Safe Finger Foods for Toddlers
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that, by the age of two, toddlers should be eating mostly the same foods as the rest of the family, three times a day plus snacks. Toddlers are starting to use utensils, but as they learn to feed themselves, they will eat a lot of foods with their fingers. While certain finger foods should be avoided entirely, most finger foods can be adapted for a toddler's diet with proper preparation.
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Fruits and Vegetables
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Toddlers should eat at least one fruit or vegetable at every meal. Raw fruits and vegetables should be chopped into small pieces or cooked until they're soft and cut up. Bite-sized for a toddler is much smaller than for an adult, so chop the pieces, even grapes and berries, to 1/2 inch or less. Start with soft fruits such as bananas and ripe pears as well as cooked carrots, apples, potatoes and peas.
Grains and Pasta
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Toddlers need fiber, like anyone else. Dry cereals such as O-shaped oat cereal break down quickly in your child's moth, making them a safe choice, and they're easy for little fingers to pick up, making them an early self-feeding food, as are chopped graham crackers or toasted bread. Well-cooked pasta shapes, especially made from whole grain, help to balance a toddler's diet. Cut pasta into smaller pieces, drizzle with a tiny bit of olive oil, and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
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Cheese
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Cheese is a safe finger food for toddlers when coarsely grated or chopped finely. Cheese can be melted on whole grain bread, melted in the oven or toaster oven, cooled and cut up into small pieces -- the toasted bread will break down easily, and the texture can help soothe your toddler's gums during teething. While cheese is a recommended part of a toddler's diet, never give a toddler large chunks of cheese, uncut cheese slices or hot melted cheese.
Meats and Proteins
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Toddlers should be served protein at every meal, in the form of finely chopped chicken, turkey, fish, tofu or ground meat. Hot dogs and high-sodium sausages are not recommended for toddlers, but if you must serve them, cut them lengthwise and chop into small pieces. Eggs can be finger food for a toddler when scrambled into small pieces and cooled or hard boiled and finely chopped.
Finger Foods to Avoid
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Toddlers should not be served any food that isn't chopped to 1/2-inch or smaller pieces, nuts and nut butter, or uncooked celery. Peel and remove pits or seeds from fruits or vegetables. Candy should be avoided, but if you're treating your toddler, don't give her any kind of hard candy or marshmallows.
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References
- Photo Credit Happy Toddler image by Mary Beth Granger from Fotolia.com
