Finger Foods

My little guy really like cooked diced carrots or green beans at this point too. Also cubes of sweet potato, or even regular potatos. You might want to try some watermelon...it is so mushy that it should dissolve pretty easily. Like Brenda said, just about anything you eat, she can have, so have fun. Ohh, I would also be careful with strawberries, I believe they are an allergenic food for some kids too, so you might want to wait until she is alittle older. Ohhh yeah..my son really liked the "freeze dried" fruits, like the ones gerber makes. (In the baby food isle). Good luck! ~A.~

Canned foods are good first finger foods, and steamed veggies too. You can buy a lot of that organic too - it's even at Wal-Mart. Peas, carrots, green beans. You can microwave a sweet potato and dice it. Steamed broccoli was a favorite for our kids. Pasta was always fun -- angel hair or elbow or wagon wheel shaped. The spiral pasta always seemed to cause more choking, but probably would be fine if you chop it. Of course, there's Annie's Naturals macaroni and cheese.
When ours were still mostly on baby food but beginning to experiment like this, I just made sure something I served was appropriate for the baby, then chopped it up.

It's probably the banana that has made her constipated. I'd avoid it altogether or keep it to a small amount once a week. My son couldn't even take a nibble of a banana -- he wouldn't have a BM for days afterwards.

At that age my son loved blueberries. They are in season right now, a good finger food, not too messy and mash down pretty easy if swallowed without being chewed first.

Another good item is cherrios.

Just get out your paring knife and start chopping, Mom. She can have anything you can, if you chop it small enough. They eat so much better once they begin to feed themselves. No citrus fruits until later on and no peanut butter or nuts. It's quite an adventure. Email me at my website and I'll send you a document with lots of menu ideas for little ones from this age and older.

http://www.missbrenda.com

I give my daughter at that age (she only had 2 teeth at the time so I got things easily mashed):

Bannana's, Avacados, Gerber Apples & Peaches, Pasta, bread, Pasta Pickups, puffs, Sweet Potatoes, Gerber Carrots, Gerber mashers, gerber sides, gerber soups. I tried oranges but she wont eat or drink anything citrus. Prob has to do with me being preg. I couldnt eat or drink anything Citrus it made me ill.

Now that she is a year and has 6 teeth she eats:

Gerber Graduate meals, pasta with tomato sauce, Hard boiled eggs, Broccoli without the stems, Tuna casarole,chicken, meatloaf, cheese, tomatoe slices, mushrooms, crackers, carrots, eggs scrambled, pancakes, hashbrowns. Usualy anything that I am cooking with the exception of Spaggetti (she made a huge mess...she only wanted to play with it).

Just no nuts or peanut butter...not until she is 2 years old.

Just make sure things are soft and bite sized. My daughter prefers to eat her stage 2 fruits and veggies. Hey as long as she eats! I give her vitamins so I am not worried so much.

My son loves his "wagon wheels" from the Gerber Graduates collection as well as the "lil crunchies" and "puffs". I also give him in the morning a small pancake cut into slices or waffle ... and a slice of toast again sliced. Or some broccoli stems are great along with carrots (both steamed) or I am gonna make him tonight some sweet potatoe sticks (just bake them in the oven) Good Luck!

I'm with Brenda. Invest in a good knife because you are about to begin chopping and dicing and I'm still not sure when it ends!
I buy the small canned veggies - peas, corn, beets, asparagas..
small noodles - elbow, ect
my daughter loved toast with crm cheese.
Just try to remember - don't not give her something just because you don't like it. I would eat beets or asparagas if I had too but my daughter loves both. She will NOT touch a green bean though!

You have gotten lots of responses, but my daughter really learned to eat solids with the Honey Wheat cherios...at least they are whole wheat and don't cause any tummy problems.

http://www.amazon.com/Simply-Natural-Baby-Food-Delicious/...

I got this book at Healthy Approach and is has great recipes and tips for baby to older child. I highly recomend it!

Lots of vegan/wheat/dairy free meals, how to make your own milks, cereals, pancakes entrees... They are pretty easy too.

It suggests as finger foods:

scrambled eggs (wait until 10-12 months due to possible allergins)
cooked diced fish (wait until 10 months for rreason above)
fresh diced soft fruits (apricot, mango, peach, pears, watermelon, plum, cantaloupe...)
diced, cooked soft veggies (squash, potatoes, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, tomatoes)
whole grain bread chunks
rice cakes (recipe in book)
zweiback toast (recipe in book)
well cooked pasta
cooked, soft cubed tofu

I also used, shredded cheese, cottage cheese, saltines, whole peeled apple (my son just knawed on it, so he didn't risk choking on small bits), soft ground beef, soft shredded chicken...

Just give your baby a little at a time, b/c lots of children (my son especially) shoved every bit in his mouth, which could also be a choking hazard.