Healthy Finger Foods For Babies and Toddlers

Broccoli

While broccoli may get a bad rap as a vegetable kids don't like, many of the toddlers I know like eating their 'trees' a lot. It's also a good source of Vitamin C, among other things.

For younger toddlers especially, broccoli should be served cooked. The florets are easier for young children to chew than the stalks which can get woody. It's easy to steam broccoli, or just buy it frozen and microwave smaller portions as needed then chop into small bite-size pieces and serve.

Cauliflower

If your child takes to broccoli, try cauliflower too. The floret tops are soft when cooked, and easily picked up by little hands. Just like broccoli, you can get frozen florets and microwave portions as needed.

Cauliflower is a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, and Vitamin B6.

Peas

A friend turned me on to serving my daughter semi-frozen peas to help ease her teething pain at snacktime. Soaking frozen peas in water for just 10 seconds or so softens them up just enough to eat easily while still retaining enough cold. They seem to go over well with other kids I know too.

Edamame

Steamed young soybeans (edamame) as a great toddler snack? Who knew.

I served them to my daughter as an experiment, and she gobbled them up. Plus, they're super-healthy. The United States Department of Agriculture states that edamame are "a soybean that can be eaten fresh and is best known as a snack with a nutritional punch". Edamame contains protein, which further helps stabilize blood sugar, antioxidants, and omega-3 fatty acids. They also contain a high source of vitamin A, vitamin B and calcium.

I found it the most easy and convenient to buy ready-to-eat edamame rather than trying to shell them myself. You can usually find them in the refrigerated section of larger grocery stores near the soy cheese and veggie burger-type products. They can also be purchased frozen, then you cook them yourself.

Garbanzo Beans (Chickpeas)

While Samantha's not into plain garbanzo beans as a finger food, a number of her toddler buddies are. You can cook them yourself or get the canned variety and drain them. You can remove the translucent skin on the bean before serving if you prefer.

Hummus, the chickpea-based spread, isn't really a finger food per se, but it's a great dip for vegetables and crackers. Samantha will eat most anything if it's slathered in hummus.

Red Cabbage

When I broiled some red cabbage in a slightly sweet sauce (rice vinegar, soy sauce & honey) for a recipe, I let my daughter try some to see what would happen. She ended up liking it in small pieces. I think a lot of what got her to put it in her mouth in the first place was the bright purple color, then she figured out that she liked it. NOTE: do not feed honey to children under 1 year of age.

Bell Pepper

Again, the appeal of color. My daughter seems to have an aversion to most red foods, but yellow for some reason is OK. She likes small pieces of yellow bell peppers; I've tried green, but they look too much like the other green veggies she eats...ho hum in her book. Broiling peppers until soft makes it easier for toddlers with less chewing ability. Try them with dips such as hummus or ranch dressing.

Happy Baby Puffs

An organic whole grain melt-in-baby's-mouth snack with greens, apples or bananas baked right in? Yes! My daughter likes the greens ones a lot, and loves their o-like shape which she thinks looks like a flower. They're fortified with vitamins and minerals including vitamin D.

More bonuses about these snacks:

- Half the sugar of other brands
- Better value - 40% more puffs inside in a convenient flip-top package
- Green Packaging: Their containers are sourced through a green partnership with Method.They are made with 25% recycled materials, are BPA free, and are recyclable.

Plum Organics Fiddlesticks

These organic sticks are baked with real fruit and veggies, and as a bonus, they're gluten-free too. We tried the apple carrot flavor (berry and banana flavors are also available) on a road trip, and they were easy for Samantha to chew. She likes the taste, and it's also a lot of fun to say 'fiddlesticks'. The packaging is BPA free too.

Annie's Homegrown Whole Wheat Cheddar Bunnies

Looking for an alternative to goldfish crackers? While the whole wheat version of these bunnies aren't a bright orange, they do have the cute bunny shape and are an ideal size for toddler hands. They're baked with organic cheddar cheese and organic wheat flour, and taste really yummy to our whole family.

