Is it possible to give cheese to a child aged 1 year and 2 months?

Useful properties of cheese

Cheese is a product made from goat, cow, and sheep milk. In addition to its excellent taste, it has properties that are beneficial for children; you can use it to prepare many new dishes for your baby, which will help add variety to his diet.

Composition and nutritional value

1. The product is rich in calcium, which is necessary to strengthen bones;
2. Contains plenty of high-quality protein, as well as vitamins A and D to aid growth. Other vitamins – B12, E, nicotinic acid;
3. The high calorie content of cheese, even in small quantities, provides the body with energy;
4. The product is good for teeth, prevents their destruction;
5. The presence of fatty acids improves skin condition;
6. The minerals that the product contains (potassium, sodium, iron, sulfur, zinc, phosphorus, magnesium, etc.) are necessary for the proper functioning of various organs.

What are the benefits and harms of cheese?

Cheese is rich in nutrients and micronutrients. But its use in child nutrition raises many controversial issues.

Let's look at the benefits this fermented milk product brings to your baby:

• contains a large amount of protein , which serves as a building material for the growth of the child’s body;
• includes vitamins : A - helps the development of the musculoskeletal system and muscles;
• D - participates in the formation of the skeleton;
• E - strengthens the immune system, maintains endurance;
• PP - regulates the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, is responsible for the baby’s appetite and absorption of nutrients;
• group B - help the maturation of the nervous system, improve metabolism, participate in the process of hematopoiesis;

In contrast to the obvious benefits, cheese has a negative effect on a small developing organism when consumption standards are exceeded:

• a high-protein product puts a lot of stress on the baby’s kidneys;
• contains a lot of salt, which threatens fluid retention in the body;
• high fat content impairs the absorption of other foods and leads to problems with the immature digestive system of children: colic, constipation or diarrhea, nausea, bloating;
• high cholesterol content causes pathologies of the cardiovascular system and metabolic disorders even in childhood;
• dyes and chemicals contained in low-quality cheeses cause allergic reactions in children;
• rennet, which is used in cooking technology, negatively affects the pancreas of children;
• A high calorie product leads to obesity.

Choosing the right cheese

Green stool in a formula-fed baby

There are many types of different cheeses on sale. However, not all of them are suitable for children.

Important! Parents should be very careful when choosing dairy products for their children. Cheeses made from unpasteurized milk carry the risk of being infected with listeria, a harmful bacteria.

Although cheese is a complete and healthy food, you should avoid foods that are high in salt and saturated fat.

How to choose quality cheese in a store?

1. You cannot purchase cheeses for baby food that are already packaged in a store without indicating the production date. There is a high probability that such a product is expired.
2. Before purchasing, you need to carefully read the ingredients. Among the components of a quality product there should be no palm oil or milk powder.
3. Real fresh cheese does not have a greasy or sticky coating on the cut, grains, stains on the surface, does not crumble, does not release moisture, always has a uniform structure, is plastic and elastic.

Types of cheeses

Vaseline oil and ointment for newborns

Each type has its own benefits and has a different taste and texture. For baby food, what is more important is not the taste of the product, but its ability not to harm the baby’s health.

Soft young varieties that not all adults love, but they are great for children:

• Mascarpone;
• Ricotta.

Ricotta variety

Soft young cheeses include cottage cheese. Hard and semi-hard cheeses can be eaten by infants, provided that they do not contain a lot of fat (up to 30% is acceptable). These are varieties such as:

• Mozzarella;
• Cheddar (diet version, fat content – ​​33%);
• Oltermani.

Edam, Gouda, Rokiskis, Svalya are products where the mass fraction of fat is too high for infants (up to 50%). A one-year-old baby is not yet ready to consume these varieties; if he is already 2 years old, this is the age when they can be given to a child.

Important! It is recommended to pay attention to labels, as many cheeses intended for children, especially in portion packaging, have a high fat content.

