EVERY parent will have an idea of food they shouldn’t give to their little ones before they reach a certain age.
Small, hard and easy to swallow foods tend to be the first things that come to mind: popcorn, nuts, boiled sweets, coin shaped hot dog pieces.
Instagram Tiny Hearts EducationFoods like avocado tend to be especially slippery when peeled and cut, making it easier for your little one to lose their grip on them[/caption]
Instagram Tiny Hearts EducationTo allow your little one to get a better grip on their food, ex-paramedic Nikki Jurcutz suggested leaving some skin on or rolling it in something textured[/caption]
Instagram Tiny Hearts EducationShe also suggested crinkle cutting your little one’s food[/caption]
Soft stuff might seem pretty risk-free when you’re thinking about what could be a choking hazard for your child.
But ex-paramedic Nikki Jurcutz – behind the baby and first aid page Tiny Hearts Education – has warned that ‘slippery’ foods are a high risk for choking.
She gave the example of avocado slivers.
Explained what made these kids of snacks so dangerous in a recent post, Nikki wrote: “Because of their texture, it’s easier for slippery food to ‘shoot’ quickly out of your baby’s hand, or towards the back of their mouth.”
Foods that fall into this slippery category include:
avocados bananas melon whole grapes, cherries and berries whole pieces of canned fruit tomatoes peaches hot dogs
That doesn’t mean you need to forgo giving these foods to your tot altogether.
Nikki said you can modify these foods to make them less slippery – and safer for your little one to enjoy.
The former paramedic suggested three ways of doing so.
1. Give it texture
Nikki’s modifications all involve making it easier for you child to hold to the piece of food without it sliding out of their hand.
Her first suggestion was to roll the food – like a slippery piece of avocado – into fine bread crumbs or coconut shreds to give it more grip.
2. Leave the skin on
For foods like avocados, Nikki suggested cutting a piece of it for your tot but leaving a portion of the skin on so they can keep hold of it.
3. Crinkle cut it
A third way to give slippery foods some grip is to crinkle cut them, Nikki added.
The texture will again make the piece of fruit or veg easier to grasp without it sliding into your little one’s mouth.
Nikki has previously suggested another easy hack to separate safe foods from ones that could pose a potential risk for your baby as they start eating more solid stuff.
She called it the ‘squish test’ – it can help you figure out what food is to hard for your little one to try and chew.