9 Month Old- Finger Foods

yes, you have rcvd a lot of great advice. a tip from my sister in law years ago was mashing avocados and bananas together - sounds so odd but my kids really loved it - healthy, easy, and safe even just cut up together without mashing
B

Hi PC,
I also have a 9 month old. She now eats all kinds of foods...mac and cheese, squash, sweet potato, banana, and pasta. I started with puffs. They are like little cereal bites that basically melt in their mouths. If you are nervous, I would start there.

The very first finger food I gave my daughter was Gerber Puffs. They melt rather quickly, so you don't really have to worry about choking. The first time I gave it to her I broke them up into about 5-6 small pieces (crazy mom, that I am) just to see how she'd do with them, and she was fine.

I fed mine cereal like cheerios and kix. my younger two also got the gerber puffs. Gerber also has the dry fruits that disolve in baby's mouth. They also like diced canned fruit.gerber makes them as well as some veggies. You can also make your own. I have also chopped up cooked meat for them all as well. eggs are good if no one in the family is allergic. hard boil and dice.toddlers turn everything they eat into finger food so just go ahead and feed baby what you eat just chop it small.

You have had great advice from the other Mom's so I won't repeat alot of it. One thing that I love to feed my little one when I am in a rush and don't have time for a grilled cheese,( which is easy for them to eat!) I take a piece of whole wheat bread and spread brie spreadable cheese on it. It is a mild cheese and is easy for you to do a quick snack while you steam veggies etc. My son loves it and I know he got a little calcium and protein. As you watch your child eat you will get more comfortable. My son started on "real" food at about 7 months with 2 teeth and was never happier. They can mash anything with those gums! His favorite was zucchini? Just keep in mind no raw veggies or anything they could choke on.

My daughter did not get teeth until 19 months. she ate everything we ate and did fine. we started with cheerios and puffs and went right up to meats and veggies cut small.

gerber puffs are great. They start to disolve once they are in their mouth so you don't have to worry about choking. If he doesn't have any teeth yet I would give him soft things that he can gum. ripe bananas and veggies that are cooked until they are very soft. I wouldn't worry about giving to many solids right now since he doesn't have teeth. Good luck

Don't push the table foods. If he doesn't have teeth, he isn't ready for lots of foods beyond baby food. If you want to start on something just to exercise his gums for when he does have teeth, try the gerber "little puffs". They are like cereal but softer and dissolve in your baby's mouth. You'll still need to monitor your son carefully but these are even better for cheerios because they are so soft in comparision. They come in lots of fruit and veggie flavors and there are also generic brands. Good luck.

Hi there,

As late as our first daughter began to get teeth, our second daughter was much later--she did not begin getting teeth until almost 12 months old (and she got 8 teeth within two weeks--it was so much fun!). Anyway, I had the same questions as you and here is what I did.

I offered small crackers that she could "gum" her way through. Also cheerios worked well. Goldfish crackers. Cut up (very small) fish fillets like flounder or salmon. Graham crackers are a great snack for kids this age. Very tender chicken cut into very small pieces as she got the hang of chewing. Fruits like melons/strawberries/anything soft cut up into tiny pieces.

Good luck and have fun. This is a great age.

Try Cheerios, my no teether did well with those. They are supposed to be safe since they have a hole in them for air if it doesn't get chewed well.

Gerber makes those Puffy treats that melt in the mouth. You need foods that will react quickly to the saliva. Cheerio's are a good one too, but I would break them in 1/2. Banana's are fun! Cut them up in to baby bites, I'm sure he will love them!

If you are afraid about choking, the mesh bags are great. I would auggest using the kind with the removable bags. I find them easier to clean than the ones with the bags attached.

Good luck!

Some will disagree, but I really think it's important to get him started on solid foods. By 1 year of age, our babies aren't necessarily getting all the calories and nutrients they need because they are so much more active. Transitioning to solid food takes a while, so if you start now, you can take it slowly. Plus it's important for you child to develop the manual dexterity that comes with eating finger foods (pincer grasp, etc.) At this point it's as much about developing a skill as getting nutrients.

