Begin offering your baby finger foods when they are ready, usually at around 7 months.
Finger food is food that is cut into pieces big enough for your baby to hold in their fist with a bit sticking out. Pieces about the size of your own finger work well.
Make sure finger foods are soft. Remember to remove skin, seeds, pits and check for bones.
Offer your baby a:
- range of finger foods from different food groups
- finger food at each meal alongside their main meal
Important
Never leave your baby alone while eating. Make sure they are sitting securely in their high chair and supervised at meal times.
Fruit and vegetable finger foods
Examples of suitable foods include:
- peeled cucumber sticks
- soft slices of peeled fruit such as avocado, banana, peach, nectarine, mango, melon, kiwi, ripe pear or apple (soft cooked if needed)
- soft cooked sticks of vegetables like carrot, parsnip, turnip
- soft cooked florets of cauliflower and broccoli
- soft cooked slices of pumpkin or butternut squash
Introducing finger foods from around 7 months on (video)
Bread and pasta finger foods
You can give your baby:
- fingers of toast
- 3 to 4 well-cooked pasta shapes like bow ties or shells
- bread stick with hummus
- a strip of naan or pitta bread with hummus or smooth peanut butter
- unsalted rice cake or corn cake with cream cheese or smooth nut butter
- 1 small pancake
- soft roasted or sticks of potato or sweet potato
Cheese finger foods
You can give your baby a stick of firm cheese such as cheddar.
Meat, poultry and eggs finger foods
You can give your baby:
- strips of freshly cooked tender meat or chicken with skins removed
- slices or fingers of omelette
- hard-boiled egg
- flaked fish (no bones)
Important
Never leave a baby alone during feeding as they could choke.