Varieties that should not be given to infants:

1. Blue cheeses are not recommended at an early age, as they contain mold and fungi (Roquefort, Dor Blue, Gorgonzola, etc.);

Blue cheese

1. With white mold (Brie, Camembert) they are characterized by increased fat content;
2. Smoked varieties;
3. Products containing various spices, spicy or aromatic;
4. Those prepared using brine (feta, suluguni, Adyghe, feta cheese) absorb too much salt during the production process;
5. Processed cheese is not really cheese. Although it may taste and look similar, this product is usually loaded with chemicals. It is made from real cheese, but with flavor enhancers and preservatives that extend shelf life. Therefore, the product is not suitable for baby food;
6. It is also not recommended to feed children cheese products made from palm oil and glazed curds. They contain ingredients that are unacceptable for infant nutrition.

Durum varieties with a long ripening period (Parmesan, Dzhiugas) have a fat content of about 30%, but they crumble a lot. The baby may accidentally choke on a large fragment. Therefore, they are grated and used to prepare children's dishes.

Parmesan variety

Important! When choosing cheese for your child, you need to read what ingredients the product contains and its expiration date.

What kind of cheese can children

It is recommended to feed babies under 2 years old with semi-hard and hard cheeses.

They contain practically no lactose, since rennet destroys it. But there are much more amino acids, calcium and phosphorus than in soft curds. When choosing which cheese to give to your child, it is advisable to prefer lightly salted varieties with moderate fat content:

• Maasdam;
• Kostroma;
• Mozzarella;
• Cheddar;
• Ricotta.

You can periodically add a little grated Parmesan to vegetable dishes.

Of the brine varieties, Adygei contains less salt than others and is easier to digest. It is allowed to be included in the diet of children from 3–4 years of age. Acquaintance with Brynza and Suluguni should be postponed until 7–8 years. Such cheeses put excessive strain on the kidneys. Until this age, you should not give your child Russian, Edam, Gouda, Poshekhonsky. In addition to the high salt content, they have an extremely high level of fat - up to 45–50%.

Processed and delicacy varieties are not suitable for children's diets. The former are made from dairy waste, adding vegetable and trans fats. In addition, harmful microbes multiply quickly in them. Smoked braided cheese should not be eaten even by adults - it contains so much fat and aggressive chemical compounds.

Age for introducing cheese into complementary foods

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Most babies can be introduced to cheese as soon as they begin chewing foods, around 6 to 9 months of age. However, experts disagree on the age at which a child should be given cheese. Some call the age 8 months, others advise waiting until 1 year.

This difference of opinion is due to the fact that cheese is a dairy product, and infants may experience stomach upset from consuming milk proteins. It is known that when cheese ripens, milk proteins and lactose break down into simpler compounds, so fears are exaggerated. However, some children are allergic to dairy products. Such babies should be fed cheese only if the pediatrician allows it.

Dr. Komarovsky has his own opinion when a child under one year old can be given cheese. He advises starting to introduce your baby to this product with cottage cheese, at about 8 months, and a little later you can introduce soft varieties of cheese.

When can you give your child cheese?

As complementary foods are introduced and the baby grows, his digestive, excretory and enzymatic systems are formed. By the age of one, the child’s body is ready to digest and partially absorb cheese.

It is important to introduce this fermented milk product into the diet if the baby is not allergic to cow's milk protein.

In what forms should you give cheese?

When a mother decides to introduce cheese to her baby's complementary foods, there are several good ways to serve it:

1. Melt cheese on a small piece of cookie or bread and serve as a snack;
2. Cut it into small pieces, no larger than a baby’s fingernail;
3. Mix cheese pieces with boiled vegetables.

Important! It is necessary to start with cheeses that have a mild taste. Products with a strong taste and smell can immediately cause rejection by the baby.

Which one to give?

