Many parents don’t realize that It is recommended to avoid or modify choking hazards until your child is 4 – that’s about the age when most kids have adequate oral-motor strength to properly handle these foods. Choking hazard foods are either very hard so difficult to chew, or they’re round and juicy like grapes, cherries and cherry tomatoes, which more easily slide to the back of the mouth.
Even if your baby is eating anything and everything well, it’s still need to avoid choking hazards. Of course, you as the parent have to decide which foods are best for your child – we just share the info so you are aware of the potential risks.
The most uncommonly known choking hazards are raw carrots and raw apples. We recommend cooking or shredding them with a cheese grater to make them safer.
A short list of choking hazards is below. A complete list with thorough safety explanations and precautions can be found in both of our online courses in a handy dandy printable.
Modify:
- Raw apples and hard pears – soften, shred
- Grapes, cherries and cherry tomatoes – quarter lengthwise
- Hot dogs or sausages – dice into small pieces
- Whole nuts – serve as nut butters or ground nuts
Avoid:
- Chips or tortilla chips
- Hard candy
- Gum
- Popcorn
- Hard gummy candy