125 first foods for babies with no teeth

Can you imagine eating food without any teeth? Just with your gums alone? I surely find it hard to picture, but we were once like our little ones. Toothless, like a 100 year old grandma. Luckily, there are first foods for babies with no teeth. And I found 125 of them for you to read about.

 

PIN IT FOR LATER

 

The original article was written back in 2018. This is a 2021 updated version.

Since then, I have re-written and updated this post to reflect the changes I have gone through when it came to my own beliefs/thoughts and how I word things when talking about feeding kids. As such, the remains of the original article can be seen in the comments section. Word of caution, it’s not something that makes too much sense anymore and some parts I am not very proud of. I even considered deleting the comments altogether, but that doesn’t seem just right either. Either way, I hope this article helps you, even a bit. 

Yes, the Pinterest pins show blueberries and they are a choking hazard, but do read the entire post. I have tried to give suggestions for each type of food so as to make them safe even for little ones.

If I missed anything, give me a shout.

 

But how can babies even chew without teeth?

 

Well, the truth is, they don’t need teeth to chew.

 

Chewing involves movements of the jaw, tongue and cheek. Teeth are used later on to break up more complex fibres.

 

This is technically done with the teeth that are more at the back of the mouth, called molars. The first molars show up somewhere between 13 and 19 months old, as you can see from the graph below.

 

 

So if we were to wait that long before we gave our little ones any food that can be easily munched on with the gums, then we would seriously endanger his or her capabilities of dealing with food (not to mention the fact that after around 8 months, the gag reflex moves further down the tongue and babies might experience a higher risk of choking if they are not accustomed to table foods yet).

 

Furthermore, babies are already experienced in munching away, because they would have spent a lot of time already with their fingers in their mouth, biting toys and other objects.

 

So encourage them to explore these with their lips, tongue and jaw, at the same time being careful of any pieces that might come off and increase the risk of choking.

 

So, assuming little one doesn’t have any teeth yet, what can I give him?

 

See the list below. 

 

But before anything else, make sure baby meets the three signs he or she is ready to begin in the first place. I cannot stress this enough, guys, and it will save you lots of trouble down the road.

 

There was a time when the recommendations said to start solids at 4 months+ and I’m not sure that all the baby food manufacturers have come up-to-date with the current official advice regarding infant feeding. Always watch the signs in your baby and judge whether he or she is ready. This usually happens at around 6 months, give or take.

 

Here you go, some ideas of first foods for babies with no teeth. I also added some notes and suggestions of serving for some of them. This is regardless of the method you use, baby led weaning or traditional. At some point, you’ll have to start giving them table foods.

 

And because I’m a fan of food groups, I have split them accordingly, for easier reference.

 

Note: please be aware of choking hazards. I find this article sums up pretty well what are the foods you need to pay extra attention to. As your little one develops his ability to chew, you need to be careful, teeth or no teeth. 

 

Fruits and veggies

 

As a general rule, go for the ripest you can get, in the beginning, as these are usually softer for babies just starting out.

