Overview
Finger foods
Important
This information is produced for adults under the care of Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospitals. We usually give you the information after an assessment or appointment. Your dietitian or other healthcare professional may give you different guidance, depending on your specific medical needs.
It is important to check with a healthcare professional before making any changes to your diet. Please contact your dietitian if you have any questions or concerns.
If you are not a patient at Guy’s and St Thomas’ hospitals, please contact a GP or specialist healthcare professional.
Finger foods are small, individual and usually bite-sized portions of food. They are designed for you to eat easily with your hands and without needing cutlery.
Many people enjoy finger foods. They are a good way to increase your independence at mealtimes.
This information gives:
Tips for choosing and preparing finger foods
Here are some tips to choose and prepare suitable finger foods:
Do
- Think about the size and shape of finger foods. If the foods are too small, they will be difficult to pick up. However, if the foods are too big, they will be difficult to handle.
- Check the temperature of the finger foods. They need to be cool enough to hold and eat.
- Use moist fillings in bread to help hold sandwiches together. Try using butter, margarine, soft cheese, plant-based soft cheese or mayonnaise, together with other ingredients.
- Keep the skin on fruits to make them less slippery and easier to hold. A sprinkle of lemon juice stops fruits turning brown as quickly.
- Use a carrier bag or waist pouch, so that you can carry around your food and eat when it suits you.
Don't
- Do not choose foods that can spoil or discolour quickly, especially if they will be left out for a while.
Examples of finger foods
This section lists different types of finger foods.
Spreads and toppings
Examples include:
- peanut butter on toast
- cheese on toast
Sandwiches and savoury snacks
Examples include:
- sandwiches
- falafel (fried balls of spicy, plant-based food made from chickpeas)
- chicken drumsticks
- sausages or meatballs
- fish fingers
- potato wedges
- small potatoes
- cheese cubes
- hard-boiled egg slices
Baked goods and treats
Examples include:
- pizza slices
- cakes
- biscuits
Vegetables
Examples include:
- celery sticks
- cucumber
- carrot batons
Celery sticks, cucumber and carrot batons are low in energy by themselves. You can dip these finger foods into hummus (a chickpea dip), tzatziki (a Greek yoghurt dip), taramasalata (a cod roe dip) or sour cream and chives to increase their energy.
Fruits
Examples include:
- bananas
- apple slices
- grapes
Resource number: 4058/VER4
Last reviewed: January 2026
Next review: January 2029