I recommend Gerber Puffs to start with. Not much nutritional value, but they don't even need chewing and are good practice foods. Once he has those down, cheerios are good. Diced, cooked veggies, like carrots and squash. You'll find soon enough that he can mash food with his gums, so just keep the pieces small, and try different things in small amounts. The only things my daughter had a tough time with at that age were meats and veggies with skins, like beans.

I can't take credit for these ideas. These are ideas I wrote down on a list gotten from some of the Moms at Mamasource! Everyone gets a thank you! Some ideas you could use now, some later for when your boy can chew a little bit more. Here's the list:
"A really great teething item: frozen French fries. We give our daughter a huge frozen steak fry and she gnaws it and it really helps sooth her teething pains."
Also:
frozen blueberries
baked sweet potato fries (tossed with olive oil and sometimes herbs)
grilled zucchini (tossed with olive oil)
banana spears (she could hold and gnaw and I didn't fear choking)
peas
string beans – cooked
French toast, cut in cubes. I use whole grain bread and dip in a mix of soy milk and egg. I cook up a batch, freeze between layers of waxed paper, and defrost as needed. Eat plain or dipped in a little maple syrup
macaroni, mini shells
plain cubed fruit like melon
grapes cut in half.
Fruit- watermelon, blueberries, canned and fresh peaches, canned pears,
Graham crackers are also a favorite for an on-the-go snack.

It's really not necessary. Honestly, they should be getting most of their calories and nutrition from breast milk or formula for the first year of life. Other foods are just for practice and if you want to stick with soft foods longer it won't do any harm. My little ones all get their teeth a little later than most (my oldest was almost 11 mos old before she got her first tooth) and they were all little less-than-interested in solids during the first year, too. In fact, the youngest didn't really want *any* solid food, pureed or otherwise, until she was almost a year old.

But they all do get interested, they all learn how to eat solids and finger foods and real meals. So don't worry about it! Let your baby be your guide--if he's happy with pureed foods, great! It's not as though there's more nutrients in finger food. He has plenty of time to start finger foods in a few more months. Whatever you do, don't feel stressed or pressured about this. It should be fun for both of you, and it's not a race!

Keep up the good work, Mama!

Start with Cheerios - they'll met in the mouth - and they are the perfect size for those little finger grasping exercises.

Gerber Puffs are great they melt in their mouths so there is not a choking hazard.

Both of my sons got their teeth late, but we started finger food around 8 months. They mash soft foods with their gums. We started by cutting everything a little bigger than a pea and very soft (well steamed for the veggies). You can try bananas, cheerios (we started with them broken in half), pears, sweet potatoes, avocado, carrots, green beans, cottage cheese (large curd), cheddar and american cheese, ditalini (chili-mac) pasta, and peeled, thawed frozen peas. We peeled them because the skin is sort of tough and would make it hard to mash and digest. Our second son loves finger food so much, he doesn't care too much for baby food anymore at 10 mos. old.

P.Cp
Stick with what you doing.I nanny for a 11month old who still has only 2 teeth. He is unable to chew foods and sometimes chokes really scarry so mom and I have decided to wait untill more teeth come in.
D. D

Both of mine were 9 months before any teeth emerged, until teeth appeared, they had small pieces of watermelon, cooked potato, cut up grapes, cheerios.

you will be very surprised on how well gums work for chewing. they can really mash up a lot with those hard little gums! my son didn't have any teeth until about 10 months. after he tasted "regular" food he refused purees and was completely off baby food by 9 months! give soft veggies and fruits cut up into little pieces. pieces of avocado and banana are good no cook starters. toast point, bread sticks and pizza crusts were well loved by my little boys to suck on and play with. just watch them, and never leave unattended w/ food. also, don't be scared if you see him gag alot. since chewing is a new thing they have to learn how to use their tongue to keep the food out of the back of their throat so, gagging is a common reflex. although it may seem scary it's a natural action. another point to make note of is his interest in your food. does he oogle at your plate and try to reach out and grab stuff? if so that's a sure sign he's ready for table food. have fun!

ps. when our boys started eating. we simply gave then what we were having for dinner. we didn't cook extra food for them. of course, we tailored our dinners a bit so that there was a cooked veggies etc. and to this day if they won't eat something i usually have to grind on some garlic salt and pepper then it's tasty/flavored enough to eat!

