Most children prefer to eat with their fingers by the time they reach their first birthday.  While the mess is not easy to watch (or clean up), it’s good for toddlers’ development — and it frees up mom and dad to eat right along with their little ones. 

While I’m still in the messy-eating toddler stage, I wanted to compile a list of my all time favorite finger foods.  This list takes into account nutritional needs at this stage, appropriate textures and ease of preparation.   

1. Sweet potatoes: High in both vitamins A and C, sweet potatoes pack a nutritional punch and sweet taste.  To prepare, poke both sides of a washed potato several times with a fork.  Cook in the microwave for 2-5 minutes on each side.  Smaller potatoes take less time while bigger ones take more time.

When done cut the potato in half and let cool.  Spoon out the soft insides and top with butter if desired.  Cut into small pieces and serve.

2. Frozen peas:  A good source of fiber and several vitamins and minerals including iron, green peas make a great food for growing toddlers.  To prepare either cook according to the package directions or let the peas thaw on their own.  It doesn’t get easier than this.

3. Soft meat:  The American Academy of Pediatrics recently released a report saying 15% of kids under 3 don’t get enough ironwhich is essential during the first few years of life.  It’s important to remember that the type of iron in meat is highly absorb-able making it an ideal food for little ones.

Tough meats are not only a choking hazard but are not appealing to small children.  Try cooking meat in the slow cooker to keep it moist.  Good choices include drumsticks, pork and ground meat.

4. Fish: A child’s developing brain needs essential fatssuch as omega-3s DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (Eicosapentaenoic acid).  Since these fats mainly come from marine sources such as fish, it’s an important part of a toddler’s diet. 

Try low mercury sources of fish like salmon, light canned tuna and tilapia, which are also soft and easy to break up into little pieces.  You can also look for fish sticks made with salmon such as these from Happy Baby. For more on feeding kids fish safely, see Kids Safe Seafood.

5. Eggs:With high quality protein, iron, choline, B12, riboflavin and other key nutrients, eggs are the perfect food for toddlers.  You can scramble them with added veggies like sautéed spinach and mushrooms or boil them ahead of time.  Either way, eggs make a quick and nutritious protein source for growing children.

6. Soft fruit/veggies: Fruits and veggies make great additions to any meal.  Cut soft and ripe fruit into small pieces.  Make sure to include at least one vitamin C-rich fruit and veggie daily such as cantaloupe, papaya, mango, kiwi, broccoli, cauliflower and strawberries. 

Steam veggies until they are soft and cut up into small pieces, season and serve.  Make sure to include at least one vitamin A-rich veggie or fruit daily such as winter squash, carrots, cantaloupe, sweet potatoes and spinach. 

7. Grated apple: Apples are usually left out of toddlers’ diet because of their hard texture.  But by peeling the skin and grating apples, you get a nice finger food that, thanks to its soluble fiber content, helps boost kids’ immune systems.

8. Grated cheese: Add grated natural cheese to veggies, beans, eggs and fruit to round out a meal or snack.  Cheese is a good source of protein and calcium and it contains fat which is especially needed the first 2 years of life. 

9. Beans: Rich in protein, B vitamins, iron and fiber and easily picked up by little fingers, beans make an excellent substitute for meat at meals.  Make sure they are soft and cut larger beans in half.  Serve with avocado and a vitamin C-rich fruit or veggie to help increase the absorption of iron.

You can cook straight from the can or soak dried beans overnight and cook them in the crock pot.  Either way, beans are so nutritious and filling, you’ll want them to be part of your child’s diet for years to come.

10. Whole grains: From pastas to iron-rich cereals (like Cheerios) and pieces of bread, there are many whole grain choices to include at mealtime.  Remember that whole grains contain all parts of the grain including the germ and bran, which contain fiber and plenty of nutrition.  Look for “whole grain” as the first ingredient and the Whole Grains Council stamp to let you know you have a winner. 

And please don’t forget about choking hazards.

So tell me, what are your favorite healthy and easy finger foods you feed your toddler?

