Cheddar cheese

Cheddar can be offered, pasteurized, when your baby is about 6 months old and ready for solids. Sodium may run high. Within a varied diet, a taste now and then is not a worry. Choosing pasteurized lowers the risk of foodborne illness.

Cheddar's color, flavor and texture depend on the cow's diet and on how the cheese is made. It is named after the village of Cheddar in England. There it is made by traditional farmhouse methods from local cows' milk and tastes sharp and tangy.

Nutrition

Cheddar supplies protein and fat, along with calcium, selenium, zinc, vitamin A and vitamin B12. These support growth, brain function, bone density, vision and immunity.

General principles

Always choose pasteurized cheddar. At 6 and 9 months long flat slices or shreds are the safest forms. Sprinkle melted cheese sparingly, because big melted clumps are hard for a small baby to chew.

Babies eat little solid food on their own, so they take in little salt. Sodium is a needed mineral. Still, do not serve very salty cheeses often.

Australia and New Zealand

In these countries cheddar is often sold as 'tasty cheese'.

Cheeses like cheddar are firm. They can clump in the mouth into a mass that is hard to manage. These traits raise choking risk. Prepare the cheese for your baby's age. Stay within arm's reach during meals.

Cheddar is usually made from cow's milk, a common allergen. In young children about one in five food allergies is to milk. Sheep, goat and buffalo milk products can trigger similar reactions. The good news is that milk allergy often passes with time. Most children with milk allergy outgrow it by age 6.

Aged cheeses contain histamine. Children who are sensitive to it may get a rash.

Milk is also a frequent cause of a delayed allergy called FPIES. Repeated vomiting and diarrhea start a few hours after eating. Untreated, it can lead to fluid loss. Most children outgrow FPIES between ages 3 and 5.

Lactose intolerance can be mistaken for an allergy. It is uncommon in babies. Aged cheeses have little lactose and are often better tolerated.

If you suspect a milk allergy, talk to an allergist before serving cheese. If milk is already safely in your baby's diet, you can serve pasteurized cheese freely. If milk has not been tried, start with a very small amount and raise it if no reaction follows.