Muenster cheese

You can offer pasteurized muenster once baby is ready for solids, usually around 6 months. Some muenster is a little salty. Pick a lower-sodium one when you can. Avoid traditional French munster. Unpasteurized (raw) milk is normally used, which increases the chance of foodborne illness, and babies can become sicker than adults.

This is a cheese of medium softness, smooth in texture, with a faint tang. It began in the United States. Its style and flavor follow a much older cheese from France's Alsace region, the traditional French munster. The original French cheese is made with raw milk and tastes stronger and sharper. The Muenster sold here is milder and uses pasteurized milk. People put it in sandwiches, melt it, or snack on it.

Protein and fat serve cell growth and structure, calcium builds strong bones, and vitamin B12 supports healthy blood and the nervous system. It also gives vitamin A and zinc.

24 months and older: cheese cubes

Around this age numerous toddlers can be ready for cubes of cheese. First check that your child eats maturely. That means biting off small pieces with the front teeth, shifting food to the side for chewing, working the food well with the teeth before it goes down, and keeping the mouth from getting too full. Even with these skills, coach the child. Serve cubes only when the child sits upright, is engaged in the meal and is not distracted. Show the chewing yourself: bite with your front teeth, move the cheese to the side and chew with your mouth open. Then open your mouth to show how it broke down. After that, offer a single cube. If the child does not try to chew, wait a few weeks. Skills take time, so meet each child where they are.

Grilled cheese sandwich

Near 12 months, most children cope with a grilled cheese sandwich, provided the melted cheese stays thin and you slice the sandwich into small squares or strips.

Yes, there is a risk. Cheeses such as muenster can be firm and turn sticky in the mouth, which makes them hard to manage and raises choking risk. Serve the cheese as long flat slices or shreds to suit the age. Stay near the child, within reach, for the whole meal.

Muenster is usually made from cow's milk. Cow's milk causes about one in five food allergies in young children. Dairy from sheep, goats and buffalo can cause similar reactions.

The good news: milk allergy often fades with time. Most children with cow's milk allergy outgrow it by age 6. Some babies with mild milk protein allergy (one sign can be painless blood in the stool) can restart milk around the first birthday under a pediatrician's guidance.

Muenster also contains annatto, a natural coloring. Annatto is not a common allergen, but allergy cases have been reported.

Milk and dairy are a frequent cause of a delayed allergy called FPIES. In FPIES, repeated vomiting and diarrhea begin a few hours after eating. Untreated, it can cause serious fluid loss. When milk is eaten regularly, it may show up as reflux, weight loss and poor growth. FPIES that starts early usually clears between ages 3 and 5. The exact rate is unknown and it is thought to be uncommon.

In older children with lactose intolerance, muenster has less lactose than milk and some dairy because it is aged, so it may be easier to tolerate. Intolerance is uncommon in babies.

If you suspect a milk allergy in your baby, see an allergist before cheese. The allergist may order tests or have you give the first serving at the clinic with supervision. Where risk is low, starting at home may be advised. Keep the amount small at the first few servings. If there is no reaction, raise the amount slowly.