Tortilla chips
Hard, crunchy and often salty, so chips wait. Soft tortillas give little ones the same flavor.
Checked against official guidance on October 18, 2026 · How we review
Quick answer
Wait until your child is at least 4 years old before offering tortilla chips. Until then, offer the safer swaps below.
How to serve tortilla chips by age
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6 months+
Not yet: soft tortilla strips instead
Tortilla chips aren't safe for babies: corn chips are on the CDC's list of choking hazards. For the same corn flavor, warm a soft corn tortilla in a dry pan until pliable and cut it into narrow strips.
- Size
- Instead of chips, warm soft tortilla strips about the size of an adult finger, roughly 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in).
- Check before serving
- Bend a strip. It should be soft and flexible, with no crisp or crunchy edges.
US and UK advice differ here. The AAP suggests mashed food or soft pieces no larger than ½ inch; the NHS suggests soft finger-sized pieces your baby can hold in their fist. Both agree the food must squash easily.
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9 months+
Not yet: small soft tortilla pieces instead
Still no chips. Cut warm, soft tortilla into small pieces, or offer narrow strips of a thin quesadilla with a soft filling your baby already eats, once they've had cheese on its own.
- Size
- Pieces no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch), of soft tortilla instead of chips.
- Check before serving
- Each piece should be soft and bend easily.
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12 months+
Not yet: soft tortilla with a dip instead
When the family has chips and dip, give your toddler soft tortilla strips to dip into mashed beans, mashed avocado or plain yogurt. Keep the chip bowl out of reach.
- Size
- Narrow strips or bite-sized pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch), of soft tortilla instead of chips.
- Check before serving
- The tortilla should still be soft and bend easily, not crisp.
Cutting photo goes here
18 months+
Not yet: keep chips out of reach
Chips wait until at least 4 years: the AAP says hard foods are a choking hazard for children under 4. Share soft tacos and wraps instead, cut into strips or pieces, and keep hard taco shells for later too. Watch for chips handed round at parties and by older children.
- Size
- Narrow strips or bite-sized pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch), of soft tortilla instead of chips.
- Check before serving
- Before snack time, check what older children are eating nearby.
Always have your child sit upright in a high chair or at the table, and stay with them the whole time they eat. Keep to the size and texture for their stage. Every baby develops on their own timeline.
How to prepare tortilla chips
- 1
Don't give tortilla chips or hard taco shells to babies or toddlers.
- 2
Use soft corn or flour tortillas instead: warm them in a dry pan until pliable and cut them to your child's size. Flour tortillas contain wheat.
- 3
Keep chip bowls and bags up high and out of reach, and ask older children not to share.
- 4
From age 4, offer a few plain chips with a soft dip, with your child sitting down and you nearby.
How much to offer
None for now. Tortilla chips wait until at least 4 years. A soft tortilla strip or two with a dip does the same job at the family table. Your child decides how much to eat.
Common mistakes
Giving 'just one chip'
Corn chips are on the CDC's choking hazard list for young children. There's no safe amount to try yet, so keep them off the menu for now.
Hard taco shells
Hard taco shells are fried tortillas too, crunchy and hard to chew. Use soft tortillas for little ones.
Flavored chips
In USDA data, nacho cheese tortilla chips have about 691 mg of sodium per 100 g (about 1.7 g of salt), above the NHS 'high salt' line of 1.5 g per 100 g. When your child is old enough, choose plain ones.
Snacking on the move
The CDC advises having your child sit up to eat, not lie down, crawl or walk. At parties, bring a soft snack your child can eat sitting down.
Where US and UK guidance differ on tortilla chips
United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting
The CDC lists potato and corn chips as choking hazards for young children, and the AAP says hard, round and slippery foods are a choking hazard for children under 4 years old.
United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting
The NHS lists crisps among salty foods to avoid for babies. UK early years guidance says children under 5 shouldn't be given foods high in salt or saturated fat, such as crisps, so if you follow UK advice, keep tortilla chips until after age 5.
We cover US and UK guidance in detail. Elsewhere, check your national health service's advice too.