At nine months, even though my baby had no teeth (except one or two in very front) she ate couscous, maccaroni & cheese, shredded mozzerella, avocados, pasta, mashed carrots and rice, mashed/cutup french toast (with the crust cut off/egg yolk only used, no syrup - just egg & bread), dipped in gerber #2 fruits (like plums or applesauce or something), tiny pieces of bananas, tiny, torn up pieces of chicken, cheerios, gerber banana puffs, zwieback toast, bagels and cream cheese (licks off the cheese & gumbs the bagel - LOVES THIS!). Hold off on uncooked vegetables and fruits (like apples, grapes, carrots) as well as citrus (causes diaper rash in lots of babies that small because of acidity), hot dogs (easily chokeable), milk & peanuts (for intollerance/allergies)for a while longer (after one year is okay). Also, if you feel your baby's gums, they are very hard with bones/teeth underneath the tissue. They can gnash things up much better than one would think! Go for it & have fun! Expose your baby to tons of stuff early on, because some are quite reluctant after they turn one to try new things, since they're busy asserting themselves and establishing their independence!

Good luck!

We started our son on the puffs, like most people do, because they disolve in their mouth. He had a hard time picking up cut up banana and avacado (but loved them). He did REALLY well with melon - ripe canteloupe and watermelon are still his favorites at 14 months. Once he has 2 or 3 teeth, it will be amazing at what he can manage!

My kids worked with a nutritionist for a while (they were and are small, even for twins), and she had them eating graham crackers for finger foods. I would take each rectangle and break it widthwise into about 4 strips they could hold onto, and they could eat them because they melt in the mouth...or a very warm soggy hand!

Good luck!

My daughter did not get any teeth until 10 months and its amazing what those little guys can "gum". We did avacado and tofu as starters. She is 2.5 now and we just went out to eat and she still loves tofu.

These are a few finger foods my son loves, hope your son does too:

Tofu pieces
Avocado pieces
All cooked vegs
Gerber puffs
Whole wheat bread w/a little butter
Egg yoke
Pasta pieces

At 9 months they can start eatting pretty much everything we do just cooked softer.

take care.

Start by soaking some cheerios in milk. They get really soft. There's almost no way he could choke. Gradually work your way up through the soft finger foods, such as breads and bananas (sliced really thin). He might surprise you by what he can handle. They have really hard gums.

i know how you feel. i have a 10 month old with only 1 tooth on the bottom. My husband and I made a big deal when she got it, too!! My pedi said that her gums are just as strong as teeth, so feed her finger foods. So I started with all the veggies and fruits-soft, cut up or mushed. she loves to pick them up! i try little bits of chicken, fish etc.too. She likes Gerber puffs but i always watch really close because they can be dry and I offer juice in a cup along with them to help with swallowing. you can always use those "mesh bags" that you put food in and they gum it... good luck!!!! :)

My daughter is also 8.5 months old and just broke her first tooth last week. You'd be surprised how much they can eat with just their gums. She eats Cheerios, Kix, Corn Chex, Rice Krispies, dried fruit pieces, etc. I have given her shredded tuna and even shredded beef from a beef stew. Good luck.