First of all, when choosing cheese for baby food, you should pay attention to its composition. They should be absolutely excluded from the diet, which contain sodium, potassium, and calcium phosphates. The fact is that phosphates contribute to the leaching of calcium from the body. That is, we get a paradoxical situation - we give a child cheese so that his teeth and bones become stronger, and we get the exact opposite effect.

Phosphates in foods, including cheeses, disrupt the normal functioning of the liver, kidneys, and the entire gastrointestinal tract. Their presence in children's diets is strictly prohibited.

Cheese with preservatives (for example E249 or E250) should also be completely excluded from the baby’s diet - these additives are very carcinogenic and can even cause cancer.

Cheese products are unacceptable for consumption - they most often contain palm oil and other vegetable fats that are not acceptable in the diet of small children.

It is better to choose from proven small farms that use the natural method of fermenting milk in their production and do not add any additives to it that increase the shelf life. But even with farm cheese you should be careful. The following product groups are not suitable for children:

• blue cheeses - their consumption threatens severe allergies, poisoning, and intestinal infections;
• containing spicy, heavy additives - pepper, nuts, seeds;
• any varieties with a fat content above 40% - they can cause diarrhea and kidney problems;
• smoked - not recommended for consumption until the age of 12 years;
• pickled cheeses - feta cheese, suluguni - are not suitable for feeding children due to their high salt content.

For the first acquaintance with the product, you can choose young soft cheeses - mozzarella, ricotta. It is better to rinse a slice of mozzarella with water before eating.

Complementary feeding standards

Many pediatricians recommend giving dairy products, starting with natural yogurt. The concentration of milk protein in it is not so high. You need to start with a couple of spoons and gradually increase the amount. If the baby’s body tolerates this product calmly, then you can slowly introduce cottage cheese and cheese.

How often to give

The product does not need to be included in the daily diet of children under one year old. It will be enough to feed the baby every 2-3 days.

Quantitative norms

How much cheese can you give a child depending on age:

1. The first portion of the product for a baby who is not yet a year old should not exceed 5 grams per day;
2. After one and a half years, the daily amount of the product is increased to 15 grams; two-year-old children can already consume 20 grams per day.

What to combine with

Fresh fruits and boiled vegetables (carrots, pumpkin) can make an excellent company with cheese. A combination with meat products or butter, fish will be difficult for the baby’s digestive system due to the saturation of these products with fats and proteins. Older children can be given cheese soups, pasta or omelette with cheese, and cottage cheese pancakes.

Cottage cheese pancakes

Varieties

This product is particularly popular all over the world. It is not surprising that today it amazes with a wide variety of species. But not all cheeses can be given to babies in the first years of life. Let's figure out which crumbs are acceptable in the diet and which are not.

What kind of cheese should I give my child?

1. The most basic criterion is the choice of a natural product. Cheeses that contain dyes, flavors or other flavoring additives are completely unacceptable in the baby’s diet.
2. In addition, parents should understand that the baby needs a product with low salt content.
3. And you definitely shouldn’t opt ​​for fatty varieties of cheese. Up to 20% fat content (in dry matter) inclusive is acceptable. If the fat content of the finished product is indicated on the cheese, then for children up to 45% is acceptable.
4. For a toddler's first acquaintance, only hard varieties of cheese are suitable.
5. Maasdam, Russian, Edam and Parmesan are ideal for first feeding.
6. You can start giving a one and a half year old baby Suluguni, Georgian or Adyghe cheese, but in very limited quantities, because these cheeses are quite salty. And such a baby doesn’t yet need extra salt in his body.

What types are not desirable

There are a number of cheeses that are strictly unacceptable in the diet of a one-year-old child.

