Ok well this is going to sound odd and I myself would have never believed until I witnessed it first hand but I had 12 month old dcg and mom was a pediatric nurse and she said do not cut things up give them whole this teaches them to bite... If you cut things up they just keep putting more and more into their mouth until they choke. No word of a lie ... It worked not sure if it was just thus particular child or if the same principal works for all kids but I never cut up anything for this kid ....apples .... Pears ... Plums... Sandwiches.... Wraps....nothing !!!