It may seem strange that a small baby should be given larger pieces of food than an older child. But there is actually a logical explanation – and it has to do with motor skills.
Adjusting the size of food to the child's age and development is not only important to make eating fun - it also affects safety and how much food actually ends up in the stomach.
Two important phases: 6–9 months and 9–12 months
When it comes to the size of the food, there are mainly two age ranges that the food needs to be adapted to:
- 6–9 months – larger pieces are easier to handle
- 9–12 months – smaller pieces are more efficient
There is an overlap around 9 months, as fine motor skills develop at different rates in different children. By 12 months, most children can handle both large and small pieces – and even sandwiches and hamburgers.
Palmar grip (from birth)
Babies are born with a so-called palmar grip, where they grasp objects with their whole hand. This grip dominates until around 8–9 months of age, which means that the food they are given needs to be large enough to be held with their whole hand.
In addition to the baby being able to grasp the food, it is also safer to give large pieces at that age, as small pieces are not registered as easily by the brain and can be more difficult for a baby to handle in the mouth. Of course, the pieces of food should be relatively soft, but not so soft that they just fall apart when the baby tries to pick them up.
"But can't my baby choke on a large piece?"
A common concern! But the fact is that larger pieces of food are actually often safer than small ones, especially if they are soft enough but still hold their shape. Large pieces give the child better control in the mouth. Small, slippery pieces (think grapes or sausage coins) can easily slip into the back of the mouth and be difficult to handle.
If the child gets too much food in their mouth at once, it is often expelled through vomiting or the child (unconsciously) spitting it out. This is an important part of learning the basics of eating. Try to avoid intervening with fingers or back pats – guide with voice and body language instead.
"What do I do with all the little pieces that form when the child eats?"
You don't have to sit around picking out every little piece that falls off when your baby eats their larger pieces. Often, the baby won't get them anyway – especially if the forceps grip isn't in place yet.
But if there are a lot of small pieces that your child manages to grab with their whole hand and put in their mouth, it might be wise to clean them up a bit. Getting multiple small pieces in at once can be tricky to manage, and it can be frustrating for both you and your child.
Pincer grip (from about 8/9 months)
At around 8 months, many babies move from a full-hand grip to a so-called "immature pincer grip", where the flat parts of the fingers meet. Many babies have a fully developed pincer grip by 9/10 months of age and can then more easily pick up smaller pieces of food such as a macaroni.
When you give them smaller pieces of food, they start to use their chewing skills in a different way. Therefore, it is good to start cutting into small pieces when the pincer grip is developed, so that the chewing ability develops and the pincer grip is refined.However, it is important to still vary the food with larger pieces of food occasionally to maintain and develop the ability to bite off small bites.
Transition around 8-9 months
Around 8 months, many children can start experimenting with new ways to pick up smaller pieces, even if the tweezers grip isn't fully developed yet. Some find their own techniques – like pushing small pieces out of their hand to catch them with their mouths.
In this transitional phase, it's great to mix sizes in one meal. Starting too early with only small pieces can create frustration, but letting your child try a few small pieces at a time will help the development along.
Starting solid foods after 9 months
If you have a child who has not eaten finger foods before and is older than 9 months, there is no obvious way to go when it comes to the size of the pieces.
I usually recommend starting with slightly larger pieces to start practicing chewing and motor skills, but to also start with smaller pieces fairly quickly when you see that eating is working reasonably well.
Summary
- 6–9 months: Larger pieces that are easy to grip with your whole hand – reduces frustration and is often safer.
- 8–9 months: Some children start to pick up smaller pieces themselves – try mixing sizes.
- 9–12 months: Smaller pieces will become more practical as your tweezers grip develops – but keep practicing larger pieces too!
- After 12 months: Most children can handle all sizes – oand also other larger forms of food, such as sandwiches and hamburgers.
Serving food that suits the child's developmental level not only makes mealtime more fun – it also builds confidence and independence in eating.
/Elin Oresten
Lic. nutritionist and founder of
