Finger food for toothless 11month old

Christie - posted on 04/26/2009

my baby girl would not eat baby food at 8 mo, she did amazing things with her jaw LOL start small with whatever you give her, I gave mine cooked chicken (cut really small) mac n cheese, cooked veggies, toaster waffles (but I didnt butter them, she destroyed well enough herself) pancakes, anything you think wont upset they're tummy, just cut really small...

Meghan - posted on 04/26/2009

you can buy these mesh feeders that you out soft fruits, well cooks vegies and then chew on them and it comes out through the mesh so there is no chance of choking. I used this with my little one before she had teeth, but she didnt need it long her gums were so strong you would be suprised what they can get their gums to break down

Ann - posted on 04/26/2009

Hi slightly cook carrot battons,so they are not hard but not soft.Healthy and great to learn how to hold food to mouth.

Kristy-Lynn - posted on 04/26/2009

really small pieces of fruit or veggies but soft cooked. By now baby's gums will have toughened so they'll be able to chew it a little. Small pieces of meat like chicken.

Jael - posted on 04/26/2009

My (also toothless) 7 month old eats cheerios, chopped raisins, and bits of pepperoni. Also pieces of rice cake are good bit I suspect my daughter might be allergic to rice. Good luck and always remember that your baby loves you!

Joy - posted on 04/26/2009

Here are some fresh food suggestions, all cut into tiny pieces, like the size of half a pea : bananas, baked soft apples, baked soft peaches, green beans, cheese, spaghetti (With spaghetti I always use elbow noodles. In the begining I would take some of the noodles, put them in a baggie and crush them, then boil til soft, just to get him used to the texture, add sauce of your choosing and get ready for a mess!), grapes (skins removed is recommended and cut small), cooked carrotts, ........pretty much anything you would eat, just cooked til it can be mushed with your baby's tongue or easily chewed on (gummed on) and swallowed. My son got his teeth late also and was still on table food when he was 6 months old. Mashed potatoes are great also. Scrambled egg yolks. Cottage cheese. Mozzarella cheese. The list goes on and on.....just think mushy....if you can put it on your tongue and mash it on the roof of your mouth then it's probably ok for your baby. I also used the "puffs" they sell at most grocery stores as a quick snack. Mostly though, I tried to give him a healthy introduction to real food. Good luck and have fun mashing and cutting.....don't know for sure yet when it ends but that's how I started my son and he's a great eater....

Hanako - posted on 04/25/2009

Hi Anna,

My 6 month old has just started solids and we are only offering him finger food, no purees. He has no teeth but babies (especially at 11 months) have awesome jaws and gums so you little one shouln't have too many problems with most food.

My little boy manages most fruit and veg, meat and bread. Bread sticks are great for dipping in dips and mashed avocado.

Even if your little one isn't 'biting' off huge chunks you'd be surprised at how much they can gnaw off :)

It's all trial an error I guess.

Good luck ;)

Jennifer - posted on 04/25/2009

My kids loved Eggo waffles with enough butter to make them really soft, we maybe gave 1-2 squares at a time in the beginning, bits of biscuits, sliced American cheese, baby puffs, Cheerios, bits of those white powdered donuts. You could try the biter biscuits from Gerber. My kids did a lot of sucking on them. I gave fruit that I could soften a bit...ripe bananas, canned peaches, (peaches cut smaller in the beginning)

Please know that we started all of the above in very small amounts, making sure our kids could handle it and then advanced to larger amounts.

Hope this helps.

Megan - posted on 04/25/2009

Try the Gerber puffs. My 8 month old doesnt have any teeth yet and those things dissolve in your mouth. The banana cookies and other crackers work too, because they feel good against thier gums