Feta cheese

Feta can be offered from about 6 months, once baby is ready for solids. Feta can be salty. An occasional taste within a varied diet is fine. To lower the risk of foodborne illness, choose pasteurized feta.

Feta is a white, soft cheese. It is made with sheep's milk, sometimes with goat's milk. The curd is cut into blocks and aged in brine. Feta holds Protected Designation of Origin in the European Union. Technically only cheese from certain regions of Greece may be sold under that name.

Nutrition

Feta supplies protein and fat along with calcium, selenium, zinc, plus the vitamins A, B6, and B12. These work as raw material for growing, developing, and thinking. They also help bones, taste, eyesight, energy, and immunity.

Salt

Feta is usually salty. A learning baby eats little, so the sodium stays low. Some sodium is needed for fluid balance and movement. Many groups advise cutting salt in baby food, but recent reviews say it may not be needed. Sharing family meals has value too. Baby meets a wider range of tastes and textures.

At 6 months, offer pasteurized feta tastes now and then. Stir small crumbles into spoonable foods. Whip feta with plain yogurt and dip foods in it. After 9 months, serve crumbles on their own or a long flat slice. At 12 months, slices, small or large crumbles, and a dip all work.

There is no upper limit for cheese. You can give pasteurized cheese every day if you like. Do not fixate on how much baby eats. A baby may eat a lot at one meal and little at another. Both are normal when cheese is one part of a varied diet.

Feta can be chalky and hard for a baby to swallow. This raises the choking risk. Crumble it or whip it with yogurt. Stay with your child during meals.

Feta contains a common allergen. It is usually made from sheep, goat, or cow's milk. Cow's milk is a common allergen. Milk causes about one fifth of childhood food allergies in young children. Sheep, goat, and buffalo milk products can cause reactions like cow's milk. The good news: milk allergy often passes with time. Most children with cow's milk allergy outgrow it by age 6. Many babies with mild milk protein allergy can try milk again around the first birthday with a doctor's guidance. Aged cheeses hold histamine. Sensitive children may get a rash from it.

Milk is a frequent cause of FPIES. FPIES brings repeated vomiting and diarrhea a few hours after eating. Untreated, it can cause fluid loss. If milk is eaten regularly, the chronic form can cause reflux, weight loss, and poor growth. FPIES that starts early usually passes by age 3 to 5.

Lactose intolerance can be mistaken for allergy. It brings bloating, gas, diarrhea, and nausea. It is uncommon in babies and toddlers. Aged cheeses are low in lactose and often better tolerated.

If you suspect a milk allergy, ask an allergist before giving cheese. The allergist may suggest a test or a trial under supervision at the clinic. For a low-risk baby, the advice may be to begin at home. As with all common allergens, give a small amount in the first servings. If there is no reaction, raise it slowly. If you have already given milk and ruled out allergy, you can give pasteurized cheese freely.