Earth's Best Tots Cereal Bars

These cereal bars are made with organic wheat flour (grown without potentially harmful pesticides or herbicides), no genetically engineered ingredients, and no artificial colors or preservatives. Fortified with Calcium, Iron, Zinc and Vitamin B Complex, Tots Cereal Bars are especially made for the healthy development of growing children. Three varieties: Cherry, Strawberry Banana, and Peanut Butter & Strawberry. My daughter likes the cherry and strawberry banana ones and asks for them almost every day -- picture a toddler pulling on a mom's pants leg saying 'bar? bar? bar?'. They're soft enough for kids who are learning to take bites out of something.

Earth's Best also has a Sunny Days snack bar line which is tied in with Sesame Street characters. They're nearly identical to the Tots bars except for the flavors..strawberry and apple .. and of course, Sesame Street character packaging.

Earth's Best Teething Biscuits

For Ages 9 months & Up. Two organic varieties, Wheat and Barley, to help relieve the discomfort of teething. They are 100% natural with no artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives and an excellent source of calcium for infants. Samantha appreciated these at snacktime while she was teething. It was rare for her to finish off an entire biscuit at one sitting, but she's not known for a huge appetite.

Earth's Best Sesame Street Original Organic Crunchin' Crackers

These little Big Bird and Elmo shaped crackers are very tasty and cute to boot. Their buttery taste (similar to a Ritz cracker) makes them perfect for dipping. Samantha's favorite dip is hummus.

No artificial flavors, colors or preservatives. no genetically engineered ingredients, and no hydrogenated oils - no trans fat. The Crunchin' Crackers also contain iron to help transport oxygen throughout your body, Zinc to boost your body's ability to fight infection, and B Vitamins to unlock energy in carbohydrates.

Strawberries
Blueberries -- cut in half to prevent choking
Apples
Peaches
Pears
Mangoes
Bananas
Watermelon -- remove seeds. This is a big favorite of one of my daughter's playgroup buddies

Grapes -- remember to cut up to prevent choking

Avocados -- Cut into chunks, this can be a great finger food, and its smooth, creamy consistency is appealing to many babies and toddlers. My daughter also loves it mashed to the consistency of guacamole.

Sodium- and cholesterol- free, avocados contain valuable nutrients including 8% of the recommended Daily Value (DV) for folate; 4% DV for fiber and potassium, 4% DV for vitamin E; and 2% DV for iron. Per serving, avocados have 3.5 grams of unsaturated fats, which are known to be important for normal growth and development of the central nervous system and brain.

Black Olives -- Get them sliced in a can. They're easy to pick up and have an appealing 'O' shape which is perfect for little ones to stick on their fingers. It's great fun for kids to eat them off of a fingertip. These are a big favorite in our house.

Brothers-All-Natural Fruit Crisps

Varieties:

Fuji Apple
Asian Pear
Strawberry & Banana
White & Yellow Peach
Strawberry
Banana
Pineapple

We started our daughter out on the apple and pear varieties of these freeze dried fruit crisps (broken into small pieces) when she was just starting out on finger foods. They melt into soft pieces in your mouth and taste great. For awhile, she would only eat freeze dried fruit, but since they are 100 percent real fruit, peeled, sliced and freeze-dried into a light, flavorful chip-like "crisp" - all made with no added sugar or preservatives, she was still getting all the fruit nutrition.

Fruit Crisps contain zero grams of fat and only 30-70 calories per serving.

Cheesy Scrambled Eggbeaters

Eggbeaters make this even quicker and easier to prepare than with a regular egg. Chunks of scrambled egg are easy for little fingers to pick up and eat, and both eggs and cheese provide protein. This recipe is an example of how minor tweaks to taste and/or texture can make or break a food. Samantha won't eat plain cooked eggs, but add some cheese and she loves it.

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/4 Cup Eggbeaters
1 Tablespoon cheddar cheese

Heat olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add eggbeaters, stirring often to scramble. Add cheddar cheese and keep scrambling until set. Cool slightly before serving. This recipe easily doubles, triples, etc. depending on how much your child will eat.