1. Cheese product. It contains substitutes for natural ingredients, which can significantly reduce the cost of the finished product. However, such substances are harmful not only to the health of the baby, but even to the adult.
2. Smoked. The process of technological processing of such cheese deprives the finished product of most valuable elements. In addition, there is an opinion that production waste is used to make such cheeses. This product is strictly contraindicated for children under 7 years of age.
3. Processed cheese. This product is prepared with an excess of salt and is also very fatty for a child’s body. Therefore, it is better to wait with it for up to 10 years, no less. There is also an opinion about making such cheese from cheese production waste.
4. Spicy cheeses are contraindicated on children's menus. Their composition irritates the gastric mucosa and can cause disturbances in the functioning of the digestive system.
5. Salty cheeses (brynza, suluguni, Adyghe or feta) are undesirable in a baby’s diet due to their high salt content. When consuming such a product, there is a risk of disruption of water-salt metabolism in the baby’s body.
6. Blue cheese is not recommended for children under 12 years of age. Such age restrictions are due to the fact that this product contains mold, which in rare cases can cause allergies and even poisoning, as well as trigger an infectious process (listeriosis).

Possible problems

Although cheese is not one of the foods that are allergens, it can provoke a negative reaction in a child because it contains milk proteins. You should be especially careful when giving it if your baby already has a food allergy.

Important! There is no need to worry if your baby is lactose intolerant. Cheeses contain a negligible amount of it.

Signs of allergies

Symptoms of food allergies:

• swelling of the face, including the tongue and lips;
• skin rashes;
• nausea and vomiting;
• diarrhea;
• abdominal cramps;
• shortness of breath or wheezing.

If such symptoms appear, you should immediately call a doctor. Cheese not only tastes great, it is nutritious and contains healthy proteins, vitamins and microelements. The product will serve as an excellent addition to the baby’s menu, subject to the rules of complementary feeding.

Benefits for children

A variety of dairy products are slowly introduced into the diet of a child over a year old (starting from 12-13 months). And not only kefir, but also cottage cheese and cheese. “Milk” is needed to provide children’s diet with substances for growth and full development.

In addition, it is important for children to begin to develop taste habits in time, otherwise they will be capricious in food and refuse foods that are beneficial to health.

When mothers forget that children should be offered a little cheese per year, they give preference to the more familiar cottage cheese and yoghurt. And in vain, because a high-quality product contains many useful substances.

100 g contains an average of 23 g of proteins, which are easily absorbed by the child’s body. Vitamins: A, B2, C, B6, E, B12, D. Lots of calcium, potassium, phosphorus.

The composition of the product can be richer, it largely depends on the variety: processed, sausage, hard, semi-hard, curd, etc.

Benefits of cheese for children's bodies:

• contains a lot of calcium necessary for teeth, bones, hair, nails and skin;
• rich in protein, which is easily digestible and is needed for tissue formation;
• helps to gain weight;
• quickly satisfies hunger;
• energizes;
• forms correct taste habits;
• is a source of fatty acids that are beneficial for the skin, internal organs and brain;
• has a beneficial effect on vision.

Thus, cheese must be included in the diet of babies starting from 12 months. There is no need to be afraid that this rather high-calorie product can cause harm. After all, children quickly use up energy.

The benefits of goat milk for children.

Testing for reaction

It’s not enough to buy good, high-quality cheese for your child; you need to test it. To do this, on the day of complementary feeding, all other unfamiliar foods are excluded from the diet. In other words, the menu on this day should be as familiar as possible to the baby.

At lunch, the child should cut off a small (about 2x2 cm) piece of cheese. Or better yet, grate one spoonful on a baby grater.

Give your baby a new treat and watch his reaction carefully. If you start spitting, stop feeding. But even if the product is received with a bang, don’t give the supplement.

Observe your child during the day to see if there are any skin rashes, complaints of abdominal pain or other gastrointestinal disorders.

If everything went well, cheese can be given 3-4 times a week. For variety, you are allowed to alternate different varieties, without forgetting about quality.

But if the baby starts crying or his stool changes, it is necessary to temporarily stop introducing cheese into the diet. Perhaps the child’s body is not yet ready to digest this product.

