Finger food from 9 months: what works?

Between 8 and 10 months lumpy food belongs on the plate, says ESPGHAN. The pincer grip works, pea-sized pieces travel to the mouth alone. Here is what every food looks like now.

Well suited With limits Not suitable

Vegetables

Food	How it works
Carrot	Cooked soft and cut into pea-sized cubes. That way the fingers practise the pincer grip.
Potato	Boiled soft in small cubes. They are perfect for practising the pincer grip.
Sweet potato	Cooked soft in pea-sized cubes or as a soft wedge to hold.
Parsnip	Cooked soft and cut into pea-sized cubes. That way the fingers practise the pincer grip.
Pumpkin	Soft cubes or wedges from the oven that your baby can pick up itself.
Zucchini	Cooked soft in pea-sized cubes or as a stick to hold.
Broccoli	Smaller soft-steamed florets that your baby can pick up itself.
Cauliflower	Small soft-steamed florets to grab with the whole hand.
Kohlrabi	Cooked soft and cut into pea-sized cubes. That way the fingers practise the pincer grip.
Fennel (vegetable)	Soft-cooked in small pieces or as a soft wedge to hold.
Peas	Let your baby pick up whole soft peas one by one. That is the classic pincer-grip exercise.
Green beans	Soft-cooked in small pieces or as a whole bean to hold themselves.
Spinach	Finely chopped into mashed potato or pasta. Still small portions and always freshly made.
Beetroot	Cooked soft in pea-sized cubes. It stains hands, stool and urine.
Cucumber	Peeled in pea-sized cubes or as a soft stick to hold.
Tomato	Soft wedges without the core. Cherry tomatoes you quarter lengthways.
Bell pepper	Steamed in pea-sized pieces or as soft strips to hold. Raw only finely grated and in small amounts.
Corn	Soft-cooked kernels, mashed or mixed into mashed potato.
Celery	Cooked soft in pea-sized cubes or mixed into mashed potato.
Leek	Cooked very soft and finely cut into potatoes or pasta. Cut long fibres short.
Onion	Soft-braised and finely chopped, mixed into the meal.
Mushrooms	Cooked right through in small soft pieces. Halve large slices.
Eggplant	Cooked soft in pea-sized pieces, without the skin.
Asparagus	Boiled soft in small pieces. Cut across the fibres.
Avocado	Soft cubes that your baby can pick up itself.
Brussels sprouts	Cook them soft and halve or quarter them to pick up.
Kale	Very finely chopped, braised soft and mixed into mashed potato.
Chard	Finely chopped and cooked soft, mixed into pasta or potatoes. Still small portions.
White / red cabbage	Braised very soft, finely cut and mixed into potatoes.
Savoy cabbage	Cooked soft and finely cut. Remove the thick leaf ribs first.
Napa cabbage	Steamed soft and cut into fine, short strips.
Leaf lettuce	Not as a leaf yet. At most cut into very narrow strips and mixed into other food.
Lamb's lettuce	Finely chopped and mixed into warm food. The small leaves stick less than lettuce.
Radishes	Finely grated and in small amounts mixed into cream cheese. Not whole and not in slices.
Swede / rutabaga	Cooked soft and cut into pea-sized cubes to pick up.
Parsley root	Cooked soft and cut into pea-sized cubes to pick up.
Celery stalks	Cooked soft in short pieces. Pull off the strings first.
Sugar snap peas	Steamed soft and cut into short pieces. Pull off the strings.
Edamame	Cooked soft and halved or mashed. Whole, they are round and smooth.
Olives	Pitted, soaked and quartered lengthwise. Just a few pieces.
Artichoke	The soft cooked heart, cut into small pieces to pick up.
Pointed cabbage	Cooked soft, finely cut and mixed into potatoes or pasta.
Butternut squash	Cooked soft in pea-sized cubes, or as wedges from the oven.
Other edible mushrooms	Cooked through and cut into small pieces. Leave out tough stems.
Okra	Soft-cooked in small pieces or as a whole pod to hold.
Bok choy	Steamed soft in fine strips. Cook the thick stalks extra soft.
Garlic	Cooked into sauces and vegetables, the way you cook it for yourselves.
Ginger	A hint cooked into curry or soup, no more than that.
Tomato sauce (passata)	As a sauce over soft pasta or soft-cooked vegetables.
Guacamole	As a dip for soft sticks or small cubes of bread.
Veggie mash (stamppot)	Coarsely mashed with soft bits of vegetable, so your baby can spoon it up alone.
Cress	Finely chopped and sprinkled over bread with cream cheese.
May turnip	Cooked soft and cut into pea-sized cubes, for the pincer grip.

