Introduction
This sheet gives some ideas for different food textures that you can offer your child. Ensure you always supervise your child while they are eating and please avoid any foods that your child is allergic to.
Bite and Dissolve
These foods dissolve in the mouth so do not require chewing. They are a great ‘middle’ step for children who are struggling to accept lumps in food. Most of these foods should only be given as snacks due to high fat and sugar content. Try to place them in the side of the mouth to encourage chewing skills.
- Some cereals such as puffed wheat and Cheerios
- Rice paper
- Baby Rusks
- Sponge finger biscuits
- Ice cream wafers and wafer biscuits
- Wotsits, Skips and Pom Bear crisps (brands suitable for babies are available).
- Cadbury’s chocolate buttons
- Prawn crackers
Bite and Chew Easily Foods
These foods take some munching and moving around the mouth before swallowing. Children need to demonstrate that they can chew bite and dissolve foods before moving onto bite and chew easily foods. To avoid a choking risk, it is important to cut the food into small pieces.
Bread and Cereals
- Thick porridge, Weetabix with milk
- White bread (crusts removed) and butter (some breads can be stickier than others)
- Lightly toasted white or wholemeal bread (not granary) with melted butter
- Sandwiches made with white bread (crusts removed) and smooth fillings e.g., marmite, cheese spread, tuna mayo, smooth jam, pease pudding
- Chapatti / paratha
- Garlic bread (not the crust)
- Pancakes
- Croissants
- Soft biscuits e.g., malted milks, Jaffa cakes, shortbread
- Tinned spaghetti, hoops, alphabet shapes etc
- Well-cooked pasta in a smooth sauce
- Well-cooked dhal and other lentils
Dairy
- Small pieces of crumbly cheese e.g., Wensleydale, Cheshire, Lancashire
- Boiled or scrambled eggs mashed with mayo or butter
- Strips of omelette
Fruit and vegetables
- Soft pieces of cooked potato, sweet potato, plantain, the inside of chips or wedges
- Well-cooked parsnip, carrot, beetroot, turnip, swede, broccoli, sweet potato, cauliflower
- Banana (chopped)
- Ripe peeled fruits e.g., pear, peach, mango, nectarine, melon, avocado, strawberries
- Mashed tinned fruits e.g., pear, peaches (avoid pineapple)
- Peeled grapes (cut in quarters and de-seeded)
Meat and Fish
- Small pieces of pre-cooked or sliced meats e.g., ham, chicken, turkey
- Small pieces of corned beef
- Small pieces of sausages with the skin removed hot dogs
- Small pieces of well-cooked fish (with skin, bones removed)
- Fish fingers and fish cakes (may need to remove the coating)
Regular Foods
Once your child has made progress with their biting and chewing skills and can handle the above easy-chew foods easily, they should have adequate eating skills to handle just about anything they give you and then you can begin to enjoy your favourite meals and treats with your child.