Advice About Cheese

Updated on April 18, 2009
K.G. asks from Jersey City, NJ
10 answers

My son is 2 days shy of being 11 months old. I feel like I have been very conservative with the variety of food I've given him up to this point and am now trying to catch up as he approaches his first birthday. Are most cheeses considered equal (like cheddar, mozzarella, colby, swiss)? My son has eaten yogurt and cottage cheese with no trouble. Do I need to continue to separately introduce different cheeses or can I assume he can eat most mild, semi-hard cheeses without an allergy worry? Thanks so much!

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So What Happened?

Thank you all for your responses. I truly appreciate your input and advice. My son has now eaten mozzarella, colby/jack, and cheddar cheeses and loved all of them, especially the mozzarella. I see many grilled cheese sandwiches in our future!

More Answers

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M.B.

answers from Rochester on

K.,

Best guess here - if he's been receiving cow's-milk cheese for a while, it isn't going to be the difference in cheese that gives him the allergy. Most won't like swiss or strong cheeses. He may still have a sensitivity to milk anyway - my son did until 18 months and we still don't push it.

Milk/cheese from a cow is such a small section of the food available. If you are worried, trust your instincts. They're usually right.

Goat's milk/cheese is a great option that is closer to your milk than anything else. My son loves the cheese, but isn't fond of the milk yet.

Good luck!
M.

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A.H.

answers from New York on

Try american first.. then cheddar.. mozzeralla.. and on to the sharper ones. See what she likes best.. even try a little melted cheese on bread.. grilled cheese.. and hay pizza... they usually love pizza.. good luck.. and have fun trying new stuff.

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A.H.

answers from New York on

Cheese is Cheese! Once they've had dairy, it should be the same. Only acceptions are unpasterized cheeses like blue and farm fresh cheeses. These they should not have as they carry a bacteria risk. My daughter hated cheese at first, but we kept trying and now she'll take almost any type.
Lots of luck!

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M.I.

answers from New York on

I didn't treat cheeses separately, either. During the "4 day trial period", I gave different types of cheeses.

Some advice, instead of buying a block of cheese and cutting it into small pieces, I bought the already shredded one that comes in a bag. I just fed my child with my fingers or put a couple piece on a spoon.

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J.G.

answers from Rochester on

go for it! If he doesn't show sign of allergies with yogurt and cottage cheese I doubt you'll have any problem with other pasterized cheeses. My daughter loves FROZEN (thick not finely) shredded cheddar and mozzarella!

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H.G.

answers from New York on

If he's good with cottage cheese, than he'll do great with the other cheeses! Try shredded or crumbled mozzarella or cheddar, so he can pick them up himself. Avoid the super sharp kinds for now, unless he likes very strong flavors. Once he's ok with cheddar, any other hard or semi-hard cheese is fine without a wait period.

I might not give him brie for a little while, but really- any cheese is ok! :)

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D.K.

answers from New York on

I asked my doctor the same question and she told me cheese is cheese! And my son loves ALL cheese equally!

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S.G.

answers from Rochester on

I didn't treat them separately either. I started with mild cheeses (american, jack) and then tried sharper ones. She doesn't like smoked ones (she'll turn her nose up), but she LOVES american cheese and cheddar.

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D.

answers from New York on

I didn't treat cheese and other dairy products as separate. If it was dairy (no matter what it was...cheese, milk, yogurt) it was dairy. And if he wasn't allergic to one it was the same for all. I've never heard of someone being allergic to yogurt but not other dairy products. So I'd say you don't have to worry about a dairy allergy if he eats yogurt and cheese.

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M.G.

answers from Washington DC on

I agree cheese is cheese.

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