Congratulations, your baby is now on his or her ninth month – this is probably the best time to introduce the finger foods for babies. It is true that one of the most exciting things in life is when your baby takes his or her first independent high chair experience. The first few months were designed to be full of joy but now that he or she is on his or her ninth month, things are about to get messy and fun. By this time, your baby is now toying around with his or her senses; usually the senses of touch and smell. But don’t you worry, the messy ride will bring a lot of learnings!

Worth the Risk

Self-feeding is quite risky at such an early age but it will vastly help your child develop his or her independence by setting healthy eating habits. This practice gives babies the control over what they want to eat and how much they want to eat because sometimes, the finger foods for babies you serve are not exactly what the babies want. If a child rejects the food you serve at first, it should not stop you from serving it during future meals. Usually, kids are sensitive and slow when it comes to accepting new tastes and textures.

What to Give and What Not to Give

Self-feeding makes your baby join your family’s bandwagon. This is the time where you put him or her in a high chair. When it comes to the dishes you serve, you should pick the ones that can often be adapted for babies. Like for example, your baby can have little bits of the chicken that is serve – as long as the portions you give are soft and easy to chew. The noted finger foods for babies are usually sweet potatoes, apples, pears, carrots, mac n’ cheese bits and chicken.

Babies usually get excited when they are seated in their high chairs, even when get their hands on finger foods. There is a wide variety of treats for your baby – but the list of what food to avoid is quite long as well. The list includes raw veggies, hard fruits, peanuts, whole hotdogs, untoasted bread, chunks of cheese, candy, popcorn, pretzels, snack foods and marshmallows. These are dangerous for your baby, they can cause your baby to choke. So before you put your baby in his or her high chair, consider putting up your own list of finger foods for babies so you won’t have to worry.