Fruit

Food	How it works
Apple	Steamed in small cubes. Raw only finely grated.
Pear	Soft cubes that your baby can pick up itself.
Banana	In small pieces that your baby can pick up itself.
Peach	Soft and ripe in pea-sized pieces, without the skin.
Apricot	Soft and ripe in small pieces, without the stone.
Plum	Stoned and in small soft pieces to pick up.
Melon	Seedless pea-sized cubes that your baby can pick up itself.
Watermelon	Seedless pea-sized cubes that your baby can pick up itself.
Mango	Ripe and soft in pea-sized cubes to pick up.
Blueberries	Halved, which makes ideal practice for the pincer grip.
Strawberries	Quartered, so your baby can grip the pieces well.
Raspberries	Whole berries to pick up. Halve the large ones.
Grapes	Still quartered lengthways. The round shape stays dangerous.
Cherries	Still stoned and quartered lengthways, never whole.
Kiwi	Peeled and in small soft pieces to pick up.
Orange / mandarin	Segments without membrane, cut into small pieces to pick up.
Pineapple	Small soft pieces from the juicy part. Cut away the tough fibres.
Papaya	Soft and ripe in pea-sized cubes, without seeds.
Nectarine	Soft, pea-sized pieces to pick up, without the stone of course.
Mirabelle plum	Pitted and quartered to pick up. Never as a whole fruit.
Blackberries	Halved to pick up. Soft small berries can stay whole.
Currants	Add them mashed or halved to cereal. No whole berries yet.
Gooseberries	Offer them halved or mashed. Peel off the tough skin first.
Sour cherries	Pit them and quarter them lengthwise so your baby can pick them up.
Raisins	Stir them soaked into porridge or chop them finely. Just a few pieces.
Dates	Pit them and chop them finely. Just a few little pieces.
Figs	Fresh in small soft pieces. Chop dried figs finely and offer them sparingly.
Pomegranate	Still just the juice, or mash a few seeds.
Persimmon	Fully ripe in small soft pieces so your baby can pick them up.
Lychee	Peel it, pit it and quarter it lengthwise for grabbing.
Physalis	Quarter it so your baby can pick up the pieces.
Rhubarb	Offer it as a soft compote, and still only rarely.
Quince	Cook it soft and offer small pieces or a purée.
Elderberries	Cooked through as a compote, or stir the juice into porridge.
Grapefruit	Segments without membrane, cut into small pieces to pick up.
Lemon / lime	Drizzle a squeeze over vegetables or fish for a bit of flavour.
Passion fruit	Pulp with a few seeds in yoghurt. The seeds are soft and small.
Dragon fruit	Ripe and soft in pea-sized cubes to pick up.
Nashi pear	Steamed in small cubes. Raw only finely grated.
Coconut (flakes/milk)	Fine flakes in porridge. Coconut chunks are hard and not yet on the menu.
Applesauce (unsweetened)	From a spoon, with a few soft pieces of fruit in it if you like.
Cranberries	Cooked and halved in compote. Dried ones are sweetened.
Fruit pouch	Still from a spoon. A pouch is no good for learning to chew.
Dried fruit (sulphured)	Soaked and finely chopped, and still only a little of it.

