Need finger food ideas

We have moved up to finger foods the last couple of months. My problem is that my boys have a hard time feeding themselves anything other than bread, dry cereal, and noodles. Bananas, watermelon, carrots, peas, most other veggies are too slippery for them to grab themselves (I even have a hard time picking up those darn small pieces), and mashed potatoes, very well cooked potatoes, hard boiled egg yolk and scrambled egg yolk are all too soft and they crumble when the boys (and myself too) try to pick them up. The boys are more than ready to feed themselves, they want to do it and they hate being spoon fed, but, I don't want them to just eat bread, cereal, and noodles until they are ready for bigger pieces. Does anyone have any ides of what else I can give them or other ways to cook the veggies (or even ways to help them pick up those slippery pieces)? Oh, I've tried putting the food on paper towels to absorb some of the moisture and to provide a less slippery surface than their highchair tray, but they wound up playing with the paper towel and the food wound up on the tray anyway. Same goes for bowls and plates. How frustrating!!!!!!!!!!!!! :unknw:

 

I coated those slippery foods in graham cracker crumbs, wheat germ, and various other types of cracker crumbs to help them with that problem!

 

Are they eating cheese yet? I was told to try the shredded cheeses with my twins and they really liked it (still do). Also, what about small pieces of waffles and/or pancakes. My kids loved the cinnamon swirl toast (I know, more bread) from Pepperidge Farms. Also, ground beef and/or turkey might be something that they can pick up.

 

Shredded cheese, cut fruit, (I keep some cans on hand so I can just cut pieces as big as I want or need), and have you tried the Gerber fruit and veggie dices? Kind of expensive, but very convenient. We also do small pieces of lunch meat, which some people say not to because of the preservatives, but we don't do it that much. Also, I just read from another post about straining off the juice from soups and giving them the veggies.

 

What about a baked potato or baked sweet potato and cutting into cubes that way?

 

I grind steel cut oats in my blender down to a fine powder - and keep it on hand in the fridge. I roll anything slippery in it and it makes it so much easier to pick up!

 

QUOTE(TwinNirvana @ Aug 28 2007, 05:13 AM) [snapback]382917[/snapback]
I grind steel cut oats in my blender down to a fine powder - and keep it on hand in the fridge. I roll anything slippery in it and it makes it so much easier to pick up!


Please don't think I'm dumb, but, what are steel cut oats (I've never heard of them) and where can I find them? This sounds like a great idea.
Thanks!

 

Steel cut Oats are just whole oats instead of the ones you are used to seeing in the stores like Quaker oatmeal and such. I got mine at a natural food store under the brand name McCanns. Dont worry I had never heard of them until I bought a book about baby food.

Rachel

 

QUOTE(DATJMom @ Aug 28 2007, 08:13 PM) [snapback]383775[/snapback]
Steel cut Oats are just whole oats instead of the ones you are used to seeing in the stores like Quaker oatmeal and such. I got mine at a natural food store under the brand name McCanns. Dont worry I had never heard of them until I bought a book about baby food.

Rachel

Just curious, I have a large container of Quaker oats, so I could grind that up and coat their fruit, etc..?