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Your 8-month-old baby doesn’t need a single tooth to enjoy snacks – babies chew well with their strong gums. Nutritious foods for an 8-month-old baby without teeth are soft, squashable foods you can mix between two fingers, used as long ropes that can be held or as smooth purees from a spoon or bag. Think veggie sticks, ripe fruit, full-fat yogurt and iron-fortified yogurt – all served as long as your baby is sitting up straight and supervised.
If you have just gone from our snacks for 7 months without a teether, you will find that your child is now more confident. Here’s everything Australian parents need to eat confidently at 8 months.
Does an 8 month old baby need snacks too?
At 8 months, breast milk or milk remains the main source of food for your baby, and solids are offered two or three times a day. According to the Australian Government’s guidelines on infant feeding and the Raising Children Network, there is no need to prepare “standard” diets at this age. In fact, small, nutritious snacks between dairy foods are a fun way to feed yourself, explore new shapes and add iron and energy.
The goal is not to fill your child with extra food – it’s to build skills and introduce variety. Keep the sessions small and let your child take the lead. Some days they will eat snacks; other days they drop it in the high chair tray, and that’s totally fine.
What makes soft drinks safe for a child without teeth?
Before you get to the fruit plate, quickly check the security. A snack is suitable for an 8-month-old baby when he is:
- Soft enough to squash between your thumb and forefinger with slight pressure.
- Cut into finger lines (about the size of a thumb) so that your child can handle it with his whole fist, or it can be served as a smooth paste or puree.
- No choking hazards – no nuts, raw vegetables, whole grapes or cherry tomatoes, popcorn, apple pieces or hard skins.
- He served to be upright in a high chair, not in a pram, car seat or sleeper, and always with an adult watching.
It’s also worth knowing the difference between gagging and choking – gagging is the strange, noisy part of learning to eat, while choking is quiet. Understanding all these will help you to be calm and confident.
15 easy meals for an 8-year-old without teeth
Here are 15 delicious gummy snacks, sorted by food type so you can mix and match throughout the week.
Soft fruit
- Ripe banana, cut into thick spears (rubbed in a small paste to make it non-slippery).
- Steam or ripe pear and apple wedges, the skin is removed.
- Soft mango or peach.
- Smashed avocado on soft toast.
Steamed vegetables
- Baked potatoes, pumpkin or carrots, cooked until they break easily.
- Hot broccoli and cauliflower florets – the “tree” shape is great for little fists.
- Soft-boiled green beans or zucchini sticks.
Foods rich in iron and protein
- Well-cooked, tender fish (check carefully for bones).
- Spread a smooth hummus or lentil paste on grilled fingers.
- Poached or boiled egg, crushed (egg is the first allergen secret – see below).
Iron is very important from six months, so weaving iron-rich foods into snacks is a smart idea. Our guide to early iron-rich foods for babies has more ideas.
The texture of the milk is smooth
- Full-fat Greek yogurt (preferably from a reusable bag).
- Soft, smooth ricotta or cottage cheese.
- Smooth fruits and vegetables – they are useful when you are outside.
Soft carbohydrates
- Fingers on soft wholemeal toast or pasta spirals.
- Fingers of well-cooked, well-established pasta.
For more information on comparing your baby’s stage appearance, our baby food chart by age breaks it down month by month.
Snacks and foods to avoid at 8 months
A few foods are good to leave in the snack tray for now:
- The most common risks are: whole nuts, popcorn, carrot or apple, whole grapes and cherry tomatoes (always quarter length), sausage rounds and hard meat.
- Honey: Do not give honey before 12 months due to the risk of botulism in babies.
- Added salt and sugar: avoid salty snacks, fried foods and sweets.
- Whole cow’s milk as a drink: Cooking or a little yogurt is fine, but cow’s milk should not be used as a substitute for breast milk or formula until twelve months of age.
When it comes to issues like egg, peanut and milk, the latest Australian advice from ASCIA is to introduce them in the first year – including 8 months – rather than later. Give one new allergen at a time, a little at a time, at the beginning of the day. Our allergen awareness guide will get you through it safely.
Eating on the go: easy
Snacks also come in handy when you’re out and about – in the park, in the car or visiting family on an Aussie summer holiday. Plain yogurt or fruit and vegetable puree in a reusable snack bag means your child can handle themselves, mess-free, without a spoon. Fill them with homemade purees to find out what’s going on.
For hard fruits like apples or dried bananas – great for treating mouth sores – the new silicone food irrigator allows your child to chew the gum, without the risk of choking on small pieces. It’s one of our favorite tools in the field.
Making your own snacks is easy. The baby food maker roasts and blends fruits and vegetables at the same time, so you can mix up the week’s purees in minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Can an 8-month-old baby eat food without teeth?
Yes. Babies use their mouths and jaws to mix soft foods, so teeth are not needed for finger foods. Just make sure that whatever you offer fits easily between your fingers and is cut into manageable, finger-friendly pieces.
How much should an 8-month-old baby eat a day?
There is no fixed rule. Most eight-month-olds have a solid diet plus two or three small meals a day, with small snacks if they seem hungry between meals. Let your child’s passion guide you, not time.
What are the first snacks for a baby without teeth?
Soft, crumbly options are good: ripe banana, baked potato or carrot, avocado, low-fat yogurt and veggie sticks. These are soft in the mouth and easy to handle.
Can I give my 8 month old yogurt as a snack?
Yes – full-fat yogurt is the best food from six months. Choose unsweetened varieties and add your own peeled fruit for flavor. Serving it from a reusable bag makes it easy on the go.
What snacks should I avoid giving my 8-month-old baby?
Avoid choking (whole nuts, popsicles, hard grapes, grapes), honey before 12 months, and anything with salt, sugar or too much sugar. Cow’s milk as a main drink should also wait up to 12 months.
My child will only eat new snacks – is this normal?
Gagging is a normal and protective part of learning to eat, especially with new patterns. It looks and sounds amazing but it’s different from choking, which is silent. Stay close, be quiet, and always monitor mealtimes.
This article contains information for Australian families and is not a substitute for personal medical advice. If you have concerns about your child’s eating habits, growth, or allergies, talk to your doctor, pediatric nurse or pediatric nutritionist.