First foods size chart: how to cut and serve food by age
Most choking risk at the table comes down to three things you control: shape, size and texture.
Updated October 13, 2026 · sources checked October 13, 2026
In short
From around 6 months, offer soft foods mashed or cut into narrow finger-length batons your baby can hold. Quarter small round foods like grapes and cherry tomatoes, grind or flake nuts, and spread nut butter thinly. From about 9 months, offer small soft pieces; the AAP suggests pieces no larger than half an inch for young children. No honey before 1 year, no whole nuts before 5.
Three rules before any chart
- Shape. The NHS asks you to think about size, shape and texture, cut food into narrow batons, and avoid round shapes and firm foods.
- Size. The AAP recommends cutting food for infants and young children into pieces no larger than half an inch (about 1 cm), and teaching them to chew well.
- Texture. Firm fruit and vegetables (carrots, broccoli, apples) are steamed or simmered until soft, then sliced or cut into batons (NHS).
And always: your child sits upright, supervised, for the whole meal.
How texture changes with age
| Age | Textures the NHS describes | Typical shape |
|---|---|---|
| Around 6 months | Mashed or blended, plus soft finger foods; lumps from around 6 to 7 months | Finger-length soft batons your baby can grip |
| 7 to 9 months | Mashed, lumpier foods and a variety of finger foods | Batons, plus small soft pieces as the pincer grip appears |
| 10 to 12 months | Mashed, lumpy, chopped and finger foods; bigger chunks of soft food | Small soft pieces (about half an inch, AAP), strips |
| 1 to 4 years | Family food, still prepared to avoid high-risk shapes | Pieces about half an inch; round foods still cut |
The size chart, food by food
How to prepare common foods, from the NHS guide to preparing food safely, the CDC choking-hazard list and the AAP.
| Food | Around 6 months | 9 months and up | Up to age 4 (and beyond) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grapes, cherries, cherry tomatoes | Quartered, pips and stones removed | Quartered | Keep quartering: the AAP lists whole grapes until at least age 4 |
| Blueberries, raspberries, strawberries | Quartered | Quartered | Quartered while small |
| Apple, pear (firm) | Steamed until soft, in slices; or grated | Thin soft slices or grated | Thin slices, never raw chunks (CDC, AAP) |
| Banana, avocado, mango | Ripe, in finger-length strips | Small soft pieces | Small pieces |
| Melon | Long slices, rind removed | Slices or small pieces | Slices, not melon balls (CDC) |
| Carrot, pepper, celery, cucumber | Carrot steamed soft in narrow batons; raw veg grated | Soft cooked batons or grated | Raw carrot sticks remain a hazard (AAP); cut into narrow batons |
| Broccoli, cauliflower | Steamed florets with a stalk "handle" | Small soft florets | Small florets |
| Sweetcorn | Not whole kernels | Not whole kernels | Whole corn kernels are on the CDC hazard list |
| Peas, chickpeas, butter beans, tofu | Mashed or squashed | Squashed | Squash or mash until skilled at chewing |
| Sausages, hot dogs | Processed meat to be limited (NHS); if served, short thin strips | Short strips: halved, then lengthways, skin peeled | Same; the AAP lists hot dogs and meat sticks as high risk |
| Meat | Shredded or minced, soft | Thin strips, skin and fat removed | Small, tender pieces; no tough chunks (CDC) |
| Fish | Flaked, every bone removed | Flaked, bones removed | Bones removed (CDC) |
| Egg | Well-cooked omelette strips or mashed | Omelette pieces, chopped hard-boiled egg | Chopped |
| Cheese | Grated, or short narrow strips | Grated or thin strips | No large chunks or string cheese pieces (CDC, AAP) |
| Bread, chapati, naan | Lightly toasted, narrow strips | Strips | White bread can ball in the throat: toast it lightly (NHS) |
| Pasta, rice | Well-cooked pasta shapes | Well-cooked | Well-cooked |
| Nuts and peanuts | Finely ground into food | Ground or flaked | No whole nuts before 5 (NHS) |
| Nut and seed butters | Thinly spread or stirred into porridge | Thinly spread | Never by the spoonful or in chunks (CDC, NHS) |
| Seeds | Ground | Ground | Whole seeds and seeded crackers on the CDC hazard list |
| Raisins, dried fruit | Not whole; cut into small pieces | Cut into small pieces | Cut while small (NHS, CDC) |
| Popcorn | No | No | Not before 5 (NHS) |
Foods to hold back, and until when
| Food | Not before | Why | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honey | 1 year | Risk of infant botulism | NHS |
| Cow's milk as a main drink | 12 months | Fine in cooking from about 6 months | NHS |
| Whole nuts, popcorn | 5 years | Choking | NHS |
| Added salt, stock cubes, gravy | Avoid | Salt is not good for a baby's kidneys | NHS |
| Sugar and sweeteners, incl. honey, syrup, juice | Avoid up to 4 years | Tooth decay | NHS |
| Rice drinks as a milk substitute | 5 years | May contain too much arsenic | NHS |
| Raw or lightly cooked shellfish | Avoid | Food poisoning | NHS |
| Shark, swordfish, marlin | 16 years | Mercury | NHS |
| Mould-ripened soft cheese (brie, camembert), unpasteurised cheese | Avoid uncooked | Listeria | NHS |
| Hard candy, gum, marshmallows, gummies | Avoid in young children | Choking | CDC, AAP |
Common mistakes
- Cutting grapes in half. Halves are still round. The NHS asks for quarters.
- Small cubes of firm raw fruit. Small hard pieces are a classic hazard; the NHS prefers slices, cooked if firm.
- A spoonful of peanut butter. Spread it thinly instead (NHS, AAP).
- Snacks on the go. Eating in the car or while walking is when supervision slips; the AAP asks that children eat sitting down.
For the difference between normal gagging and an emergency, read choking vs gagging; for the order in which to introduce foods, see starting solids and the solids calendar.
When to call
- 911 (US) / 999 (UK) if your child cannot breathe, cough or cry, or turns blue.
- Pediatrician, GP or NHS 111 after any choking episode, or if your child has persistent trouble chewing or swallowing textures that peers manage.
Questions parents ask
How should I cut grapes for a baby or toddler?
The NHS says to cut small round fruits like grapes, cherries, berries and cherry tomatoes into quarters. The AAP lists whole grapes among foods to avoid or modify until at least age 4.
When can my child eat whole nuts?
Not before 5 years old, according to the NHS, because of the choking risk. Before that, nuts can be given crushed, ground or flaked, or as a smooth nut butter spread thinly on toast.
Why no honey before 1 year?
The NHS explains that honey occasionally contains bacteria that can produce toxins in a baby's intestines and cause infant botulism, a very serious illness. Honey, including in baked goods made at home, waits until after the first birthday.
Are raisins safe for babies?
The NHS advises not giving whole raisins or other dried fruit to babies under 1 and always cutting them into small pieces. The CDC lists uncooked dried fruit such as raisins among choking hazards.
Sources
- NHS weaning guide — Preparing food safely checked October 13, 2026
- NHS — Foods to avoid giving babies and young children checked October 13, 2026
- CDC — Choking Hazards (infant and toddler nutrition) checked October 13, 2026
- AAP HealthyChildren.org — Choking Prevention for Babies and Children checked October 13, 2026
- NHS weaning guide — Feeding your baby at 7 to 9 months checked October 13, 2026
- NHS weaning guide — Feeding your baby at 10 to 12 months checked October 13, 2026
Mamavela explains; it does not replace your midwife, doctor or pediatrician, who know your situation. If something worries you, call them. In an emergency, call 911 (US), 999 (UK) or 112.