By now, your baby is probably quite the little adventurer when it comes to solid foods. He or she has so enjoyed learning how to eat, and gets super excited whenever you place something new on the plate.

As the weeks go by, your baby will be eating even more solid foods, slowly weaning from the breast or bottle as they get more of the nutrients they need from the food you are serving up. As this trend continues, they will even begin pointing to solid food options and making requests.

Just the start of the snacking in your future!

In general, it is a good idea to have a feeding routine that keeps both you and your baby on a schedule. In this way, you can ensure your baby is getting what he or she needs, and you can keep snacks from filling your baby up before mealtimes.

But every now and again, snacking is just too tempting to avoid! So what should you be giving your baby when he or she starts pointing at solids while you work to cook dinner?

A good option is always some kind of fruit or vegetable; something you would be just as likely to give them during mealtimes. A cut up banana, for instance, or some cooked sweet potatoes.

Another way to go is with snacks that promote dexterity. Plenty of organic brands now offer rice puffs in a variety of flavors, for instance. These can be scattered on a high chair tray, giving your baby a solid 15 minutes of entertainment and snacking as he or she works to scoop those puffs up.

A soft avocado cut into small pieces might do the trick. Or perhaps a few bites of the toast you were snacking on yourself.

Salt-free Pretzels can be a great food item to carry with you for emergency snacking situations, and teething cookies can help to provide a distraction from the pain of newly cutting teeth.

Another thing to consider is giving your baby a chance to experience different temperatures while snacking. Have you ever considered freezing carrots? While it may not be your preferred method for eating your orange vegetables, teething babies tend to really enjoy this unique treat. And a frozen carrot is something they can gnaw on for quite a while—a guilt-free snack that will keep them occupied and satisfied while you finish what you’re doing!

Healthy snacking for a baby really isn’t much different from mealtime for a baby: when possible, you want to stick to fresh, whole foods, avoiding anything that is overly processed. Snack in moderation, and look at these as times your baby can further develop his or her palate.

Written by Leah Campbell, infertility advocate, adoptive mama, writer and editor. Find me @sifinalaska on Twitter.

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general informational basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.

Even if you don’t consider yourself to be an expert in the kitchen, making your own baby purees is just about the easiest thing you can take on. And sure, you could go to the store and buy some pre-made purees, but when you make your own you know exactly what your baby is eating. Not to mention, you save money, and you can generally finish a batch of purees in about the same amount of time it would take to head to the store and back. So why not give it a try?

Since your little one only recently started eating solid foods, you probably want to stick to single-ingredient purees for now. Sweet potatoes, butternut squash, beets, pears, spinach, and apples all make good starter purees.

Here are some puree recipes you can’t go wrong with:

• Sweet Potatoes: Peel and cube 2 sweet potatoes, steam for 20 to 30 minutes (or roast whole for 1 hour at 400 degrees). Add to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth, adding water or breast milk for the desired consistency.
• Butternut Squash: Peel and cube 1 butternut squash, steam for 20 to 30 minutes (or roast, halved and de-seeded, for 45 minutes at 400 degrees). Add to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth, adding water or breast milk for the desired consistency.
• Beets: Steam 2 beets with the skin on for 30 to 40 minutes (or roast whole for 1 hour at 400 degrees). Add to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth, adding water or breast milk for the desired consistency.
• Pears: Peel, core, and chop 2 ripe pears and steam for 8 to 10 minutes (or roast for 30 to 40 minutes at 400 degrees). Add to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth, adding water or breast milk for the desired consistency.
• Spinach: Steam spinach for 5 to 10 minutes (or roast for 5 to 7 minutes at 400 degrees). Add to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth, adding water or breast milk for the desired consistency.
• Apples: Peel, core, and chop 2 apples and steam for 15 minutes (or roast for 30 to 40 minutes at 400 degrees). Add to a food processor or blender and puree until smooth, adding water or breast milk for the desired consistency.

From there, you can serve fresh, or portion the remaining puree out into ice cube trays for freezing. Once frozen, you can place the cubes in a plastic bag and thaw overnight as needed in the refrigerator.

See! Easy peasy.

Written by Leah Campbell, infertility advocate, adoptive mama, writer and editor. Find me @sifinalaska on Twitter.

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general informational basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.

Now that your baby is starting to experiment with food, you might be keen to give him a little more independence. Don’t worry, it’s not time to hand over the car keys just yet, but perhaps he’s ready to take control of what he eats. Finger foods allow your baby to feed himself and decide what and how much he eats from his tray.

