Best Foods for Baby

My little baby boy Z  recently passed the 10 month old marker. He is growing up so quickly, and of course I have mixed feelings about that! But I sure am loving this sweet little boy.Lately I’ve been thinking about spicing up Baby Z’s menu. (I’m actually thinking a lot about the menu plan for our family too, but that will have to wait for another post). He’s been eating baby cereal and fruit and vegetable purees for quite a few months now. But he inserts his independence and only allows himself to be spoon fed as long as he has something on his tray that he can finger feed himself at the same time. Until now we have relied mostly on cheerios, small banana chunks, and the Gerber baby puffs and dried fruit. But with 6 teeth and more bursting out, it us long past time to branch out.

From a little research online to review, here are the top finger foods for babies:

-Avocado, diced

– Peaches, pears, plums; diced

– Bananas, diced

– Beans, cooked (Black, Kidney, Garbanzo, etc.)

– Peas, steamed

– Semi-soft cheese (pasteurized), diced

– Carrots, cooked until soft

– Small, whole grain pasta, cooked

– Edamame, steamed

– Sweet potato, baked and diced

– Green beans, cooked until soft

– Toasted “O” cereal, dry

I discovered a really helpful site called NurtureBaby. It is full of recipes appropriate for ages 4-18 months (or older!), as well nutrition checklists and helpful tips and techniques. I haven’t actually tried any of the recipes yet, but the following struck my fancy and are on my list to try:

Sweet potato bites

Supermac and cheese

Confetti pasta

Baby biscotti biters

Looking for more recipes I discovered Weelicious. The site has a ton of healthy and yummy sounding recipes. I think it’s time I finally try my hand at hummus!

What are your favorite foods to feed your baby? I would love to hear your tips!