At Buddings we practice extra safe snacks!
To prevent choking, the teachers closely supervise the children and make sure they are seated with their feet under the table and keep their sillies out of their body while they enjoy their meal.
But safe snacks and choking prevention starts at home! If you child is younger than 4, or is still learning to effectively chew their food, please read below for food preparation tips!
Common Choking Hazard Foods
The first step towards choking prevention is knowing the foods that can be choking hazards. They include:
- Seeds or nuts
- Popcorn
- Hot dogs
- Chunks of peanut butter
- Raw vegetables
- Raisins
- Whole grapes
- Big chunks of meat or cheese
- Fruit chunks
Safe Snacks Preparation
- Grapes
- Make sure to cut it lengthwise (refer to image)
- Fruits with skins and pits
- Remove, peel, dice, or mash
- Thick spreads ie. peanut butter
- Make sure thick sticky spreads like peanut butter, is thinly spread on bread and crackers. Spoonfuls can block the windpipe.
- Hot dogs or sausages
- Slice and dice meats and consider removing the skin
- Beans or peas
- Especially if it is marble sized or larger, should be mashed before serving
- Carrots and other raw vegetables
- Cut raw veggies into thin pieces or cook and cut into smaller pieces