Choking hazards—nuts, whole grapes, hard candies—are also to be avoided, for obvious reasons. Babies and toddlers do choke, and these foods are more likely to lead to choking. Grapes are okay in pieces, nuts are okay in nut-butter form, and hard candies are not recommended for other reasons. Cow’s milk is probably the most complicated recommendation, partly because it interacts with the allergen issues above. It is important to introduce some milk-based foods—yogurt, cheese—to avoid allergies. But milk itself is forbidden.
