10 Of The Best Finger Foods For Baby-Led Weaning

Baby-led weaning is really beneficial for your tot and it’s a great no-fuss, no-muss alternative to puree weaning.

Introducing finger foods helps develop biting, chewing and self-feeding skills and so long as you make sure you don’t give your baby any foods containing stones, pips or bones, it’s a great way to introduce him to a whole world of foods, flavours and textures.

With a few exceptions use this time to try and get all of the right nutrients and vitamins into your little one and encourage him to sample as many tastes as possible to really open up his palate.

Just remember to err on the side of caution and never leave your baby alone when he’s eating.

Sticks Of Mild Cheese
Cheese is a great source of calcium for your baby, which he needs plenty of to grow healthy and strong.

Hard Boiled Egg Slices
Packed with protein and vitamin A, egg slices are easy to digest and bursting with benefits for your growing child.

Slices Of Raw Fruit
Fruits like mango, melon and avocado are soft enough for your baby to eat raw and have delicious flavours that he’ll probably like.

Carrot Sticks
Arm your baby with chip-sized pieces of cooked carrot for him to munch on. Carrot is packed with vitamin A, which is ideal for helping your baby’s eyesight develop.

Cooked Fruit
Cooked apple and pear don’t only work well as purees – sliced up, they’re perfect as finger food.

Be warned that the mushy, soft texture can get a little messy, and more may end up on your baby's face than in his stomach, but it's a great source of fibre, vitamin C and water, too.

Steamed Broccoli, Asparagus And Baby Sweetcorn
All of these are packed with vitamins and easy for your tot’s tiny hand to grip on to. Plus, each of these give your baby the chance to try some new textures.

Salt-Free Rice Cakes
Perfect for when you’re on-the-go, rice cakes are easy for babies to eat with their hands (and relatively mess-free).

Just opt for salt-free ones to keep his intake to a minimum. If serving them for lunch, top them with humous or cream cheese so they aren’t too dry.

Small Strips Of Meat
Meat is packed with protein and great for supporting your baby's growth. Cook chicken, beef or other meat really well before chopping it up into manageable sizes for him to eat.

Omelette Strips
Chunks of omelette are another clever way to get plenty of protein into your baby and a different way to serve him egg.

Cucumber Slices
The crunchy texture of raw cucumber is brilliant for soothing sore gums and teething pains. Plus, cucumber contains lots of water to keep your baby hydrated.

Do you have any other brilliant weaning foods to recommend?

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