Extended Text Description: Common foods that cause choking in children under age 4

 

Vegetables

  • Small pieces of raw vegetable (like raw carrot rounds, baby carrots, string beans, or celery), or other raw, partially cooked vegetables
  • Raw green peas
  • Cooked or uncooked whole corn kernels
  • Large, hard pieces of uncooked dried vegetables

Fruits

  • Apples or other hard pieces of raw fruit, especially those with hard pits or seeds
  • Large, hard pieces of uncooked dried fruits
  • Whole pieces of canned fruit
  • Whole grapes, cherries, berries, melon balls, or cherry and grape tomatoes

Protein-rich foods: 

  • Tough or large chunks of meat
  • Hot dogs, meat sticks, or sausages (even when cut into round slices)
  • Fish with bones
  • Large chunks of cheese or string cheese
  • Peanuts, nuts, or seeds (like sunflower or pumpkin seeds)
  • Chunks or spoonfuls of peanut butter or other nut and seed butters
  • Whole beans

Grain products 

  • Plain wheat germ
  • Whole-grain kernels
  • Crackers or breads with seeds
  • Nut pieces
  • Hard pretzels

Other foods and snacks:

  • Hard or round candy
  • Jelly beans
  • Caramels
  • Gum drops, gummy candies, or other gooey or sticky candy
  • Chewy fruit snacks
  • Chewing gum
  • Marshmallows
  • Popcorn, potato or corn chips, or similar snack foods
  • Ice cubes