size of finger foods

Josielove · July 2012

I feel like I may be over paranoid and giving my DD smaller bits than she can handle. I cute grapes in eigths, break up puffs into atleast 2 pieces as well as with nutrios. She has no problem with these pieces. I just want to make sure they're not too big.

So my question is, do you break up puffs/cheerios etc.. ?

Epiphany27 · July 2012

Puffs and Cheerios whole, grapes cut in half. Tiny foods can be dangerous too because they can get inhaled.

dairygirl19 · July 2012

I cut grapes and cherry tomatoes in fourths.

Every thing else I leave in pretty big grabable chunks. It's all personal preference and what you're comfortable with. I have a LO that prefers to be able to grab and gnaw.

PurpleDrewbie5 · July 2012

I feel like I am a bit over paranoid about this particular issue as well. I cut bananas, grapes, blueberries into fourths. I used to break up puffs but I don't anymore. I have some organic rice puffs by earth's best that are really hard so I do break those up. My nephew choked on cheerios at 10months, mainly because he put too many in his mouth at once. Puffs dissolve so quickly, I wouldn't worry about them. I would still break cheerios up. However, if you think your DD can handle bigger pieces try giving her bigger pieces a few at a time and see how she does.

blu-eyedwife · July 2012

I'm the exact opposite - I feel like smaller foods are easier to choke on/inhale. I feel more comfortable with bigger chunks. We don't do cheerios or puffs, but most food I give is bigger. I do cut grapes and grape/cherry tomatoes in half, but more because they're round and that makes them easier to hold.

awollenweber · July 2012

I don't break up puffs/cherrios, but I cut grapes in fourths, blueberries in half, banana slices into fourths, etc.

My son eats really fast though, so I do it to slow him down, as well as prevent choking. He isn't into holding big chunks or slices of foods - I think he's too used to the small pieces.

magpiebride61210 · July 2012

I'm only now starting to give a little bigger bites. I was with you OP. Puffs were broken in half, blueberries cut into 4ths. soft fruits were teeny tiny pieces. I wouldn't give LO anything bigger than his thumb.

Now I'm more comfortable giving him whole puffs and cheerios. Blueberries still cut into 4th, grapes into 8ths... but I'm giving bigger bites now in soft foods closer to the size of my pinkie rather than the baby's thumb.

DawnJM25 · July 2012

I've read different things in response to food size. Some parents cut things really small, and others leave food in biteable sizes. Before DD could pick up small bits I cut things in stick shapes so she could pick them up easier and gum off little pieces. Now she can pick up things like Cheerios and she eats those fine in their normal size. I still leave things like grilled cheese sandwiches in fourths so she can take bites. I find if I cut things too small she can't pick them up. But, it's personal preference!

AMcLaws · July 2012

I used to cut stuff up super small....but I found she'd shove 2 or 3 pieces in at a time anyway. Leaving them bigger (grapes in half, for ex.) means she only eats one at a time. Things like hot dogs or hamburger I'm still cutting fairly small, but only because she's still getting used to chewing them up.

eli_and_jeff · July 2012

We just started finger foods. I use puffs as size gauge for most things, DS is really INTO those. He also loves those Mumm Mumm things, which are just pure starch, so I don't give them to him any more, but he loved something to hold onto and naw on. I'm looking for replacement right now (cheese quesadillas were mentioned: brilliant! I might try that tonight) When we went out for Indian food this weekend, I gave him so handsized pieces on nahn to eat (instant joy).

I'd use your daughter's skill level as a guide. I delayed finger foods until DS could comfortably hold and suck on a teething biscuit. As soon as he got that down, I figured his mad nawing skills were up to the challenge

Leinistar · July 2012

Unless it's round like grapes, blueberries, cherry tomatoes, I let DS have it just as I would have it. Even the tomatoes, if I hand them to him, he will bite in half himself before eating them.

Keep in mind while your LO is eating, gagging is not choking. Baby's gag reflex is a lot further up than ours is and this helps them to learn how to handle food in their mouths. They will gag on stuff, probably frequently (I know DS can at times) but they are fine. Obviously you need to supervise the feeding but don't freak out if you hear her gagging on a piece of food. She's just learning not to show stuff down her throat without chewing it first.

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