K.K.
When my 10 month old tries new foods, he usually gets this funny look on his face and then spits stuff out. However, when I first gave him cheerios and those gerber graduate puffs, he did choke on them. I thought he was NEVER going to get the hang of eating anything other than baby food. I got him to eat the puffs first (they almost immediately dissolve, so the choking risk is quite low). What I did was put a little bit of water in a plastic bowl, then put a puff in to make it a little softer. Then I put it in his mouth and he would chew then swallow without choking. When he finally did eat cheerios, he already knew how to chew and swallow. He absolutely loves to feed himself now. I also read somewhere that a parent may have to try some foods at least 15 times before a baby will accept it. Good luck!