Choking risks
As our little ones enter a whole new world of a different eating experience, we must always bear in mind the types of food that can cause choking. Chewing and swallowing skills in toddlers or preschoolers aren't well developed in comparison to the older kids who are more competent eaters making the little ones even more vulnerable to potential choking hazards.
It's very common for young children to bite a bigger portion than they can chew or swallow, overstuff their mouths for fun, be impatient during meal times so they tend to eat faster than anticipated, try and swallow the food faster than normal to get back to playing or eat while running. All you can possibly do is to get your toddler to stop doing anything nonsensical to distract him from finishing his meal.
Common foods that are choking hazards are (1) whole nuts and seeds - this is probably the most common one (2) hard and sticky sweets such as gummies or cough drops, marshmallows and chewing gum (3) big meat portions (4) whole round fruits such as grapes, cherries and melon balls (5) raw and uncut vegetables such as carrots, celery, cucumber or green beans (6) large dollops of peanut butter or big spoonfuls of thick honey (7) popcorn (8) dried fruit such as raisins or apricots or any fruit snacks that usually tend to be hard and chewy (9) uncut cheeses or (10) crisps/chips. Almost anything can get lodged in your child's throat so best to either cut food in small pieces, blend, dice, mince or even shred to be on the safer side. Just be sensible, you know your child best and his/her ability to be a more competent eater.
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