Garbanzo Beans for Baby Finger Food

As the mother of a teenager, an 11-month old, and the owner of a home medical transcription service, I stay pretty busy, and I'm always looking for shortcuts. One thing I do to save some time (and mess) is give the baby finger foods for some of her meals. I try not to give her anything with sugars, chemicals, etc. whenever possible, and we try to keep our grocery bill down.

We have found that chick peas (garbanzo beans) fit very nicely into our lives (and her tiny hands). They are very inexpensive, full of protein, and a non-messy finger food (I cut them in half to avoid possible choking hazards).

They are also an easy on-the-go snack. I can toss them in my food processor as well to make hummus and spread on a wrap and roll it up. It's a fun food for her, and I feel better knowing that she is eating well, learning to feed herself, and we did not have to break the bank on pre-packaged baby food.

By Jenn from Charlottesville, VA