Allergy to cheese in children: causes and signs

A serious and, in most cases, lifelong disease is dairy intolerance. An allergic reaction can be caused by certain varieties or all cheese products. The reaction occurs to lactose or casein. If you are intolerant to certain compounds, the allergy occurs suddenly and is accompanied by severe symptoms.

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The reaction occurs immediately after consuming the allergen - in most cases. Milk-containing foods, even after careful processing, are harmful to a baby with intolerance.

In such a case, parents should choose cheese based on plant-based milk for their baby. If the delicacy is fermented by hand, it will not harm the body. Many lactose-free products taste no different from milk-containing ones.

Tofu is suitable for children and adults with problems digesting lactose. Soy milk replaces cow's milk and contains a large amount of nutrients. There are a lot of worthy replacement options.

The disease often occurs at an early age. The child's body is not yet formed and therefore immediately reacts to any irritants. The reaction most often occurs to milk, but it also happens to food additives and preservatives.

The main cause of allergies is intolerance. General symptoms:

1. Painful sensations in the abdomen.
2. Diarrhea or constipation.
3. Allergic reactions. The appearance of blisters or pinpoint rashes.
4. Asthma attacks.
5. Swelling on the face, puffiness.
6. Increase in body temperature. The body quickly reacts to the allergen and the inflammatory process starts.

Another sign of an allergy is the release of mucus from the nasopharynx. In a child, the reaction is more acute than in an adult. Sometimes signs of lactose intolerance include shortness of breath and anaphylaxis.

Most often, a rash is caused by a moldy product. The child's body produces immunoglobulin, which is why rashes appear on the skin. Another symptom of a cheese allergy is a severe coughing attack.

If any negative manifestations occur after eating cheese, parents should consult a doctor. There are tests for lactose intolerance. In order not to worry about the presence of the disease, it is better to undergo an examination and create a healthy and safe menu.

At what age and how to introduce it into the diet

The most suitable age for introducing a child to hard cheese is 1-1.5 years.
There are different opinions on this matter: some experts believe it is possible to start giving cheese to infants as early as 9-10 months, others advise delaying its use until 3 years. However, most nutritionists recommend not giving cheese to babies before one year of age.

This is explained by the fact that the insufficiently mature kidneys of infants cannot cope with such a load of proteins and minerals. More cautious pediatricians advise giving the first taste of cheese to a child after 2 years of age, and recommend a daily portion of the product of 5 g until the age of 6, and 15 g for schoolchildren. You can agree with these standards or not, but the use of this product by children should definitely be moderate.

For the first time, cheese (no more than 5 g) should be given to the baby in the first half of the day and observe the reaction of his body.

Allergy symptoms may include:

• skin rash;
• skin itching;
• stool liquefaction;
• attacks of difficulty breathing;
• temperature increase.

The risk of allergies is especially high in babies under one year of age. If allergy symptoms appear, you should stop giving cheese.

A repeat test can be given after 2-3 years. As the digestive system matures, the intestinal wall will be more resistant to allergens passing through it, the immune system will become more developed, and the risk of developing allergies will decrease.

At a dose of 5 g, you can give your child cheese 2-3 times a week. After one and a half years, a single serving can be gradually increased to 15 g, and after 2 years, the baby can be given 20 g 2-3 times a week.

Children under 4 years of age should be given grated cheese in combination with various dishes. The optimal choice would be Parmesan. This high-quality product, even in small quantities, will significantly improve the taste of any dish. At the same time, there is no need to salt the dish when adding grated cheese to it.

Grated cheese can be added to omelettes, casseroles, and vegetable dishes. It goes well with fruits, and the digestion of foods is not affected. But it is not advisable to combine cheese with a meat dish and butter before the age of 3, in order to avoid overloading the child’s immature digestive tract with proteins and fats.

After 4 years, you can give cheese cut into slices or in the form of sandwiches. Such sandwiches can also be prepared for schoolchildren as snacks.