Grains & sides

Food	How it works
Oats	A thicker porridge, with soft pieces of fruit in it if you like.
Millet	Cooked thicker as porridge or shaped into soft balls to grasp.
Rice	Soft-cooked, sticky rice in small heaps to grasp.
Rice cakes	As a snack in the hand, but only now and then. Better to choose corn cakes.
Spelt	A thicker porridge, soft spelt pasta or strips of bread to hold.
Wheat / semolina	A thicker semolina porridge or soft pasta to pick up.
Bread	Strips of bread to hold, thinly spread with cream cheese or purée.
Pasta	Boiled soft, in smaller shapes or halved to pick up.
Couscous / bulgur	Soft and swollen in small heaps or mixed into veg.
Polenta	Cooled in pea-sized cubes or as a soft stick to hold.
Quinoa	Boiled soft in small heaps or mixed with vegetables. The grains are tiny and harmless.
Rye	The soft inside of mild rye bread in strips. Wholegrain with whole kernels not yet.
Buckwheat	Mix soft cooked grains into vegetables or shape them into little balls.
Amaranth	Cooked soft and mixed into vegetables or stirred into porridge.
Barley	Soft cooked pearl barley in little heaps for grabbing or in soup.
Green spelt	Cooked soft as a patty in strips or mixed into vegetables.
Rusk	In the hand as a snack, or soak it in milk.
Crispbread	Not yet as a piece. At most thinly spread, once chewing works reliably.
Pretzel	Soft pieces from the arm. Rub off the salt first.
Toast	Toasted strips thinly spread, or cut it into small cubes.
Porridge / muesli (unsweetened)	Cook it thicker and add soft pieces of fruit. That way your baby practises spooning.
Cornflakes (unsweetened)	Soak them in milk until they have swelled up soft.
Pancakes	In pea sized pieces, or as strips for rolling up.
Waffles (unsweetened)	In small soft pieces. Cut off the crispy corners.
Gnocchi	Halved or quartered so your baby can grab them easily.
Dumplings	In pea sized pieces so your baby can pick them up.
Spaetzle	One at a time for grabbing. Halve long spaetzle first.
Rice pudding (unsweetened)	From the spoon with soft pieces of fruit, and still without sugar.
Tortilla / wrap	Rolled with purée or cream cheese and cut into small pieces.
Corn cakes	In the hand as a snack or thinly spread for biting.
Millet rings	One at a time to pick up. There is no better practice for the pincer grip.
Spelt sticks	To gnaw on in the hand, still with no sugar or salt.
Rice noodles	Soft-cooked and cut into short pieces to grasp.
Croissant / pastry	The soft inside in small pieces, and only rarely.

Meat, fish & egg

Food	How it works
Beef	Stewed very soft and then pulled into fine strands.
Pork	Very soft-braised and pulled into fine shreds.
Poultry	Soft thigh meat, pulled into small pieces to pick up.
Lamb	Stewed soft and pulled into small strands to pick up.
Salmon	Cooked through and broken into soft flakes to pick up. Remove every bone first.
White fish (e.g. cod)	Cooked through and broken into soft flakes to pick up. Remove every bone first.
Egg	Pieces of scrambled egg or strips of omelette to pick up. Always cooked through.
Liver	Cooked soft and mashed finely into the vegetables. Still only rarely.
Sausage	If at all, then boiled sausage quartered lengthwise and cut small. Never in round slices.
Cooked ham	Thin strips of cooked ham cut into small pieces. Sparingly, because it is salty.
Duck	Braised very soft and without skin. Pull the meat into fine shreds.
Venison	Stewed soft and pulled into small strands to pick up.
Rabbit	Braise it soft and pull it into small shreds. Check for bones.
Trout	Debone it and flake it into soft pieces for grabbing.
Pollock	Flake it into soft pieces your baby can pick up.
Tuna	Soft flakes in a small amount, and still only rarely.
Mackerel	Debone it and flake it into soft pieces for grabbing.
Herring	Cook it, debone it and flake it for grabbing.
Shrimp	Cooked and cut very small. Shrimp are rubbery.
Fish fingers	In small pieces, soft coating may stay on. Home breaded oven fish is better.
Meatballs	Soft and cooked through in pea-sized pieces, or as a little ball to hold.
Omelette / scrambled eggs	Firmly set and cut into pea sized pieces for grabbing.
Spanish tortilla	Fully set and cut into pea-sized cubes, for the pincer grip.
Sardines	Mashed and spread on strips of bread or in small pieces.
Mussels	Cooked through and cut very small. Mussels are chewy.
Squid	Braised very soft and cut very fine. It is rubbery.

