Best Early Finger Foods for Baby

Use this list of safe, nutritious, and easy to eat finger foods for baby to help you know exactly what (and how) to offer at meals and snacks. Plus, find the best first finger foods, troubleshooting tips, and visuals of foods broken down by food group to keep things easy!

Finger Foods for Baby

After baby starts solid, and is ready to move onto finger foods, you may feel a little confused by exactly what to serve and how to serve it. Which is totally normal because it can be scary to let baby feed themselves this way and we may not have any experience doing this—or we may have totally forgotten from our last kiddo!

This list of finger foods for baby will cover some great first finger foods to start with, then set you up with plenty of healthy options from each food group.

Finger Foods for Baby: Fruits and Veggies

Some of my favorite early fruits and veggies to serve babies are:

• Mashed roasted sweet potatoes, broken up into small pieces
• Warmed frozen peas, slightly mashed if desired
• Roasted Zuchini
• Diced Roasted sweet potatoes or Butternut Squash
• Fresh blueberries, cut in half or quarters
• Fresh raspberries, broken into small pieces
• Banana, broken into small segments (they are less slippery this way versus slicing them)
• Avocados diced and mashed slightly (be sure it’s ripe and very soft)

Finger Food Ideas: Carbohydrates

Offering complex carbohydrates can provide fiber, a variety of textures, B vitamins, and more. Try these with your baby.

• Spinach Pancakes (moisten with applesauce or plain yogurt if needed; this recipe is particularly moist and great for babies)
• Oatmeal, cooked according to package directions and allowed to cool
• Baby Puffs
  
• Peanut Butter Puffs
• Rice (it’s easiest if it’s in little clumps so baby can pick it up; this Coconut Rice or this Cheesy Rice are both good options)
• Baby Banana Muffin
  
• O cereal (soften in nondairy unsweetened milk or yogurt as needed)
• Baked Oatmeal, diced

Finger Food Ideas: Proteins

Offering proteins will continue to expose baby to a range of nutrients. These are my go-tos for babies newer to finger foods—and toddlers too.

• Shredded cheese (thicker cuts are a little easier to pick up)
• Tofu, diced and sauteed lightly or steamed
• Flaked cooked wild salmon
• Lightly mashed meatballs
• Shredded chicken, cut up finely (we love this Butter Chicken to share with baby)
• Ground beef, turkey, or chicken, broken into smaller pieces
• Lightly mashed beans
• Scrambled eggs, broken up into small pieces
• Diced egg muffins.

Best Early Finger Foods for Baby

A good rule of thumb is to serve pieces of food that are about the size of a pea to start. This will be easy for baby to pick up and eat and will also reduce any chances of choking. Let your child’s unique hunger be your guide for portions (though start small to avoid wasting food)—serving sizes here are just an approximation. And know that the nutrition info here will vary according to which foods you serve.