What are the benefits to finger foods?

Your baby knows when he’s full, and giving him control of the food he eats reduces the risk of overeating. Babies are tiny scientists and are constantly learning about and exploring their environments. Using finger foods allow your baby to discover not just the taste, but the texture and color of different foods. Try not to worry about how much your baby eats at mealtimes. At this stage, lunch is about much more than just eating. After all, what kind of scientist would your baby be if he didn’t smush carrot into his eyebrows, throw some on the floor and hide some in his diaper? Exactly, he’d be a laughing stock.

Fun & Easy Finger Foods

If you’re used to pureeing, the switch to finger foods might have left you lacking in inspiration. Fear not, there are plenty of nutritious and delicious finger foods out there for your baby. Here are just ideas for you to try:

1. Fruit

Fruit is easy, delicious and packed full of vitamins. There are lots of different fruits so there’s no need for your baby to tire of eating fruit. Melon, banana, and mango can easily be cut into small slices that will fit perfectly in your baby’s palm. Fruits such as blueberries, cranberries and pomegranate seeds are great for helping your baby to develop his pincer grip. Some fruits pose a danger of choking, especially grapes, apple and pineapple, so always chop up food correctly before giving it to your child. Grapes must be cut in half lengthways to avoid choking.

2. Vegetables

You can’t go wrong with vegetables. In fact, if you give your baby the freedom to explore and play with vegetables now, you may find you have less ‘eat your vegetables’ battles in the future. Vegetables can be cut into chip shapes and steamed. Steamed vegetables contain more vitamins than boiled or fried vegetables. For a change, you could also try roasting them. Carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes, butternut squashes, broccoli and courgette are all good vegetables for finger foods. Be careful with raw vegetables, like carrots, as it can pose a danger of choking. Always chop up food correctly before giving it to your child.

3. Dips

Using dips can also add some extra nutrition into your baby’s diet whilst allowing him to improve his hand-eye coordination. Hummus, salsa, baba ganouj, and lentil dips are just some of the dips you can offer your baby. Be wary of shop bought dips which may contain high levels of salt and added sugar. It’s always best to whip up a healthy dip at home if you can. Steamed vegetables, rice cakes and cooled slices of pitta bread are good for dipping.

4. Smaller foods

As your baby’s hand-eye coordination improves and he masters his pincer grip, it’s worth experimenting with smaller foods. Black beans, chick peas, peas, sweetcorn and blueberries are small enough for your baby to pick up once he’s got the hang of using his thumb and index finger to grab small objects. It might take a while for your baby to get hold of them, but remember it’s good practice and will aid the development of his fine motor skills.

5. Pasta

Pasta always makes for a great photo opportunity, though you should expect your baby to be covered from head to toe in pasta sauce before the end of the meal. Run a bath in advance so you can clean your baby straight after the meal. Pasta comes in all shapes and sizes, giving your baby ample opportunity to develop his skills. Fill the pasta sauce with vegetables and your baby will be getting plenty of vitamins and minerals too.

6. Curry

Some parents choose to avoid strong flavors thinking they will be too much for babies, but in fact, babies have quite adventurous palettes. He might not be ready for a vindaloo just yet, but you could try him with a gentler curry. Lentil dahls, mixed vegetables curries and kormas are all great options. Make sure there are plenty of vegetables in the sauce so your baby is enjoying a varied diet, and opt for whole wheat rice.

7. Sugar free fruit flapjacks

You don’t need to add sugar to make flapjacks taste good. Coconut oil is high in fat which is great for brain development, and will add a sweet flavour to the flapjacks. Add in some mushed up banana, raisins, dried cranberries and oats and you have yourself a simple, healthy flapjack.

To avoid choking, always chop up food correctly before giving it to your child. It’s advised to cut food lengthways in small strips. Cut soft food into thin slices or small pieces—no larger than one-half inch (1⁄2”). Cut soft, round foods, like hot dogs or string cheese, into short strips rather than round pieces.

What are your baby’s favorite finger foods?

Written by Fiona (@Fiona_Peacock), mother, writer and lover of all things baby related.

This information is not intended to replace the advice of a trained medical doctor. Health & Parenting Ltd disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information, which is provided to you on a general information basis only and not as a substitute for personalized medical advice. All contents copyright © Health & Parenting Ltd 2016. All rights reserved.