9 Foods That Can Be A Choking Hazard For Toddlers

9 Foods That Can Be A Choking Hazard For Toddlers

21 Jul 2022 | 4 min Read

Sayani Basu

Author | 607 Articles

When a baby starts to eat solids, he/ she needs practice to build the munching and chewing skills to avoid choking. Choking in babies happens when the food they eat gets stuck in the airway mainly because of their small throats and tracheas that make it easy for the food to get stuck. 

Although children can choke on food at any age, those under five are at an increased risk. The shapes and textures of some foods are more likely to cause choking in the little ones. We have listed below some of the foods that can be a choking hazard for the little ones. Take a look!

9 Foods That Can Be A Choking Hazard

Here’s a list of foods that can be a choking hazard for babies, especially under the age of three:

  1. Whole nuts: Almonds, peanuts and cashews are hard to chew and have sharp edges and can cause choking in babies.

Therefore, it is advisable to avoid them and opt for safer versions like nut or seed butter spread on lightly toasted bread or incorporated into a smoothie or oatmeal.

choking hazards for infants
Kernels of popcorn might be difficult to chew completely for the little ones as it’s dry. | Image Source: pexels
  1. Popcorn: Kernels of popcorn might be difficult to chew completely for the little ones as it’s dry.

Rice cakes or puffed popcorn cakes can be better options for kids older than five who enjoy the crunch.

  1. Whole grapes: Whole grapes have the potential to get stuck in your baby’s throat.

You can slice them vertically in half or quarters so that the pieces are long and skinny and it becomes easy to chew for your baby.

  1. Raw vegetables: Carrot sticks, celery sticks, cucumber slices, and other raw veggies can be hard for the little ones to chew.

You can shred them or simply go with steamed or lightly cooked versions of these foods to avoid choking.

  1. Chunks of meat: Cubes or thin slices of steak, grilled chicken or turkey can be difficult to chew for babies.

You can try shredded or ground and cooked meat instead, or meatballs which are soft and easy to chew.

  1. Hotdogs: Hot dogs are one of the most dangerous foods to serve to children as they can cause choking.

Therefore, it’s advisable to remove the peel and chop them up.

  1. Strawberries: It is advisable to avoid giving strawberries to babies as it can cause choking. To safely feed baby strawberries as finger food, you can cut the strawberries into quarters.
  1. Blueberries: Although blueberries are soft, they are too round to serve whole to kids as they might cause choking. You can cut them in half or quarters, or smash them so that the little ones can chew them properly and then swallow them.
Cherries contain a hard pit that makes it all the more difficult for babies to chew them. | Image Source: pexels
  1. Cherries: Cherries are too big and round for babies to chew. Plus, they contain a hard pit that makes it all the more difficult for babies to chew them.

While selecting cherries, make sure that they don’t have tough skin. You can also remove the stem and pit, and cut each cherry into quarters that make it easy for the little ones to chew.

To avoid choking, sit with the little ones during their meals so that you are right there if they have trouble eating something. This will also help them learn manners and proper table behaviour. You can also have a drink of water nearby while the kids are eating. This can help ensure that they have the liquid they need to move food around in their mouths.

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