By about 9 months, your baby will have the motor skills to grasp small objects and get them to her mouth. It’s time for finger foods. The foods on the list below are nutritious and easy to eat.

Fine finger foods 

• Crackers

• Round toasted oat cereal

• Rice cakes

• Tiny cheese cubes

• Fruit, such as ripe bananas, apples, and pears in small pieces

• Cooked vegetables, such as halved peas and finely chopped squash, potatoes, and carrots

• Well-cooked pasta bits

• Cooked rice

Some nutritious, seemingly safe finger foods actually are unsafe because they may pose a choking danger. If your baby has only her front teeth, she’s capable of biting off a chunk of an uncooked carrot, but she can’t actually chew it up, which means she could choke on it. Here’s a list of foods to avoid until your baby has molars and can chew chunkier foods:

• Raw vegetables, such as carrot and celery sticks

• Grapes and berries

• Raisins

• Hot-dog or other meat chunks

• Any nuts, such as peanuts, almonds, and cashews

• Popcorn

• Hard candy, even suckers