Veggies
  • Mashed roasted sweet potato, broken up into small pieces.
  • Warmed frozen peas, slightly mashed if desired.
  • Roasted Zucchini.
  • Diced Roasted Sweet Potato or Butternut Squash.
  • Fresh blueberries, cut in half or quarters.
  • Fresh raspberries, broken into small pieces.
Jun 14, 2021

What should a 6 month old eat first finger foods? ›

To start with, your baby only needs a small amount of solid food, once a day, at a time that suits you both. You can start weaning with single vegetables and fruits – try blended, mashed, or soft cooked sticks of parsnip, broccoli, potato, yam, sweet potato, carrot, apple or pear.

What foods should babies under 1 not eat? ›

Children younger than 24 months old should avoid added sugars. Foods high in salt (sodium), such as some canned foods, processed meats (e.g., lunch meats, sausages, hot dogs, ham), and frozen dinners should be avoided. Some snack foods and store-bought packaged toddler foods are high in salt.

What foods should babies avoid finger foods? ›

BE CAREFUL! ✘ Avoid foods that could cause choking: crisp fruits, hard candy, raw veggies, large pieces of meat, hot dogs, nuts, seeds, chips, whole grapes, popcorn, or dried fruit.

What age do babies change to table food? ›

Once your baby starts using her pincer grasp–the ability to grab objects using the pad of her thumb and index finger—she should be ready to self-feed with foods like beans, puffs and certain cereals. Generally speaking, a good time to start introducing table food is around eight months of age.

What food can I give my 9 month old baby? ›

You can expand your baby's diet to include soft foods such as yogurt, oatmeal, mashed banana, mashed potatoes, or even thicker or lumpy pureed vegetables. Eggs (including scrambled) are an excellent source of protein, as are cottage cheese, Greek yogurt, and avocado.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Cheryll Lueilwitz

Last Updated:

Views: 6768

Rating: 4.3 / 5 (74 voted)

Reviews: 89% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Cheryll Lueilwitz

Birthday: 1997-12-23

Address: 4653 O'Kon Hill, Lake Juanstad, AR 65469

Phone: +494124489301

Job: Marketing Representative

Hobby: Reading, Ice skating, Foraging, BASE jumping, Hiking, Skateboarding, Kayaking

Introduction: My name is Cheryll Lueilwitz, I am a sparkling, clean, super, lucky, joyous, outstanding, lucky person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.