Three Tips For Introducing Your Child To Cheese

You will want to introduce your child to cheese early on as a way to expand their food options and help them enjoy a well-balanced and delicious diet. There is no reason to be concerned about showing your child the wonderful variety of cheese. With the proper methods and knowledge, your entire family will be eating grilled cheese or enjoying cheese and crackers together in the near future.

Know When It Is Safe

The most important thing about introducing your child to cheese is knowing when it is safe to do so. The general rule of thumb is that if your baby is able to gum or chew food, he is ready to be introduced to cheese. You just need to make sure to give him small pieces the size of a baby fingertip to prevent choking. Most babies will be perfectly fine eating cheese after they have had several other foods without any allergic reaction. The only exception is that you should consult your pediatrician if your baby has another food allergy or chronic eczema. You probably won’t even have to worry if you have a family history of asthma or food allergies. Just be sure to watch your child for the next few days for any signs of a reaction and not introduce another new food for several days after so you know the cause of any potential reaction.

Make It A Small Party

Once your child gets older, introducing cheese becomes more about expanding their palette beyond just cheddar, mozzarella, and other common cheeses. Turn the idea of trying these new cheeses, like Gruyere or Brie into a fun mini-party. Let your child invite a friend or two over and make a cheese platter. Have everyone try a little bit of everything and see what they like. Your child may appreciate being treated like a grown-up and be more likely to enjoy the cheese.

Sneak In Different Cheeses

Of course, not all children are willing to try new things. If this is the case for your kid and they already have a handful of cheesy dishes they like, be sneaky about it. You can put a small amount of a melty cheese like Gruyere into their macaroni and cheese or grilled cheese sandwich. Let them enjoy the meal and eventually let them know that they just liked another type of cheese. This should encourage them to try it in other situations as well.