Baby generally loves cheese, but he must wait until he is 5 months old to taste it! It is then a question of favoring certain cheeses and temporarily banning raw milk cheeses. How much to give your baby and what cheeses to offer? The answers of Doctor Sandra Brancato, pediatrician.
France is reputed to be the country of cheeses and it’s lucky for babies who generally love it! However, it is not a question of making your child discover these treasures of French gastronomy too early. In what month to offer him cheese, in what forms and in what quantities? Answers and advice from Dr. Sandra Brancato, pediatrician, member of the AFPA (French Association of Ambulatory Pediatrics) and head of the gastroenterology and pediatric nutrition group.
At what age can cheese be given to a baby?
You have to wait for the start of food diversification to offer cheese to babies as Dr. Brancato points out. “Currently, the National Health Nutrition Program (PNNS) does not give any particular order concerning the introduction of foods. The introduction of cheeses is possible from 4 to 6 months, in the form of grated cheese melted in the preparationsit is specified that they must from time to time be offered alternately with dairy products“, explains Dr. Brancato who adds that it is important to take into account the salt content of cheeses.
“The introduction of cheeses is possible from 4 to 6 months, in the form of grated cheese melted in the preparations”
What cheeses to give to baby?
The PNNS does not specify any list of preferred cheeses. “All cheeses made from pasteurized milk can in theory be offered, but at the beginning, we recommend rather melted cheeses or grated Gruyère or so-called “child” cheeses“”, explains Dr. Brancato.
The following are therefore recommended at the start of diversification:
- Grated cheese
- Laughing cow
- kiri
- Children’s cheeses
“All cheeses made from pasteurized milk can in theory be offered, but at the beginning we recommend processed cheeses or grated Gruyère cheeses or so-called “child” cheeses.
Then from 5 months still in pasteurized form:
- Uncooked pressed cheeses : etorki, gouda, mimolette, ossau-iraty, saint-nectaire, volumes, etc.
- Soft cheeses : brie, cabécou, camembert, munster, pont l’Evêque, Saint-Félicien, etc.
- Hard or pressed cooked cheeses : Abondance, Beaufort, Comté, Emmental, Gruyère, Parmesan, etc.
- Blue-veined cheeses: blue cheese from Auvergne, gorgonzola, etc.
- Fresh cheeses : bush, cottage cheese, feta, mozzarella, ricotta, etc.
Which cheeses to avoid?
“Raw milk cheeses are not recommended before the age of 5“, says Dr. Brancato. Products made from raw milk are, in fact, very sensitive to contamination by pathogenic bacteria naturally present in the digestive tract of ruminants (Salmonella, Listeria, Escherichia coli, etc.) and which can be dangerous for young children. Before this age, babies should not be offered cheeses such as:
- Reblochon
- Roquefort
- Salers
- Brie
- Picodon
- Pelardon
- Some pie charts
- Morbier
- Mont d’Or
You can, however, use raw milk cheeses in recipes only if they are cooked.
“Raw milk cheeses are not recommended before the age of 5”.
You have to go step by step! “In the beginning, processed cheese should be introduced into the diet. Then when the child can eat pieces alone with his hands, we can let him take a piece of cheese, for example a small slice of Emmentaler.explains Dr. Brancato.
How much cheese to give a baby?
Once the first weeks of food diversification have passed, you must give small portions of cheese to your child. “One serving of cheese for children is 20 grams and it is not recommended to give several servings of cheese per day. Indeed, it is necessary to vary the menus and vary the sources of dairy products. It is advisable to give a dairy product per meal to the child, either four dairy products a day, alternating between milk, yoghurts and cheeses“advises Dr. Brancato.
Thanks to Doctor Sandra Brancato, pediatrician.