Rachael Davis
It can be tough to know what to put in your kid’s lunchbox. After all, you need to strike the right balance between a healthy lunch and something they’ll actually eat.
Things can get even trickier when you consider the safety element: choking hazards.
Sarah Hunstead, a paediatric nurse and founder of CPR Kids, has shared a controversial list of six foods that you had best not put in a kid’s lunchbox as they pose a high choking risk. Writing for Kidspot, Hunstead’s list makes for interesting reading; whether you agree the risk is too great is up to you.
Let’s get into it.
Popcorn
Popcorn has become a popular alternative to crisps thanks to the low-calorie, low-fat, low-salt, and low-sugar options on the market. You’d think they’re soft enough and chewable enough to skip the list, but not according to Hunstead.
"Although it's a beloved snack for movie nights (and school), popcorn can pose a significant choking risk for young children, particularly those under the age of 4," she said.
She suggested cheese crackers, rice cakes, corn cakes, and pretzel sticks as alternatives, which, to be honest, all sound like potential choking hazards too.
Grapes
Getting your kid to eat more fruit and veg is tricky enough without worring that they won’t chew their grapes properly, but Hunstead reckons it’s something we should be cautious about.
"It's best to slice grapes into smaller, more manageable pieces before packing them in your child's lunchbox - lengthwise and into quarters - NOT halves," she said.
They’re not the only small and spherical fruit to make the list, however.
Cherry tomatoes
The beloved cherry tomato is another health food on Hunstead’s hit list.
"Cherry tomatoes are small and round, making them a choking hazard for young children," she explained.
As with grapes, she recommends slicing the cherry toms into quarters to cut the choking risk.
Sausages
You might think this one comes down to the ultra-processed element, but Hunstead worries that sausages are a choking hazard too.
No matter whether they’re sliced up or whole, she reckons they should be excluded from lunchboxes.
According to Hunstead, the skin-like casing around sausages can be difficult for kids to bite through, increasing the choking risk.
Nuts
This one is part-choking-related and part-allergy-focused, with nut allergies being relatively common in children.
While Hunstead notes that even the smallest trace could prove fatal to a nut allergy sufferer, her suggestion to go for nut-free granola bars misses the fact that basically all nut-free granola bars will come bearing a warning about trace nuts. As they’re often made in factories that make nut products, it’s not an insignificant risk.
In fact, just about everything comes with one. I should know: I’m allergic to nuts.
Granola bars are also packed with sugar, which might fall foul of the healthy diet you’ve tailored for your kid. If you’ve ever inhaled some grains from a granola bar, you probably also know about the choking hazard they pose to kids and adults alike.
Seasonal treats
Things like Mini Eggs and Creme Eggs have also made the list, although not for their sugar content.
Hunstead recommends sharing these treats with young children whilst under close supervision.
"These treats, while delicious, can pose a choking risk, particularly for young children who may not understand the importance of chewing thoroughly," she penned, before suggesting another springtime alternative.
"If you include Easter treats in your child's lunchbox (or need to donate choccy eggs for school activities and the like) opt for larger, hollow eggs!"
While choking risks among children certainly aren’t unfounded, kids are at risk of choking whenever they eat anything.
In the three years to March 2022, 17 children died of choking incidents in the UK. While this is undoubtedly a tragedy, the risk seems relatively low.