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Usually I like to take a lighthearted approach in this column and talk about fun topics associated with cooking and eating with kids. But this week I would like to turn to a more serious matter – that of food safety.
Recently I had my first choking scare with my older son. A peaceful calm had descended over the house as we approached the bedtime hour. In the evening, my older son usually gets a couple minutes to wind down with his latest favorite TV show while I get our baby boy ready to go to sleep for the night.
But just as I noticed things were entirely too quiet, over the big guy comes, gasping and pointing at his throat. I looked up and his face had turned a slight shade of purple. Scary with a capital S! He was able to cough, and after I gave him a few good whacks on the back we dislodged the culprit - a chunk of watermelon. In his overzealous attempt to eat his own slice of seedless watermelon (it’s been one of his favorite foods this summer), it looked like he literally bit off more than he could chew.
It was a frightful reminder that young children should never be left to eat unattended. Even if you are entirely secure that they are able to chew and swallow their food properly. With my son, who is nearing three years old, he’s been eating foods like carrot sticks, grapes, and popcorn for months now. Of course, these are foods I only give to him under very close supervision. After all, the kid started cutting teeth early and had most of them since before he could walk, so he has had lots of practice chewing and swallowing.
I consider myself lucky that up to now this was our first real choking incident, and even luckier it wasn’t more serious, and all was well soon enough. After last week, I’ve gone back to childproofing the fridge and cutting up all his foods again and will do so until I can feel completely secure again. But even with these precautions, any fleeting preoccupation, whether it be your child’s favorite character on TV or a particularly funny joke, can distract your child and prevent him or her from the task at hand - chewing and swallowing food. Now that I’m ready to sign up for a refresher first aid course, I wanted to share some information to prevent common choking incidents in early childhood.
The most common choke foods are grapes, meats, raw fruits and veggies that are hard like carrots and apples, and especially hot dogs. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics has called for warning labels on high risk foods such as hot dogs, the same way that toys with small parts are labeled.
These foods should be cut up small or slivered into quarters, if possible. Treats like hard candy, marshmallows, peanuts, and popcorn can also be a risky proposition, and chewing gum is to be avoided. Any of these foods can block the airway if lodged in the back of the throat so you will need to exercise extra caution when giving your kids these foods (Some doctors even say to wait until age seven for whole peanuts). Peanut butter should be spread very thinly so it cannot coat the back of the throat.
If you do find yourself in a choking situation (and most parents of young kids likely will at some point or another), it’s best to act quickly and calmly. The first step is to see if the airway is blocked. If the child can cough or talk, then a simple whack on the back may dislodge the item (lay very young children face down across your lap). If they cannot talk, cough or breathe, then you may need to perform the Heimlich maneuver or even CPR. If you are a parent of a young child (three-fourths of choking incidents occur in children under three), it’s a good idea to get familiar with food safety precautions and basic first aid so you can keep your kids safe and prevent these incidences from occurring. I learned my lesson this time!
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A Very Serious Matter
Usually I like to take a lighthearted approach in this column and talk about fun topics associated with cooking and eating with kids. But this week I would like to turn to a more serious matter – that of food safety.
Recently I had my first choking scare with my older son. A peaceful calm had descended over the house as we approached the bedtime hour. In the evening, my older son usually gets a couple minutes to wind down with his latest favorite TV show while I get our baby boy ready to go to sleep for the night.
But just as I noticed things were entirely too quiet, over the big guy comes, gasping and pointing at his throat. I looked up and his face had turned a slight shade of purple. Scary with a capital S! He was able to cough, and after I gave him a few good whacks on the back we dislodged the culprit - a chunk of watermelon. In his overzealous attempt to eat his own slice of seedless watermelon (it’s been one of his favorite foods this summer), it looked like he literally bit off more than he could chew.
It was a frightful reminder that young children should never be left to eat unattended. Even if you are entirely secure that they are able to chew and swallow their food properly. With my son, who is nearing three years old, he’s been eating foods like carrot sticks, grapes, and popcorn for months now. Of course, these are foods I only give to him under very close supervision. After all, the kid started cutting teeth early and had most of them since before he could walk, so he has had lots of practice chewing and swallowing.
I consider myself lucky that up to now this was our first real choking incident, and even luckier it wasn’t more serious, and all was well soon enough. After last week, I’ve gone back to childproofing the fridge and cutting up all his foods again and will do so until I can feel completely secure again. But even with these precautions, any fleeting preoccupation, whether it be your child’s favorite character on TV or a particularly funny joke, can distract your child and prevent him or her from the task at hand - chewing and swallowing food. Now that I’m ready to sign up for a refresher first aid course, I wanted to share some information to prevent common choking incidents in early childhood.
The most common choke foods are grapes, meats, raw fruits and veggies that are hard like carrots and apples, and especially hot dogs. In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics has called for warning labels on high risk foods such as hot dogs, the same way that toys with small parts are labeled.
These foods should be cut up small or slivered into quarters, if possible. Treats like hard candy, marshmallows, peanuts, and popcorn can also be a risky proposition, and chewing gum is to be avoided. Any of these foods can block the airway if lodged in the back of the throat so you will need to exercise extra caution when giving your kids these foods (Some doctors even say to wait until age seven for whole peanuts). Peanut butter should be spread very thinly so it cannot coat the back of the throat.
If you do find yourself in a choking situation (and most parents of young kids likely will at some point or another), it’s best to act quickly and calmly. The first step is to see if the airway is blocked. If the child can cough or talk, then a simple whack on the back may dislodge the item (lay very young children face down across your lap). If they cannot talk, cough or breathe, then you may need to perform the Heimlich maneuver or even CPR. If you are a parent of a young child (three-fourths of choking incidents occur in children under three), it’s a good idea to get familiar with food safety precautions and basic first aid so you can keep your kids safe and prevent these incidences from occurring. I learned my lesson this time!
Kid-Safe Fruit Salad
Made with sugar, orange juice, diced peeled kiwi, green grapes, slivered, slivered strawberries, diced plums, peaches, orange segments, cubed
Made with sugar, orange juice, diced peeled kiwi, green grapes, slivered, slivered strawberries, diced plums, peaches, orange segments, cubed
Serves/Makes: 8
- 2 cups green grapes, slivered
- 2 cups slivered strawberries
- 2 cups diced plums
- 1 cup diced peaches
- 1 cup orange segments, cubed
- 1 cup diced peeled kiwi
- 1/2 cup orange juice
- 2 tablespoons sugar
Combine all ingredients in large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for up to 8 hours.
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3 comments
Pamela, Thank you for sharing this tramatic event. I am glad your son is fine, there are many people who do not know what to do in the event someone is choking. Hopefully this will encourage those who dont know to be inspired to do so. You never know when, where or who this could happen to.
Comment posted by CliffyG
I had to perform the Heimlich on my college roommate when she took her vitamins one morning! You never know when you'll need this skill.
Comment posted by jennifer
Vienna Sausage is more dangerous as a choking hazard than hot dogs due to a diameter closer to that of the child's airway. Picture a cross section of a hotdog with that of a Vienna Sausage. Cutting a Vienna Sausage in 1/2 lenthwise is a protective habit.
Comment posted by jayne
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©2026 CDKitchen, Inc. No reproduction or distribution of any portion of this article is allowed without express permission from CDKitchen, Inc.
To share this article with others, you may link to this page:
https://www.cdkitchen.com/cooking-experts/pamela-chester/1085-choking-hazards/