48 Finger Food Snack and Meal Ideas for Babies 9-12 Months
Make life easy with 48 Finger Food snack and meal ideas that are quick, simple to make, and nutritious for feeding babies 9-12 months of age.
What To Feed My Baby at 9 Months Old?
Feeding babies doesn't have to be intimating, you just need a consistent routine for creating simple homemade meals your baby will love.
Create a list of wholesome snacks and well-rounded meals to make feeding your little one fun and easy with this ultimate list of finger food snacks and meal ideas for babies that are 9-12 months old.
Half the stress of feeding kids, is figuring out what to feed them?
The other half is getting them to eat!
How To Get My Kids To Eat Food I Make?
Finger foods offer a great variety of nutritious foods that encourage little ones to feed themselves. With a snack like approach, you can provide a wide variety of wholesome finger foods like fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, legumes, and meats to create wholesome meals they can feed to themselves.
Remember any food can be served with a finger food approach with the correct cutting techniques. Be sure to inform yourself on proper cooking and cutting techniques for feeding babies safely.
Also remember these same finger foods are a great option for continuing to feed older kids healthy snack and meal options throughout the week.
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Follow these key steps for feeding your 9-12 month old baby healthy meals all week long!
Step 1: Create a Week of Finger Food Meal Ideas
As your little one advances, create a simple meal plan for one week.
Pick 3 lunch and dinner meals to rotate through each week.
Every week introduce a new ingredient or meal to your meal plan schedule to build healthy eating habits and better nutrition by offering a variety of foods.
Step 2: Create A List of Finger Food Snack Ideas
Take the stress out of feeding your child in between meals by creating a list of easy finger food snacks to rotate.
Start off simply by creating just four snack ideas. Two snack ideas per day. Then simply rotate alternating snack choices.
Keep your baby content by offering a healthy finger food snack twice a day and build off of this snack list by slowly adding more variety as you figure out your baby's taste preferences.
By having a snack list of finger foods for your 9-12 month old baby, you will know exactly what to feed your little one to keep your baby happy and full in between meals.
Get started and write out a list of easy finger food snacks from our list below to try with your baby and add on as your baby grows to ensure introducing new flavors each week.
Step 3: Introduce One or Two New Foods Each Week
Every week aim to introduce a new snack or meal to help build healthy eating habits.
With regular exposure to new foods and exciting flavors, your little one will develop healthy eating habits that will last a life time.
Don't stress even if your baby rejects particular flavors or textures at first, simply make note of the food and how it was prepared then simply re-introduce at a later time or with a different preparation.
The most important element is providing finger food snacks and healthy meals for your baby to experience and over time your little one will be eating like a champ and you can save yourself from creating a picky eater down the road.
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How to Cook and Cut Finger Foods For Babies?
When feeding a baby it is important to make sure all foods are sliced length wise in pieces that are easy to chew and swallow.
By preparing and offering soft fruits and softened cooked foods to your baby you can help prevent choking.
Avoid feeding your baby foods that are hard, raw, round, sticky, or very chewy to decrease choking potential.
Also mincing softened foods into small amounts can help your little one enjoy the same foods as everyone else!
Just simply chop foods until they become almost like a mash and offer your baby simple meals right from your plate.
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52 Finger Food Snack and Meal Ideas List for Babies 9-12 Months:
Bananas
Yogurt
Cheese
Beans
Mini Ravioli
Scrambled Eggs
Roasted Squash
Mini Meatballs
Cottage Cheese
Tuna
Noodles
Quinoa
Turkey Sausage
Steamed Green Peas
Deli Ham or Turkey
Steamed Broccoli
Chicken
Muffins
Hummus
Steamed Cauliflower
Cream Cheese
Ground Turkey
Crackers
Blueberries
Lentils
Chicken Nuggets
Steamed Carrots
Tofu
Oatmeal
Ground Beef
Crushed Frozen Berries
Steamed Potato
Cereal Bars
Strawberries
Shrimp
Applesauce
Goat Cheese
Berry Pancakes
Grilled Cheese
Mac and Cheese
Salmon
Rice
Steamed Sweet Potato
Plantains
Watermelon
Toast with Spread
Fish Sticks
Avocado Slices
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Quick Finger Food Meal Prep Tips for Feeding Babies Healthy Foods:
The best way to meal prep finger foods for babies is to boil, roast, or steam foods until they have softened enough to be easily chewed or mashed.
Sheet Pan Finger Foods Ideas For Busy Moms
Create an easy meal prep routine by simply sheet pan roasting an assortment of ingredients like these below then reheating ingredients and serving as easy finger food snack or meal.
Sweet Potato
Butternut Squash
Carrots
Potatoes
Apples
Pears
Cauliflower
Salmon
Steaming Finger Foods
Batch steam a variety of vegetables to create delicious recipes your baby will love.
These ingredients work great for creating steamed finger foods that can be easily chopped and served to your little one with minimal prep and clean up.
Broccoli
Carrot
Green Peas
Apples
Sweet Potatoes
Pears
Shrimp
Boiling Finger Foods
Boiling grains and proteins can also be an easy way to create well rounded finger food ingredients for creating wholesome meals for your baby easily throughout the week.
Chicken
Legumes
Rice
Quinoa
Potatoes
Lentils
Cooking Tip:
Boil chicken drumsticks and shred.
Then place shredded chicken piece with broth into an ice cube tray and freeze.
Simply reheat to have moist chicken on hand for a variety of recipes.
What Finger Food Can I Give My 9 Month Old?
Feeding babies 9 - 12 months old can be intimidating, especially for new moms!
Many times it can be a struggle trying to figure out exactly what to feed your baby so that they are receiving proper nutrition and developing healthy eating habits that includes eating a wide variety of nutritious foods in various cooking styles.
Use our list above and create a simple meal plan with a few chosen food items from our snack and meal list to create a wholesome meal plan.
Once your baby has experience eating a variety of foods, it will be simple to create well-rounded nutritious meals in a breeze.
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