XP I feel like a solids idiot
I feel like a total idiot when it comes to feeding B solids, particularly finger foods. I'm Terrified of choking and it doesn't help that he has gagged multiple times on this smallest of foods. He has two bottom teeth and four top teeth which actually makes me More nervous about solids than if he was just going to be gumming everything to death.
We started puffs shortly after six months and he very quickly caught on and mastered the pincher grasp. We've done tiny pieces of ripe banana... and that's pretty much all I've had success with. Oh and turkey sandwich meat. Kid loves turkey.
He's done well with some of the Gerber 3rd foods but I want him to start self feeding more.
When I hear about good baby foods I guess I'm just needing a visual... if you give your baby 'toast' how exactly does that work? Do you give him a big piece to chew on or tear it off into small pieces? How toasted are we talking? Or pasta with sauce... do you just coat it and put it on his highchair tray and prepare for a mess? How small should his 'cube' of cheese be?
Is there a Baby Finger Foods for Dummies book? 
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Re: XP I feel like a solids idiot
OMG, this is me too! I have given DS puffs and Stage 2 foods but when it comes to other finger foods, I am clueless. Moms of 2+, can we get some assistence here? I am definitely watching this post!
BFP1: DD1 born April 2011 at 34w1d via unplanned c/s due to HELLP, DVT 1 week PP
BFP3: DD2 born Feb 2013 at 38w4d via unplanned RCS due to uterine dehiscence
When I do toast or pancakes, etc. I cut it into about 1/2 inch by 1/2 inch squares.
I am very lucky that my son has a big interest in eating "big boy" food. I can barely get purees into him anymore. When we are eating he just stares and begs for what we are having. I just tear it up and let him have it. It has also helped us to eat better.
Keep trying! One day they will just 'get it' and then there is no turning back.
My daughter doesn't like strips at all. She will shove it on her tray. But if I make them into small sizes that she can pick up she will eat anything.
I'm still figuring it out myself. DS does really well with pasta. I've done lots of different kinds of noodles - linguine, spaghetti, angel hair, farfalle (bow tie), and tortellini. He picks a bunch up and shoves it into his mouth. I'll do it plain or with a little sauce on it. Just make sure there's no hard big chunks (like meat or tomato) that can get stuck.
With meat I tear it into strips, although I'm not sure I have to anymore. I kind of shred it into a grated cheese level, but I'm sure he could handle it bigger. It just makes me nervous.
I did toast in strips once (width of an inch maybe) and he tore it off into pieces and munched on it. I spread a bit of avocado on top to make it softer.
Like I said, I'm still figuring it out too.
We're really struggling too.
One thing I tried this morning (my mother's idea) : I did a thin strip of toasted waffle and spread it with some of the puree he'd just been eating. With the idea being the puree would make it more familiar and thus more appealing. And it worked! Today, at least...
DS has given up on purees, he will only eat finger foods now except for rice cereal (his usual breakfast) so we have just been giving him whatever we eat.
I find it helps to just put a small amount on his tray at a time otherwise he just pushes it around or tries to put all of it in his mouth at once which just doesn't work. If I just put 2 or 3 pieces on his tray he will focus on picking them up rather than playing with the food.
Most foods I cut up into puff size pieces except for pancakes and waffles which I just break into a couple larger pieces and then he holds it and takes bites off of them.
Tougher pieces like chicken or steak, I use my fork to smush the pieces a bit before giving them to him just to make it easier for him to chew.
For pasta, I just give him whole pasta shapes with just a little bit of sauce (otherwise it's too slippery for him). For cheese, I usually just shred a little cheese directly on his tray.
Baby #2 on the way!
I felt like that in the beginning too! When I give him toast I toast it just I like I would for me then cut it into strips and he sucks on it tears chunks of it and chews it. With small foods like berries and peas I don't necessarily cut them in half I just mash them a tiny bit with my fingers and place them on the tray. Cheese, I used to cut strips of my colby cheese and he would suck on it but since he actually chews I just cut small cubes about half an inch in size. Meats same thing, small bite size, some other fruits like cantaloupe, apples, avocado and pears I just cut steak fry shape, same for veggies I steam or bake broccoli, asparagus, sweat potatoes until they really soft but hand them to him in the same steak fry shape.
I would suggest a couple things; buy some Baby Mum-Mums they dissolve quick in their mouths but it's good practice for self feeding, also go on youtube and search for BLW or baby led weaning so you can see the actual shapes and sizes of servings, and lastly I would suggest to trust your baby a little more, I know it's hard but when you let them it's amazing, the gag reflex is not choking it's a defense reflex against choking, what they can't handle they spit it out. HTH! GL!
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I think it depends on the interest of the child. my lo loves food! she wants everything we are having. I try to cut it up in small bites for her. some things we cut up smaller like meats.she will still take purees too.
pp gave alot of great ideas. I know I will be trying some of these as well.
The rule of thumb I follow is that if the food is hard, I cut it up no bigger than pea size. If it's something soft, I'll give him bigger chunks.
Everyone has given you good ideas so far, but here my DS's favorites.
Whole black beans
Hummus spread between slices of a whole wheat pita (you can cut into bite size pieces or give strips to gnaw on)
I did my own made up combination of BLW and regular feeding of babyfood. I will give my daughter a huge piece of pizza crust (only if it is soft, if it is crunchy she doesn't get it) she's given an entire waffle out of the toaster. Her first solid food was a piece of flank 2"x6" long. She sat at gummed that thing for the entire dinner and LOVED IT. I don't know how she did it with her gums but she ate over half of it.
she pretty much hates regular baby food now and prefers to feed herself. So now that she has two bottom teeth, I cut up her food into pieces around the size of a dime and we have no problems with gagging or choking (knock on wood). I think that is because she learned how to "chew" with the BLW hunks of food.