Dairy

Food	How it works
Plain yogurt	From the spoon, happily with soft pieces of fruit in it. A good way to practise self-feeding.
Cheese (sliced)	Soft, thin strips to pick up. No cubes, they are too firm.
Quark	Mixed with fruit or vegetables from the spoon. Still small amounts.
Butter	Spread thinly on strips of bread or stirred into the vegetables.
Cow's milk	Still only in purée or in cooking, not in the cup.
Cream cheese	Spread thinly on strips or cubes of bread. It also works as a dip for vegetable sticks.
Mozzarella	Quarter mini balls lengthwise and cut large balls into soft strips.
Skyr	With fruit from the spoon, and still only small amounts.
Cottage cheese	From the spoon with fruit or vegetables. The curds are soft.
Kefir	From the spoon, or your baby takes a few sips from a cup.
Buttermilk	For baking pancakes, or your baby takes a few sips from a cup.
Cream (for cooking)	For cooking in sauces and soups, just as you normally would.
Goat cheese (pasteurised)	In soft, thin strips to hold. No cubes yet.
Feta / sheep's cheese	Soaked and sprinkled in tiny crumbs over pasta or vegetables.
Parmesan	Grate it finely over pasta or vegetables, a touch is enough.
Greek yogurt	From a spoon with soft pieces of fruit, still only small amounts.
Cheddar	In soft, thin strips to hold. No cubes yet.
Ricotta	From a spoon or spread thinly on a strip of bread.
Goat's milk	Still only in purée or in cooking, not in the cup.

Legumes & nuts

Food	How it works
Lentils	Soft cooked lentils mashed, or shaped into little balls to pick up.
Chickpeas	Cooked soft and mashed or halved. Whole, they are round and firm.
Beans (kidney, white)	Cook them soft, then mash or halve them to pick up.
Tofu	Cut it into soft, pea-sized cubes to pick up.
Peanut butter	Spread paper-thin on strips of bread. Never as a thick blob.
Almond butter	Spread paper-thin on strips of bread, never as a thick blob.
Nut butter (mixed)	Spread paper-thin on strips of bread or stirred into porridge. Never as a thick blob.
Tahini (sesame paste)	Spread paper-thin on strips of bread or stirred into hummus.
Hummus	As a dip for soft vegetable sticks or spread thinly on bread.
Cashew butter	Spread paper-thin on strips of bread or stirred into porridge. Never as a thick blob.
Hazelnut butter	Spread it paper thin on strips of bread, that is all it takes.
Sunflower seed butter	Spread it paper thin on strips of bread or offer it as a dip.
Pumpkin seed butter	Spread paper-thin on strips of bread or stirred into porridge. Never as a thick blob.
Soy yogurt (unsweetened)	From a spoon, with soft pieces of fruit stirred in.
Flaxseed (ground)	Stirred ground into porridge, still no more than a teaspoon.
Chia seeds	Pre-soaked in porridge or yoghurt, still only a small amount.
White bean spread	As a dip for soft vegetable sticks or spread thinly on bread.
Baked beans	Rinsed and mashed or halved, so they fit into small hands.
Peanut puffs (e.g. Bamba)	One at a time to suck on, they dissolve in the mouth. Offer them regularly.
Lupin flour / products	Baked into pancakes or stirred into porridge.
Tempeh	Steamed in pea-sized cubes or in soft strips to hold.
Seitan	Unseasoned and braised soft in small pieces. It is chewy.