I’m excited to have Evelyn Tribole, MS, RD as our expert this month. She is an award-winning registered dietitian, with a nutrition counseling practice in Newport Beach, California. She has written several books including The Ultimate Omega-3 Diet and Intuitive Eating. She is a highly respected dietitian.

“Children require omega-3 fatty acids the same way they require vitamins,” Tribole says when asked the one thing she wants parents to know about omega-3 fatty acids. “But parents need to understand that it’s not just DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) their children need, it’s also EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid).”

The problem with fortified products on the market, she explains, is they contain only DHA. And children need both. Even though DHA is the star player, DHA and EPA work together in a complex process.

In her book, The Ultimate Omega-3 Diet, Tribole argues that DHA is needed for brain development the same way calcium is required for bone growth. She says that each brain cell requires DHA for proper development. When DHA isn’t present in adequate quantities during rapid brain growth (early childhood), emotional and intellectual development can be affected.

“Kids need to eat fish at least twice a week to get the recommended amount of DHA.” Tribole says. “Parents can try fish tacos, tuna fish sandwiches or salmon patties with their kids.”

While her son was growing up, Tribole took him out for “Fishy Thursdays” and he’d try all kinds of different fish at restaurants. Now he loves fish.

“Every time the FDA comes out with a warning about fish, consumption goes down, which is too bad,” she adds. “If parents stick to low-mercury sources of seafood like salmon, trout, halibut, light canned tuna and cod, they will be fine.”

Should children who don’t eat fish regularly supplement with DHA/EPA? Tribole says yes and based on international guidelines she recommends children 2-3 years old get 433mg of DHA/EPA with a minimum of 145mg of DHA, 4-6 years old get 600mg of DHA/EPA with a minimum of 200mg of DHA and 7 years and older including adults get 650 combined with a minimum of 220 DHA. For pregnant women the DHA minimum is 300mg. Check the supplement facts label to see how much DHA/EPA is in each serving.

As for recommended supplements, Tribole put together this chart on her website listing quality products categorized by cost. Supplements especially for kids include Coromega and Nordic Naturals. For another kids’ supplement, check out my review of Carlsons for Kids fish oil.

What about vegetarian children? Tribole explains that plant sources of omega-3 fatty acids such as flaxseed and walnuts do not contain DHA/EPA and convert very small amounts of DHA in the body. Most lacto-ovo vegetarians (consumes milk and eggs) don’t have problems taking fish oil supplements but vegans may be against it. There are algae-based DHA supplements but they don’t contain EPA.

Tribole emphasizes the importance of lowering omega-6 fatty acids in the diet. “I like to compare omega-6 fatty acids to sodium in the diet,” she says. “Both are essential nutrients but too much can take a toll on health.”

Because omega-6 (see sources below) and omega-3 fatty acids compete for the same limited enzymes, too much omega-6 can crowd out omega-3s. And too much omega-6 fatty acids in the body can increase one’s risk of inflammation, increasing the risk of developing chronic diseases.

Due to changes in the food supply, she explains in her book, we eat 10-20 times the omega-6 fatty acids our ancestors ate.

“To cut back I tell families to start with three items – margarine, salad dressing and spreads like mayonnaise.” she says. “These products are made with omega-6 vegetable oils such as soybean, cottonseed and corn oil.”

Vegetable oils low in omega-6 fats include canola and olive oil. She advises families to choose canola-based margarines like Canoleo or Canola Harvest, make their own salad dressing with canola or olive oil and buy a canola-based mayonnaise.

When asked other ways families can increase their intake of omega-3 fatty acids she says they can buy dairy products that come from “pasture-fed” or “grass fed” animals – and being organic is no guarantee. When animals are fed their natural diet of grass instead of a corn-grain diet, she explains, they naturally have higher levels of omega-3s and lower levels of omega-6. One example Tribole provides is Straus Family Creamery which sells pasture-fed dairy products.

She says the Mediterranean diet is a good example of a diet balanced with the right kinds of fat. For more on this fascinating topic check out Tribole’s book, The Ultimate Omega-3 Diet.

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For more on what to feed your kids see our Nutrition for Children section.