1. Avocado. Serve as is, sliced into wedges, or served on toast, mashed, with an egg on top. You can also try a guacamole recipe, which is basically adding some tomato, red onion, a bit of pepper and some lemon juice to a mashed avocado. For an easier grip, you can toss it through some breadcrumbs or ground nuts.
2. Banana. Serve as is, sliced or mashed. Here is a tip on how to offer it if baby is at the beginning, doing baby led weaning and has tiny hands. Also, here’s my recipe of baby’s chocolate you can make with banana and avocado.
3. Apricot. Pick a softer variety, the riper, the better. Cut into wedges or mash.
4. Tomato. Try serving them as such or on top of a pizza toast (just a slice of toast, with some mozzarella and tomatoes and baked for 10 minutes in the oven). My youngest sometimes enjoys it cut wedge-style.
5. Peach. Extra ripe are usually softer.
6. Mango. Go for the ripe ones.
7. Strawberry. Remove the hull (the leafy and usually white part on top) before giving it to baby. Halved would be best. The bigger ones even cut into 4 pieces.
8. Watermelon. Melts in the mouth. Remove the seeds and only give the red parts to baby.
9. Pear. Peel it and if it’s too hard, you can bake it in the oven for a while, with cinnamon on top.
10. Apple. Peel and cook it in the oven, like the pear, or shred it on a grater (I used to do this in the beginning when Emma was small; the finer side of the grater also turns the apple into applesauce).
11. Muskmelon.
12. Honeydew melon.
13. Carrot. Steam, boil or bake in the oven to make it soft. Don’t offer raw to babies just starting out.
14. Cauliflower. Steam, boil or bake in the oven with some seasoning on top.
15. Broccoli.  Here are 10 basic techniques for cooking broccoli from scratch, explained in-depth. Plus, you’re getting a free cheatsheet with the 3 ingredients that make broccoli taste good.
16. Potato. Boil, bake or even steam until very soft.
17. Sweet potato. Cook in the same way as a normal potato.
18. Pumpkin. Bake in the oven until soft.
19. Zucchini. Baked or boiled until it’s soft. Also grated works really well, incorporated in baked batters.
20. Beetroot. Steam or boil. Be careful, though, as it contains a high amount of nitrates and it is not ok for baby to have in big quantities or too often. If you offer a varied menu, it shouldn’t be a problem.
21. Grape. Cut them in quarters lengthways. Use this if you’re short on time.
22. Satsumas or easy peelers. Cut in half for safety.
23. Clementines.
24. Raisins. If you leave them to hydrate in water for 1 hour or so they should give up their sweetness. They are a choking hazard as per the link I shared above, so pay extra attention. Better incorporate them in baked foods.
25. Blueberry. Smash/squish them for safety or cut them in half.
26. Blackberry. I would halve these in the beginning, as there are some quite big.
27. Cucumber. I would only offer the middle part in the beginning, as it’s softer and easier to manage for babies just starting out.
28. Peas. Great for improving that pincer grasp.
29. Sweetcorn.
30. Baked beans. Great source of iron.
31. Plum.
32. Kiwi.
33. Dried apricots. Great source of iron, like any dried fruit, really. A bit on the sweet side, so be mindful of that.
34. Cherries. Cut in half or quarters.
35. Sour cherries. Serve the same as cherries.
36. Pineapple.
37. Orange. Cut the pieces in half or more.
38. Raspberries.
39. Olives. Beware of how salty they are. If left in water, they will lose their saltiness.
40. Papaya.
41. Dried cranberries. Same as raisins, so better incorporate them in a batter/dough.
42. Parsnips. Boil, steam or bake in the oven with some seasoning on top. You can remove the center which is usually harder.
43. Butternut squash. Bake or steam.
44. Bell pepper. Bake or boil.
45. Green beans. Boil or steam.
46. Chickpeas. Best boiled or turned into hummus or falafel.
47. Onion. Boiled or baked.
48. Turnips. Boiled until soft. You can make a veggie broth by boiling most of the hard veggies.
49. Cabbage. Boiled or baked.
50. Mushrooms. Make a sauce for pasta or bake them in the oven.
51. Lentils. Turn them into soup or stews.
52. Eggplant. Baked in the oven is your best bet.
53. Asparagus. Can be a bit hard, but baby can munch away if properly cooked, like in the oven or steamed.
54. Edamame. Never cooked them, but I guess either boiled or steamed.
55. Kaki fruit.
56. Lychee. Just make sure to peel the outer shell.
57. Grapefruit. Cut each slice in three smaller pieces or more, depending on size.
58. Pomelo. Cut each slice in multiple pieces.
59. Lemon. My youngest loves his lemons cut into wedges and he just sucks at the pulp.
60. Figs
61. Passion fruit
62. Yam. It’s a root vegetable and can be cooked in a similar way to a sweet potato.
63. Brussel sprouts. Boiled, steamed or baked with seasoning.
64. Nectarine. Go for riper ones and cut into wedges.
65. Ugli fruit.
66. Plantains. They look like bananas, but you have to cook them. They come from Jamaica, I believe.