Fats & sweets

Food	How it works
Rapeseed oil	Keep stirring it into vegetables or mash. Fat stays important.
Olive oil	Drizzle it over vegetables or pasta, or use it for steaming.
Herbs & mild spices	Chopped into the food, that is how variety gets practised. Still no salt and no chilli.
Linseed oil	Cold over vegetables or stirred into the finished porridge.
Margarine	Spread thinly on strips of bread, that is all it needs.
Pesto	Home-made over pasta or vegetables, still without salt.
Cinnamon	A pinch sprinkled over fruit or porridge, still Ceylon.
Vanilla	Seeds or powder stirred into milk porridge and fruit.
Mild spices (curry, cumin)	Mild spices cooked into the sauce or the vegetables.
Mustard	A hint of mild mustard stirred into sauces or dressings.

Drinks

Food	How it works
Water	Offer water from a cup with every meal.
Unsweetened tea	Unsweetened from a cup. Fennel tea is still not an everyday drink.
Juice	Still heavily diluted and only with meals from a cup. Never for sipping on.
Oat drink	Still only for cooking, not as a drink in the cup.
Almond drink	Still only for cooking, not as a drink in the cup.
Soy drink	Still only for cooking, unless your paediatrician recommends it.
Coconut water	A few sips from the cup, but only unsweetened.
Smoothie	Home-blended from a spoon or the cup, but only with a meal.

Sources: WHO and UNICEF on texture stages, ESPGHAN 2017 on the lumpy-food window in months 8 to 10.

This page gives general information and does not replace medical or dietetic advice. Every child develops differently. When in doubt, talk to your paediatrician or a registered dietitian.

The ages are rough guides. What counts is not the calendar but what your child can already do with mouth and hands.

The five safety rules

Quarter round food lengthwise. Grapes, cherries and cherry tomatoes never go on the plate whole.
Cook hard food soft or grate it finely. Raw carrot and raw apple break into hard pieces otherwise.
Nuts are never whole, only as a butter or finely ground.
Eating happens sitting upright, never lying down and never on the move.
Stay with your baby while they eat. Choking happens silently.

⚠️ If your child chokes or can't breathe, call the emergency number straight away: 112 in the EU, 999 in the UK, 911 in the US.

Sources: AAP, the German BfR and Netzwerk Gesund ins Leben. All dangerous foods at a glance

All 234 foods in the app

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Common questions

What is good finger food from 9 months?

Soft-cooked vegetable pieces, soft fruit, pasta, soft bread and meat that falls into fibres. Pea-sized, so the pincer grip can take hold.

Do I still have to purée at 9 months?

No. Between months 8 and 10 lumpy food belongs on the plate, says ESPGHAN. Purée can stay alongside, it just shouldn't be the only thing.

How do I know my baby is ready for pieces?

They sit steadily, reach with thumb and index finger and bring food to the mouth themselves.

What is still off limits at 9 months?

Whole grapes, whole nuts, hard raw pieces, honey, salt and sugar. The choking rules don't depend on age.

By Felix & Merle · Josefine's parents

We built HeyFini out of our own days with a baby. What you read here comes from the app's food catalogue, which leans on the German BfR, Netzwerk Gesund ins Leben, the AAP, WHO, UNICEF, ESPGHAN and the S3 guideline on allergy prevention. More in our story. Last updated: 3 September 2026.

Read on

Bell pepper Grapes Egg Peanut butter Honey Avocado Banana Broccoli Carrot Potato Sweet potato Cucumber

General guidance, not medical advice. For questions about your child, talk to your paediatrician or midwife. In an emergency call your local emergency number (112 in the EU, 999 in the UK, 911 in the US).