Cheese

Pasteurized cheese can be offered when your baby is about 6 months old and ready for solids. Salt content can be high. A small taste now and then in a balanced diet is fine.

Any kind of milk can be turned into cheese. It is thought to come from the Mediterranean region. Cow, goat and sheep milk are the most common. In eastern Asia, water buffalo and yak milk are used as well. Flavor and texture vary with the milk, the fermenting bacteria and the method.

Nutrition

Most cheeses supply protein and fat, plus calcium, selenium, zinc, vitamin A and vitamin B12. These support growth, brain function, bones, vision and immunity. When you shop, pick pasteurized products.

How much cheese

There is no upper limit. You can serve pasteurized cheese every day if you like. Do not fret over the exact amount your baby eats. A baby may eat a lot at one meal and very little at another. Both are fine as long as cheese sits among a variety of foods. Serve salty cheeses like feta and parmesan only now and then.

Which cheese

Pasteurized soft and semi-firm cheeses are suitable. Do not serve mold-ripened, smear-ripened or raw milk cheeses. They carry a risk of foodborne illness.

No age makes raw milk cheese risk-free. Salmonellosis and listeriosis are harmful infections for babies and can be more severe in them.

Plant-based cheeses

Plant-based cheeses are fine if prepared for your baby's age. Try any allergens inside it one at a time first, for instance soy, tree nuts or wheat. Nut, oil, pea and soy based kinds exist.

Cheese tends to be firm and springy. In the mouth it can turn into a sticky lump. These traits raise choking risk. Prepare cheese to suit your baby's age. Keep your baby within arm's reach during meals.

Cheese is usually made from cow's milk. The World Health Organization lists cow's milk among its global priority allergens. About one in five food allergies in young children is to milk. Buffalo, goat and sheep milk products can trigger similar reactions. The good news is that milk allergy often passes with time. Most children outgrow it by age 6.

Aged cheeses contain histamine. Sensitive children may get a rash from it.

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

Lactose intolerance can be mistaken for an allergy and is rare in babies. Aged cheeses have little lactose.

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