As your toddler eats more and more of the same kind of food that the rest of your family eats and can feed herself quite happily, it can be very easy to forget that not all foods are suitable for her, and quite a few can pose a considerable danger of choking.

Foods to avoid

  • Whole and rough-chopped nuts - When your child has no known allergy risk to nuts they can be an important part of a healthy diet for her, however, nuts can pose a high risk of choking, particularly when whole. You can give your child nuts in recipes where they are finely ground, crushed or flaked. You can also use nut pastes (but watch out as some have high added fat and sugar content) spread on bread or rice cakes and use nut oils in cooking.

  • Seeds - As with nuts, you can serve seeds ground in a paste, or seeds that are cooked so that they are soft. Very tiny seeds, such as those found in kiwis, aren't a problem.

  • Raw carrots & celery - Raw carrot is very healthy but hard chunks can easily lodge in your toddler's throat. If you steam carrot sticks very lightly you can give them to your child when they are soft enough to greatly lower the choking risk yet still be packed with vitamins. You can also try serving grated raw carrot to your toddler.

  • Beans - Larger beans such as kidney and broad beans need to be mashed before giving them to you toddler. Be a little cautious with baked beans with younger toddlers, older toddlers should be able to manage them fine.

  • Popcorn - Popcorn is far too easy to choke on and not terribly nutritious, it's best to keep your toddler away from it.

  • Hard sweets & chewing gum - Giving any sweets to toddlers isn't a good idea anyway as sugary treats can cause tooth decay, but if you need a second reason then remember they're very easily choked on.
You'll also need to be careful with...
  • Grapes & olives - Grapes are a common cause of choking because they are often the right size to block the windpipe, it's best to cut grapes in half before giving them to your toddler. Olives are usually very salty and so should be avoided by toddlers in any case, but if you do allow your toddler the odd one then it's best to cut it in half first. The same applies to other small oval or round foods.

  • Apples - While apples aren't usually as hard as raw carrots they still can be quite hard. Try lightly steaming apple sticks until your toddler is biting and chewing very happily. It's best to remove the peel and cut apples up into manageable slices rather than giving her a half or whole apple to gnaw on at first. By the time she's around two she may be able to manage an unpeeled apple.

  • Stoned fruit - If you're giving your child fruit with stones, such as plums, cherries and apricots, then make sure you remove the stones before giving them to your child.

  • Hot dogs / sausages - Of course you won't ever be feeding your toddler hot dogs or sausages, will you? On the odd occasion that you might, then bear in mind that it's best to cut these kinds of foods lengthways before cutting them in slices or chunks, as they're more likely to obstruct your child's windpipe when cut in rounds.

Other tips on preventing choking
Following the suggestions above can help lower the chance of your toddler choking on foods, but won't eliminate it completely so you should never leave your toddler alone when she is eating. Encourage her to sit down to eat, rather than walking or running around. Adjust what kinds and sizes of food pieces you give your child according to what she can cope with confidently.

It's also a good idea to make a point of encouraging your toddler to chew her food well and set a good example yourself, if she sees her parents wolfing down pasta with a couple of cursory chews then she's likely to follow suit.