Variation: add a little bit of cooked spinach to the mixture for 'Spinachy-Cheesy Eggs'

Tofu 'Fries'

This is an idea I got from Foods Toddlers Will Eat that ended up being a winner at our house.

Drain extra firm tofu then cut into small french-fry (or smaller) size pieces. Stir fry the tofu until golden brown in some olive oil and low-sodium soy sauce.

Black Beans

Cooked at home or the low-sodium canned version, black beans are a good source of protein and fiber. They're soft enough for toddlers to eat too. My daughter also likes black beans and cheese pureed to the consistency of refried beans. Not a finger food, but delicious and easy anyway.

Cheeses

While adults may see cheese as fattening and something to cut down on, it's a great source of calcium and protein for growing toddlers who need the fat too. Small cheese cubes can be cut up into bite-size pieces, or pre-sliced cheese can be broken into smaller pieces or given whole to a toddler to take bites out of, depending on the child's eating abilities. Large-shred cheese can be messy, but some kids like to pick up the little pieces to eat.

I don't know many kids (if any) who don't like cheese in some form or another.

Chicken/Turkey

You can still have finger-food chicken without getting into nuggets that have all the extra breading. Just served small chunks of cooked chicken instead. To have some on hand, I cook a package of chicken breasts all at once, chop them up, and put them in a zip top freezer bag. Just pop some in the microwave to defrost and serve.

Easy cooking method: put chicken breasts in a pot of boiling water (with or without sodium-free chicken stock powder), then cover and turn down the heat to a simmer for 20 min.

Tofu

The toddlers I know either love tofu or hate it. Seems to be a consistency thing. Since tofu is rich in high-quality protein, and is also a good source of B-vitamins and iron, it's worth a try. Extra Firm tofu holds together the best in little hands.

One of my daughter's buddies enjoys tofu raw right out of the package, but my daughter herself won't touch it unless it's cooked. See the Recipes section for a suggestion about a toddler-pleasing way to fix it.

Freeze Dried Yogurt Snacks

Non-messy freeze dried yogurt is an easy on-the-go finger food option that needs no refrigeration. Yes, freeze dried yogurt snacks have sugar in them, but if you'd like an organic option that has more nutrition than the traditional Gerber melts, try Happy Baby's HappyMelts. They're part of a partnership with Stonyfield, the makers of YoBaby yogurt.

HappyMelts have 1 more gram of protein than Gerber, have Vitamin D (which Gerber lacks), and have 8% more of the Daily Value of Calcium than the Gerber yogurt melts.

Daily requirements for a one-to-three-year-old:

1. Protein: Minimum of 16 grams. Try 16 ounces of milk plus one ounce of meat.
2. Fat: Toddlers should get at least 30 percent of their calories from fat for energy and growth needs.
3. Calories: 40 calories/day/inch of height (1000 to 1300 calories/day). Calorie distribution should look something like this:
* 16 g protein = 64 calories
* 44 g fat = 396 calories
* 210 g carbohydrate = 840 calories
Total = 1300 calories
4. Sodium: 325 to 1000 mg.
5. Vitamin C: 40 mg.
6. Vitamin A: 400 ug (micrograms).
7. Calcium: 800 mg. Even with two cups of milk a day, toddlers still need another 200 mg. Offer yogurt, cheese, tofu, and leafy greens.
8. Iron: 10 mg.
9. Zinc: 10 mg. A mild zinc deficiency in toddlers is common. Symptoms include poor appetite, sub-optimal growth and a reduced sense of taste and smell. The best sources of zinc are meat, eggs and seafood.
10. Folate: 50 ug.

The last four are the ones most often deficient in toddlers.

Try to serve the following each day:

* 2 to 3 cups of milk (or yogurt, cheese and pudding).
* 4 servings of fruits and vegetables. (Serving size: one tablespoon per year of age.) One serving should be high in vitamin C and another in vitamin A.
* 4 servings of bread and cereal. One should be an iron-fortified baby cereal. A serving is about 1/4 to 1/3 an adult portion (1/4 slice toast, 1/4 cup pasta).
* 2 servings of meat, beans, eggs, tofu, or peanut butter. A good serving of protein should be served at every meal. One serving equals 1/2 ounce.

Zucchini Muffins (click on title to view recipe)

I got this one from Elise on Simply Recipes, and it's become a big favorite with our whole family. Here are my notes on how to make it more toddler-friendly, or to work with different dietary needs:

Since nuts and dried cranberries are choking hazards as-is, omit them from the recipe, or pulse the nuts in your food processor a few times to grind them into very fine pieces to blend into the batter.

For more fiber, add 2 tablespoons ground flax seed to the batter.

Wheat-free/Gluten-free version: Omit the all-purpose flour and substitute 3 cups of Pamela's Wheat Free Baking Mix. Decrease the baking soda to 1 teaspoon.

Salmon Cakes -- these are my take on Annabel Karmel's Salmon starfish recipe from the 2004 edition of her book, First Meals.

1 lb red potatoes, mashed
2 Tbsp ketchup
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp chopped green onion
3/4 lb cooked salmon fillets, flaked (for best nutrition, use wild-caught salmon)
3 tbsp panko (Japanese bread crumbs), plus extra for coating
a little melted butter
olive oil (optional)

Mix the mashed potatoes together with the ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, egg, and green onion. Mix in the salmon and 3 Tbsp of the panko. Shape the mixture into flat cakes. Use a cookie cutter or your hands to form into fun shapes, if desired. Coat each fish cake with bread crumbs, and brush lightly with melted butter.

For baking: set fish cakes on a lightly greased baking sheet. Transfer to a preheated 350-degree oven and cook for 4 min. on each side.

For sauteing: Heat several tablespoons of olive oil in a medium frying pan. Add salmon cakes and saute several minutes on each side, until golden brown.

* If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. Your toddler may hate his first, third, and ninth exposure to cauliflower, but the tenth time may be the charm.

* Try new food when you and your toddler are at your best - when you're both well rested, in good spirits, and healthy.

* Your child will be more open to a new food if he's hungry (but not overly hungry), so give him his new food first.

* Don't stop feeding your child if she makes a funny face - it doesn't necessarily mean that she doesn't like what he's tasting. She may just be reacting to the distinctly different taste.

* Try to keep your facial expressions positive, even if you're serving a food you detest. Likewise, keep your comments about the food positive as well. Don't preface introducing a new food by saying 'Here's some avocado, you may not like it.'

* On the other hand, some children may get their guard up if you make a big deal over a new food. Keeping things normal and low key tends to work better.

* Let your toddler see you eating the same food he's eating. He loves imitating you.

* If your child gives you the thumbs-down on a particular food (closing his mouth, turning his head, throwing it), don't force it. Try again in a few days and he may surprise you by gobbling it up. Forcing food or showing your frustration may turn mealtime into a negative experience full of power struggles.

* Switch things up. Your toddler may tire of eating bananas at every meal and give up on them entirely. Plus, a varied diet is more nutritious for your growing child.

Large chunks: Pea-size pieces of food are safest - they won't get stuck in your child's throat. Vegetables like carrots, celery, and green beans should be diced, shredded, or cooked and cut up. Cut fruits like grapes, cherry tomatoes, and melon balls into quarters before serving, and shred or cut meats and cheeses into very small pieces.

Small, hard foods: Nuts, popcorn, cough drops, hard candies, raisins, and other small dried fruit and seeds are potential choking hazards.

Sticky and soft foods: Avoid chewing gum and soft foods like marshmallows and jelly candies that might get lodged in your child's throat.

Peanut butter: Be careful not to give your toddler large dollops of peanut butter, which can be difficult to swallow. Instead, spread peanut butter thinly on bread or crackers. You might want to try thinning it with some applesauce before spreading it.

More choking prevention:

-- Avoid letting your child eat in the car since it's hard to supervise while driving.

-- If you're using a rub-on teething medication, keep a close eye on your toddler as it can numb his throat and interfere with swallowing.