 

Related posts

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• Blueberry galette (a recipe great for blw)
• 33 tips to easily end picky eating for good
• 5 alternatives to baby cereal that won’t break the bank + 1 tip
• Why you should not feed your baby smoothies, overnight oats, maple syrup and other foods
• Bread and butter pudding (baby friendly, also great for babies with no teeth)

 

Meat/poultry/fish

 

67. Salmon. I usually bake it in the oven, wrapped loosely in baking paper or foil, for around 20 minutes.
68. Cod. Cook the same way as salmon.
69. Haddock.
70. Mince meat. You can cook some meatballs.
71. Steak. Serve in shredded strips, like the chicken.
72. Chicken. Serve in shredded strips for babies to suck on and munch away later on.
73. Tuna. I am guilty of buying cans of it, but if you can bake it from scratch, that’s even better. Squeeze a bit of lemon to give it some flavour.
74. Crab. If your little one is not allergic to seafood, you can give it a go.
75. Prawns/shrimp. Great finger food.
76. Homemade sausages.

 

Breads/cereal

 

77. Bread. To prevent it from sticking to the roof of the mouth, toast it. Or make some french toast.
78. Rice. Great in rice puddings.
79. Porridge
80. Porridge fingers
81. Millet. Boiled in milk or turned into a pudding (see my recipe here)
82. Quinoa. Boiled and eaten as a side or added to porridge, for example.
83. Amaranth. Same as quinoa.
84. Buckwheat. Same as the above.
85. Semolina pudding.
86. Spaghetti
87. Pasta. Macaroni, penne, fussili or bowtie shapes work well for beginners.
88. Noodles
89. Homemade pizza
90. Polenta
91. Cous-cous
92. Naan bread
93. Pitta bread
94. Tortillas
95. Rice cakes. Go for the lowest salt option.
96. Shreddies. Simple, no flavor, no added salt or sugar, just 100% wholegrain. Serve in milk.
97. Focaccia
98. Chapatti fingers (an Indian flat bread)

 

 

Eggs (in the UK, those that have a lion stamped on the shell are salmonella-free, therefore the yolk can be left runny when cooked – otherwise please cook the yolk completely)

99. Boiled eggs
100. Poached eggs (only in the UK)
101. Fried eggs (just don’t use oil and fry in a non-stick pan)
102. Scrambled eggs
103. Omlette
104. My baked omlette

 

Dairy

 

105. Yoghurt
106. Cheddar cheese. Just watch out for salt and the amount present. Grated is best at the beginning.
107. Mozarella. Choose the lowest salt option.
108. Sana. It’s an Eastern European type of dairy, similar to yogurt, but slightly drinkable.
109. Kefir. Similar to sana. You can find them in the European section in the supermarket.
110. Curd cheese. I have a recipe for it here. It’s a no-salt version of cheese, perfect for babies.
111. Cottage cheese. Just make sure the salt levels are okay.

Others

112. Tofu. Just watch out for the salt content.
113. Homemade muffins (try this carrot muffins recipe)
114. Homemade pinwheels
115. Homemade banana bread
116. Homemade biscuits (easiest recipe: 100 g flour, 100 g butter and 100 g of homemade curd cheese or ricotta cheese; everything mixed and baked in the oven)
117. Pancakes
118. Waffles. Here’s a basic recipe to follow, which is infinitely customizable. A bit of waffle theory never hurt.
119. Fritters. I have a recipe here, very adaptable to what you have in your pantry.
120. Homemade nuggets
121. Any homemade cake-like consistency, as long as there is no sugar, maple syrup, honey (if baby is under 1 year old), whole nuts, etc.like this baked oatmeal cake.
122. Homemade popsicles or anything that’s made out of fruit and yogurt and frozen.
123. Peanut butter. It is best to spread it on toast or on slices of banana. Just make sure it’s 100% nuts. 
124. Almond butter. Same as peanut butter.
125. My apple pudding

BONUS: 

126. 2 ingredient cookies. The easiest snack ever. Pair it with some dairy and you’re good to go.

127. 3 ingredient pancakes. The fluffiest and easiest pancake recipe out there. Make sure to read my notes on timing and flipping and why those are the key elements for the fluffiness.

128. Spiced biscuits. I think these are great for when little ones are teething.

129. Easy scones. With only 3 ingredients at the base, these are soft and fluffy. Don’t overmix the batter though.

130. A kid friendly brownie with a secret nutritious ingredient. 

 

You are probably thinking: is there anything she hasn’t mentioned?

 

In fact, I haven’t mentioned the leafy vegetables, like spinach, lettuce, salad etc because babies might have a hard time tearing them apart so as not to stick to the roof of their mouths.

 

I also didn’t mention pomegranate, because of its high choking risk.