Finger foods and textures
When your baby is between 8 and 9 months, you can introduce finger foods to encourage him to begin self-feeding. Finger foods are just as simple to make as other baby food. Choose any of the fruits or vegetables mentioned in this book. Simply cut them into cubes or spears, cook them in the microwave or steam them on the stove, and freeze them in your ice cube trays
Here are some examples of cooked finger foods:
Some finger foods can be served raw, including:
At about the same time as you begin introducing finger foods (8 to 9 months), you can also begin introducing different textures in your baby’s food. Lumpier and chewier foods help form your baby’s (oral) mouth skills and build muscle tone. You can start with tiny, soft, almost unnoticeable lumps in your baby’s foods. At first, he may spit out these lumps. In time, though, he will be able to swallow these little lumps. Slowly, you can move to introducing mashed, ground, or chopped table foods. Examples of foods that can be mixed with baby food to add texture are: