Baby Food Simplified Series ⑦ Finger Foods

Hello.
I'm Ayana, a mom and registered dietitian in my late 30s.🙋‍♀️

In this 'Baby Food Simplified Series,' we're talking about finger foods!

I know finger foods are important, but when you actually try it, it's really tough, isn't it...

✔The table and floor get sticky
✔They just mash it up with their hands and don't eat it
✔They start playing with the food
✔They throw the food
✔They touch everything with dirty hands
✔Mom and Dad get dirty too

How many times will a parent's heart break before they master this...

And it's not just that it's difficult,
I believe that finger foods also come witha sense of 'fear'.Actually, my son once

almost choked,and it's an experience that still makes my chest tighten when I think about it.

Stick bread was something he had gotten used to and was eating well.
That day, I gave him bread as usual, and he was biting and eating it well, but in the split second I looked away, he had stuffed it all into his mouth.
He would often gag from stuffing too much in, but this time was different; he started kicking his legs, his lips began to turn blue, and I panicked, thinking, 'What?!'
Fortunately, my husband was there, so the two of us were able to hold our son and get him to spit out the bread.
Those few seconds felt like a very long time.

I will never forget that scene for the rest of my life; just remembering it makes my chest ache.

'Oh no, what do I do?' 'What should I do?'
My mind went blank, and it felt like time was moving in slow motion.

From then on, I began to feel that it's not just about the good sides of finger foods,
but that 'taking steps to ensure safety' is extremely important.

Today, I'm going to talk about finger foods with that in mind.

Why are finger foods so important?

It's tough, and sometimes it can be scary.
Even so, finger foods have many benefits for development.

✅ Development of fingertips
✅ Develops a sense of the size and hardness of food
✅ Creates a desire to eat
✅ The experience of eating by oneself builds confidence
✅ Leads to the development of chewing strength

Even the days when they just play and make a mess,
are all 'important steps in the process of growth'.

But feeling scared isn't a bad thing

There are moms who have had scary experiences like me,
and many moms who think, 'I'm worried about choking with finger foods...'

That feeling is very natural.

That's why I've come to think, 'Just take the measures you can, and take it slow for the rest.'
Because no child is good at it from the start.

Points to be careful about

Here are some points for safely introducing finger foods.

① Above all, 'banana softness'

Make it soft enough to be mashed with gums.
A good rule of thumb is that it should easily change shape when pressed with a finger.

② Make it the appropriate size

Make it a size that is easy to grab but not too big to fit in the mouth (this also serves as practice for biting), or make it bite-sized.
The appropriate size changes depending on the food and how your child eats.
I think it's best to adjust it as needed based on the situation that day.

③ Keep an eye on foods that are easy to stuff in

For example, bread and rice balls are easy to stuff in if they are squeezed into large pieces, so make them smaller.
My son almost choked on bread, but he has also tried to swallow rice balls whole and gagged.

④ Always watch them while they are eating

Choking happens in a split second.
Just like in our home, even if they have been eating well, they might suddenly shove it into their mouth.
Make sure you never take your eyes off them.

⑤ It's okay if they don't eat with their hands

When they are very hungry, they will want to use the method that allows them to eat smoothly.
If they are not yet good at eating with their hands, I think it is best to support them with a spoon at first, and then encourage finger feeding once they are a little full.
Also, if they seem to dislike it, it is totally fine to say, 'It's okay to use a spoon today!'

Our family's finger food roadmap

I will introduce how we progressed with finger feeding.

≪How to challenge≫

① Hand the food directly to them and “hold it with their hands and eat”
② Have them “pick up and eat”things on the table or plate.

The key to getting finger feeding on track is to do it
✓ after a meal
✓ in an environment where they eat, such as sitting in a chair
.

Grabbing and eating with their hands from the start is a bit of a high hurdle, but many children are able to put things they have grabbed into their mouths.
I think it is best to proceed in small steps.

≪Order of foods we tried≫

① Okomebo (commercial product)
② Egg Boro (commercial product)
③ Vegetable sticks
③ Oyaki (pancakes)
④ Stick bread
⑤ Rice balls

At first, we started by giving them a few pieces after a meal of commercial Okomebo or Egg Boro.
Once they got used to it, we started with one type of vegetable stick or oyaki as a meal, but it was difficult to adjust the hardness of the vegetable sticks. If they were too soft, they were hard to grab, and if they were too hard, they were dangerous...
So, in our house, oyaki were used more often.
And gradually, they were able to eat staple foods like stick bread and rice balls with their hands.
From the middle of the late stage of baby food, it became almost entirely finger food, and they were able to eat while I watched over them.

At first, it was a disaster with them crushing it with their hands or throwing it, but once they got used to it, they almost stopped throwing it and are now able to eat skillfully.

What if they still don't eat with their hands?

There are quite a few children who don't eat with their hands.
Some children dislike their hands getting dirty, or the size of the finger food might be too early for them.
In such cases, please try letting them hold a spoon or fork .
They are not yet at the stage where they can eat skillfully with cutlery, but it is easy to lead to a successful experience of “being able to eat by themselves” just like finger feeding.

Mealtime is not the only place to practice 'finger feeding'

Actually, they learn to eat with their hands not only during 'mealtimes' but also during 'play'.
The act of 'putting everything in their mouth' is itself a form of learning.
Grabbing toys and putting them in their mouth by themselves. If they can do this, they can also do finger feeding.
You realize that not a single one of a baby's actions is wasted, don't you?

It's just that they have been fed with a spoon until now, so they are just confused, wondering, 'Why aren't you giving it to me with a spoon?'
Some children can master it if given time, and there are cases where they never did finger feeding at all. Let's cherish that as your child's unique trait.

Our family's reflections

Finally, some reflections from our family.
After the choking incident, I was scared and gave everything in bite-sized pieces.
They became really good at finger feeding, but they couldn't learn to bite off food, and this practice was really difficult.
Everything has its pros and cons...
Parenting is truly a series of trials. lol

Summary

Since that scary day, I was nervous myself, but once I started thinking,
“It doesn't have to be every day,” “Only on days they can,” “A little bit at a time,”
my feelings became much lighter.

My son was messy at first, but now he is really good at finger feeding, and he picks up and eats every single grain of rice left on his hands or plate without leaving any behind.
I feel that growth really happens little by little.


“It's okay for finger feeding to be slow.”

It is okay to have days when you feel anxious.
It is okay if today is a spoon-feeding day.
Finger feeding is not a mandatory task, but something to watch over within your own capacity.

And above all, your peace of mind as a mother is what matters most.

How was it for your children?
"Things that scared you about finger feeding" or "tricks you use"
Please let me know in the comments if you would like!

#63rd consecutive day of posting #daily posting #consecutive posting #registered dietitian #food education #baby food #finger feeding #nutrition for moms and children