Even though your child does not have teeth, his gums are harder than you think. Gerber makes finger food that look like little stars, I can't think of the name of them, but they dissolve a little bit when they are in his mouth. They actually dissolve faster then Cherrios, which are another good finger good. It will be very strange for him (and for you) the first few times he eats any finger food because he is not used to it, but after afew times, he will be just fine. Good luck. S. G

my daugther cut her first two teeth (front teeth) on Christmas morning a few weeks before her 1st birthday. She was eating semi solids long before her teeth cut. We just watched her very closely. She gummed most everythign down... we also got that little netted contraption with a handle that we could put foods into and she would suck out the fruit or veggies in this and it was impossible for her to choke. When teething we used the same contraption but put ice cubes in it or pieces of 100 % juice popsicles and she would suck on them withouth getting enough to warrant a brain freeze. I hope this helps...our daughter loved rice and mashed potatoes, sheperd's pie chicken pot pie (cut into small pieces of chicken). As long as it has a softer consistency is was good. We would even shred up peices of meat really small and she loved it! Good luck! Pancakes are also a good choice because they melt in your mouth!
-N.

I think any Gerber finger foods are good. My kids never had a problem with those and they got teeth when they were almost 1. I don't like teething biscuts though cause they can break off and the kid can choke so I woulnd't recommend those. Good luck!

My daughter is over a year without any teeth so I can understand how you feel. I started giving her the gerber puffs and yogurt bites that dissolve really easily. Also she enjoys the teething biscuits as she will suck on them (although keep a close eye because they can get a chunk off and choke). After she got used to these easy things I started giving her small bits of everything (fruits and vegetables as long as they were soft), graham crackers are supposed to be good because they also dissolve quickly. There are also Mum Mum cookies which are wafer-like that dissolve quickly, although my daughter didn't like these.

Hi!

I would talk to your pediatrician first, but my little boy didn't have many teeth when he started finger foods. I gave him things like small pieces of banana or really soft, cooked veggies, such as frozen butternut squash. Even though he didn't have teeth, he used his gums to mash up food. I am pretty sure most babies do that naturally. You can also give something like cheerios or the Gerber finger foods (can't remember the name, but the best ones for little children are the star-shaped puffs that come in the long cylindrical container). Those are good because they start dissolving in the child's mouth after about 10 seconds, so even if he or she isn't chewing or mashing, they won't choke on it.

Good luck!

You've gotten lots of good (if conflicting advice). Just remember that every baby is different, and whatever you chose to do will be fine. Also, think about how you eat - front teeth are for biting, back teeth are for chewing. Most babies don't get molars until they are at least 18 months, but they can certainly be eating a wide variety of food by then (stick your finger in his mouth and have him bite - those little gums are strong!). Since he doesn't have front teeth, you'll have to do the "biting" for him by breaking everything into little pieces, but he'll still be able to do quite a lot of mashing. So I would absolutely start table food and follow his lead on how fast he's ready to incorporate new things.

you got tons of great responses, i just want to remind you that teeth really have no bearing on food consumption at this age. it is all mashing with the gums. front teeth are for tearing, and kids dont usually eat foods that require that until at least 18mo-2yr. my girlie is 15 mo. and has 8 teeth (4 up, 4 down) that i don't even think she uses at all to eat. she has been on finger foods since about 9 mo. too. it all really depends on the baby and what you think they can handle, not the # of teeth in their mouth

My gilrs were late getting teeth and hated baby food. It is amazing how much 9 months old can do. My girls love frozen peas and corn at that age. Also, in the can veg isle there are single serving of carrots, corn and green beans. They are packed it water. I peel the top, drain and serve. I keep teh little cups. They make great snack cups.

Cut peices small of anything for the most part: meats, veggies, fruit, breads, cheese. A baby's saliva is stronger than an adults, so food breaks down much quicker. Yes, tehy get most of their nutrient from breat milk or formula, but it is good to start them on a healthy habit of eating right. Other things I did was cooking potatos, befroe mashing I'd put some aside, cut up pasta in small bites.

Don't stress. Enjoy watching your child have these wonderful culinary experiences.

M.