First Finger Food Ideas For Baby
Starting finger foods with your baby can feel a little overwhelming—where do you even begin?
What foods are best? How should you prepare them? Will your baby actually know what to do with them? And of course, the big worry—what about choking?
Whether you’re doing baby-led weaning or just introducing some finger foods alongside purees, here are some simple, baby-friendly first finger food ideas to help you feel confident (and excited!) about this next step.
For all the info you need on starting solids, grab a copy of my Step-by-Step Starting Solids Guide
Firstly, what exactly are ‘finger foods’?
If you’ve just started your baby on solids or you’re thinking about it, you might be wondering why everyone keeps talking about finger foods.
Aren’t they for parties?
Well yes…but when it comes to feeding babies, finger food is basically just food that babies (6 months+) can pick up eat with their hands (although the mess may make it look like you just had a party…).
What are the benefits of finger foods for babies?
Finger foods aren’t just about letting babies explore—they’re an essential part of learning to chew, improving oral motor skills, and getting used to different textures.
Introducing a variety of textures early on can encourage a more adventurous eater and may even help prevent picky eating down the road! (well, it’s worth a try at least!)
Related Article: Food Before One Is Just for Fun: Myth or Fact?
When should my baby start having finger foods?
From around 6 months of age, babies’ hand-eye coordination and motor control have usually developed enough so they can start experimenting with feeding themselves.
Whether you’re doing traditional spoon feeding (i.e. purees), baby-led weaning or a combination of both, when your baby starts to pick things up with their hands (usually around 6 months), it’s a good time to start offering some finger foods.
What finger foods should I give my baby first?
Start with soft, easy-to-handle finger foods such as soft fruit and well-cooked vegetables in finger shapes.
These can be given as part of their meal, while you prepare your baby’s meal or after their meal as a ‘dessert’.
Just pop them on their high chair tray and let them play around.
Help! I’m terrified to give my baby finger foods!
If this all feels a bit scary, don’t worry, you’re not alone! Even as a pediatric dietitian I felt nervous giving my babies finger foods for the first time!
It’s completely normal to feel nervous about finger foods, especially when you hear your baby gagging.
But gagging is actually a protective reflex that helps babies manage food safely—it’s different from choking.
If your baby is gagging, they’ll often make noise and work it out themselves, whereas choking is silent and requires immediate intervention.
How to prepare safe finger foods
To reduce the risk of choking, always avoid round, hard foods (like whole grapes or nuts) and go for soft, mashable textures that your baby can easily gum.
A good way to check if food is soft enough for your baby is the ‘squish test’—press it between your fingers; if it mashes easily, it’s safe!
If a food is slippery (like avocado or banana), try rolling it in finely crushed oats or using a crinkle cutter for better grip.
And don’t forget about serving temperature!
Let hot foods cool before serving—babies won’t always recognize when something is too hot, and they can burn their mouths easily.
Tips for Getting Started on Finger Foods
Texture is important
Finger foods should be soft and ‘smushable’, but not so soft that they disintegrate in your baby’s hand
Finger foods should be easy to hold
Most babies don’t develop a pincer grip until 8-12 months, so early finger foods will need to be foods that can be held with the whole hand
If foods are too slippery for your baby to hold, add texture to allow for better grip
This can be done by leaving some skin on foods like banana (cut just the top section of skin off), rolling the food in rice cereal, oat or coconut flour or using a crinkle cutter for foods such as soft fruits and vegetables
Babies might not get much of the food in their mouth at this stage
That’s fine! Allow them to explore, have fun and develop their fine motor skills
Things do start to get very messy, so be prepared!
Babies naturally want to play with their food, squish it between their fingers, shake it around and drop it on the floor.
While the mess can be alarming, they’re not doing this to irritate you, it’s just their way of exploring this exciting new world!
Make sure you’re supervising them at all times
Always keep an eye on your little one while they eat—either sit with them or stay close by so you can watch them the whole time.
Gagging is totally normal as babies learn to eat, but actual choking is much less common. Still, it’s important to be prepared, just in case.
Taking a baby and child first aid course (in person or online) can give you peace of mind and help you feel confident about what to do in an emergency.
Easy first finger food ideas for babies (and parents!) who are just starting out:
Pieces of soft cooked vegetables
Potato
Pumpkin
Zucchini
Soft raw vegetables such as cucumber sticks
Soft fruit cut into fingers
Bananas
Mango
Soft pear slices
Avocado
Soft melon fingers
Toast fingers (lightly toasted)
Spread with fruit puree, mashed banana, yoghurt, avocado or hummus
Cooked pasta spirals
Large cooked pasta spirals are easy for babies to grip and soft enough for them to gum
Well-cooked lamb chops
The bone provides a nice little handle and babies can suck out the juices and get important nutrients such as iron and zinc (make sure there are no chunks of meat which could be torn off)
And remember, first finger foods don’t have to be just fruits and veggies and plain foods!
Finger foods such as soft scrambled eggs, lentil patties, shredded chicken, and flaked fish are all great sources of iron, which is important in babies’ diets as their iron stores start to drop around six months.
What to expect when you introduce finger foods
The first few weeks of finger foods can be messy, frustrating, and sometimes feel like your baby isn’t actually eating much—but that’s all part of the process!
Right now, they’re learning how to eat, not just focusing on getting full.
Keep offering a variety of foods, and with time, they’ll get the hang of it.
What if my baby refuses finger foods?
If your baby refuses finger foods at first, don’t stress—it’s totally normal!
Some babies take longer to get used to new textures, so keep offering different foods in a low-pressure way (without forcing).
Watching you eat the same food can also encourage them to give it a try!
There’s no set schedule for finger foods—just start offering them alongside meals once or twice a day and follow your baby’s lead.
Some days they might eat a lot, other days they might just play with their food, and that’s okay!
For more information on introducing solids safely, grab a copy of my Step-by-Step Starting Solids Guide
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