What time can you start giving cheese?

WHO has established a conditional age for a child to include cheese products in the diet. Nutritionists and pediatricians say that cheese is a difficult food to digest, so you need to be careful with it. Some experts do not recommend giving this type of milk until the age of three.

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A one-month-old baby should be fed formula milk if breastfeeding is not an option. If the baby has learned to chew food, the first tastes of cheese begin at 10 months.

Depending on age, the daily dosage of the supplement is determined. A one-year-old child should not consume more than 5 g of product per day. When the baby turns 1 year old, the portion can be increased to 20 g. Schoolchildren are allowed 15 g of cheese per day: restrictions exist due to the nutritional value of the food and the high fat content.

How to introduce cheese into complementary foods

Parents should gradually introduce the delicacy to their child as complementary food. By developing an individual approach, you will be able to avoid spontaneous and negative reactions, as well as respond to the problem in a timely manner.

Before introducing cheese into your diet, you should consult your doctor. If the child does not like the new food, you should not force him to eat it, but it is better to try giving him a piece again in a few months.

Children are given finely grated cheese with eggs or porridge. Vegetable puree is seasoned with soft varieties. There is no need to salt the dish before serving, because milk-containing products always contain a lot of salt.

Children under 3 years of age are recommended to consume cheese no more than 2-3 times in 7 days. It is preferable to feed the child different varieties in the morning. By introducing a product into the diet, it is possible to reduce its salt content. Parents soak fresh slices in clean water for 3-4 hours. During soaking, the water will have to be changed several times.

Tips for parents: to add cheese to your baby’s diet, grate it into soup or other dish, use a blender to grind food. If the child chews normally, cut the healthy product into translucent slices.

How much product can be given to children

Infants never eat cheese. From the age of 6-7 months, parents begin to think about special complementary foods. The product at an early age is not the main food, but an auxiliary element that has an unusual taste.

The norm for how much solid dairy products can be given depends on the age and health of the baby. According to official conclusions, from one and a half years the portion reaches 30 g per day. You should start introducing 5-7 g as complementary foods.

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In what form should you give cheese to children?

Any complementary feeding occurs gradually: first we give the child a grated nutritious product along with purees and cereals. We start complementary feeding with a pea-sized nutritious meal.

After a year of the baby’s life, we increase the amount of cheese to 5-10 g per day. We feed the child thin slices 1-2 feedings after meat dishes. Ideal combination: Adyghe cheese, zucchini and pear.

Complementary feeding must be alternated. The ideal option is to choose 2-3 cheese days a week. It is convenient to add the delicacy to steam omelettes. Boiled kidneys and liver with the addition of a few grams of Adygei is an excellent option for lunch or dinner.

It doesn’t matter what form of complementary feeding. If your baby is lactose-tolerant, he or she will love nutritious foods. For allergy sufferers, many manufacturers produce lactose-free varieties. The low-fat product is not very salty.

Rules for feeding cheese

Cheese is not a main dish or a side dish for a child, it is a nutritious food supplement. It should be given in small portions, alternating with eggs, cottage cheese, and meat. As a source of fats and proteins, cheese can be included in the diet.

You need to start complementary feeding with 5 grams per day, by the age of two the portion increases to 30 grams. Cheese should be taken in the morning, before lunch, when digestive enzymes are most active. It is combined with other products: pasta, vegetables, bread, to balance the necessary carbohydrates, proteins, fats.

The method of serving the product depends on the age of the child. It is better for children three years old to add grated cheese to their food. Pediatricians do not recommend combining it with foods that contain proteins and fats, such as butter and meat. This will put additional stress on the digestive organs - the stomach, intestines, as well as the pancreas, kidneys, liver, leading to their failure.

From 4 years old, a child can be given cheese in slices. The baby’s body will receive useful substances, and by chewing a tasty product, the jaw muscles will be well strengthened.