Questions parents ask
Can tortilla chips be a choking hazard for babies?
Tortilla chips are hard and crunchy, and the CDC lists potato and corn chips among choking hazards for young children. The AAP says hard, round and slippery foods are a choking hazard for children under 4 years old. Serve soft tortillas instead, keep the chip bowl out of reach, and stay with your child while they eat.
Can babies be allergic to tortilla chips?
Plain tortilla chips are made from corn, which isn't a common allergen. Flavored chips can contain milk (cheese), wheat or soy, and some are made on lines that handle other allergens, so read the label when your child is old enough for them.
Are tortilla chips healthy for babies?
Tortilla chips are fried or baked corn and high in fat: plain, salted white corn chips have about 20.7 g of fat per 100 g in USDA data, above the NHS 'high fat' line of 17.5 g, and about 328 mg of sodium (about 0.8 g of salt). Flavored chips are saltier. Soft corn tortillas give a young child corn without the crunch.
When can kids eat tortilla chips?
The CDC lists corn chips as a choking hazard for young children without giving an age. The AAP says hard, round and slippery foods are a choking hazard for children under 4, and lists chips among foods your child will eat when they're older, so this page says at least 4 (after age 5 if you follow UK advice: see the note below). Then start with a few plain chips and a soft dip, sitting down.
What about chips softened in salsa or sauce?
Our suggestion: use soft tortillas instead. Chips soaked in sauce can still have crisp edges, and they're often salty. Soft corn tortilla strips simmered in a mild sauce are a safer way to share the same dish.
My toddler ate a tortilla chip. What should I do?
If they swallowed it and are breathing, talking and crying normally, you don't need to do anything: keep the rest out of reach. If they're coughing loudly, encourage them to keep coughing and stay with them. The AAP says coughing during a choking episode often settles within about 15 minutes, whether the piece comes out or not, so keep watching closely and be ready to act if it gets worse. If they can't breathe, cry or cough, shout for help, call your emergency number, and start choking first aid: back blows, then abdominal thrusts for a child over 1 (NHS). Even if the piece comes out, get medical help, because part of it might have been left behind. See our gagging vs. choking guide.
If your baby refuses tortilla chips
- Tortilla chips aren't a food to offer yet, so there's nothing to keep trying.
- If your toddler asks for chips when others are eating them, offer soft tortilla strips with the same dip.
- Bring your own soft snack to parties, so there's an easy swap.
- A calm 'not yet' works better than a long explanation. Keeping the bowl out of sight helps too.
Never force or pressure your baby to eat. Some days they'll eat more, some days less, and that's normal.
Buying and storing tortilla chips
- Store chips in a sealed bag or container, up high and out of your child's reach.
- After parties, check floors, sofas and car seats for dropped chips and pieces.
- Throw away any food left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour if it's hotter than 90°F / 32°C).
When to talk to your doctor
Contact your pediatrician, GP or health visitor if:
- Your child keeps coughing after a choking episode, even if they seem fine. Get medical help: the NHS says part of the food might have been left behind. If they're wheezing, breathing noisily or struggling to breathe, call your emergency number now.
- You notice mild signs of an allergic reaction after eating, such as a few hives or a little vomiting. See signs of a reaction.
- You're worried about how much your baby eats, their growth, or they refuse most solid food for weeks.
Call 911999your local emergency number (such as 112 in Europe or 000 in Australia) now if your baby has trouble breathing, wheezing, can't cough or cry, has lips, mouth, tongue or throat that suddenly swell, or becomes pale, bluish, floppy or unresponsive. Also call if hives come with repeated vomiting.
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Helpful guides
Sources
- CDC: Choking hazards
- AAP: Choking prevention for babies and children
- AAP: Building balanced snacks to feed to toddlers
- NHS: How to stop a child from choking
- NHS: Foods to avoid giving babies and young children
- Department for Education: Food safety (Help for early years providers)
- NHS: Food labels
- USDA FoodData Central: Snacks, tortilla chips, plain, white corn, salted
- USDA FoodData Central: Snacks, tortilla chips, nacho cheese
- USDA FSIS: Leftovers and food safety
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