what Finley does like to eat

*I realize this post won’t interest most people – it’s more for me to record and for others who have babies at this stage and need some ideas. So if baby food doesn’t interest you then I won’t blame you for stopping here. If you are at this stage and have some more ideas for me, please please please share!

Finley is not much of a formula eater, never really has been and she doesn’t really like pureed or baby foods. But she does love finger foods. Here are some of the things I make for her on a regular basis that she loves. I have tried making her “dishes” like combining rice with veggies and a sauce but she really seems to prefer everything separated. She wants to be able to each each individual item on their own.

• Sweet Potatoes – I cut them up into wedges (like fries) and rub olive oil on them and bake at 400 for 20 minutes. She LOVES these and so do I! (to cut them I first cut off the ends, then cut all the sides and then slice the middle into pieces. I use the sides as well, but by doing this you get better looking fries :-)
• Meat – she loves meat. I give her shredded chicken, ground turkey and ground beef. I usually cover the chicken with cheese, the turkey and beef with tomato sauce, cottage cheese or pasta. If you combine the meat with cottage cheese, sauce and pasta (you can leave the pasta out too) then it tastes like lasagna, so good! She loves it.
• Cheese – cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, jack cheese, cream cheese – it doesn’t matter what kind, she just loves cheese. I either shred it or buy cheese sticks and break them up into pieces.
• Tofu – I usually cut it up into cubes and then cook it on the stove in some olive oil until the sides browned/crisp (aka “fried”). This is probably her favorite finger food, she never leaves any left over. I also have served it to her without cooking it – but she likes the crunchy texture and she certainly could use the fat :-) Plus I like to eat a few pieces too!
• Toast smeared with cream cheese.
• Peas – the girl loves peas. I just zap some frozen peas on the microwave with a little water and then she goes to town picking them up and eating them.
• Broccoli – I usually keep frozen broccoli on hand and just microwave it with some water and then cut it up. I also steam fresh broccoli.
• Pasta – I think she just likes that she can pick it up and eat it on her own. I’ve found that macaroni noodles are the easiest for her.
• Avocado – She’s always loved avocado and it’s still one of her favorites! I freeze any left over wedges and it lasts much longer!
• Pears – she LOVES pears, probably her favorite fruit. I buy them fresh or canned (occasionally). Pears actually freeze pretty well if they are in larger pieces.
• Banana – she loves banana pieces and usually has this with breakfast.
• Cooked Carrots and Broccoli.
• Jury is still out on Butternut Squash but I still offer it to her, usually mashed up in rice.
• Cheerios – they are fun to eat and play with!
• Mum Mums – this is more of a tool I use to keep her entertained if I need to (i.e. story time, restaurants, while I’m making her food), but she ALWAYS wants a Mum Mum so I can rely on them.
• Applesauce and Yogurt are about the only “spoon fed” foods she will eat on a regular basis.
• Egg yolk – I usually fry the egg yolk and she will eat it right up. A great way to get her some protein.
• Water – I know this isn’t a food, but she has an obsession with water so I had to include it. If I put formula in a sippy cup she throws it, but if there is water she will drink until I take it away from her!
• Black beans – Finley likes black beans and I’m working with her on Lentils, so far she’s not a fan. She’ll eat rice, but mostly plays with it. So these are foods we just keep introducing and maybe one day she’ll like it. I also want to try Quinoa but haven’t done that one yet.