Choking hazards tend to be foods that are small, round, hard, and slippery. When introducing solid foods, your baby will have a heightened gag reflex as a protective mechanism, and they will also be new at acquiring the skills of self-feeding and chewing. A huge part of food safety for your new eater will be avoiding choking hazards and taking steps to serve food in a way that minimizes the choking risk.
Choking hazards to know:
Hot dogs, meat strips, sausage, especially when uncut
Uncut round fruits or vegetables, like grapes, blueberries, or snacking tomatoes
Popcorn
Large chunks of meat or cheese, including string cheese
Dry fruit like raisins
Raw, hard produce like baby carrots or apples
Whole kernel corn
Chips or pretzels
Thick spreads or nut butters
Hard candies and lollipops
Whole beans
Chewy fruit snacks
Marshmallows
Bones in meat or fish
Preparing some of these foods differently, such as quartering grapes, shredding meat, and smashing blueberries, can help. Even when you take precautions to serve food in a safer size and shape, always supervise your baby while they are eating and enforce a boundary that eating only happens when sitting down properly in their high chair. Avoid giving your child snacks in their car seat, stroller, or when they are otherwise on the move, as doing so increases the risk of choking.