FirstNom
Dairy & eggs
Cheddar for babies
Cheddar is the cheese most families have in the fridge. It is a strong calcium source and one of the saltiest things a baby will eat, so grate it and keep it modest.
When can babies have cheddar?
From around 6 months, grated, in small amounts. Mild cheddar is lower in salt than mature; both are high compared with the rest of a baby's diet.
How do you serve cheddar to a baby?
The shape is what makes a food safe, and it changes as your baby’s grip and chewing change. Find your baby’s age band.
-
6–8 months
Grated into mashed potato, scrambled egg or a vegetable bake. Small amounts.
-
9–11 months
Grated, or thin matchsticks.
-
12–18 months
Grated or thin strips, melted into dishes.
-
18–24 months
Thin slices and grated. Still no cubes.
Prep tip
Grate cheese into food rather than serving it alongside. The flavour spreads further, so a smaller amount does the same job — which matters when the constraint is salt.
Storage
Keeps weeks refrigerated wrapped. Grated cheddar freezes well and goes straight into hot dishes.
Is cheddar a choking hazard for babies?
Cubes and sticks of hard cheese are a recognised choking hazard — firm, airway-sized and non-compressible. Always grate cheddar or cut it into thin matchsticks for children under about 4 years.
Whatever you serve, stay within arm’s reach, keep your baby upright in a supportive seat, and never let them eat in a moving car, buggy or carrier. Gagging is loud and normal. Choking is silent.
Is cheddar a common allergen?
Cheddar is a milk product. Milk is one of the nine common allergens.
Is cheddar healthy for babies?
Cheddar is one of the densest calcium sources available and provides protein and fat in a small volume, which suits a baby's small stomach. The counterweight is sodium — commonly around 1.8 g of salt per 100 g, so a 20 g portion is a third of a baby's daily limit.
| Calcium | Very high |
|---|---|
| Protein | Very high |
| Fat | High |
| Sodium | High |
| Vitamin B12 | Good source |
| Iron per serving | ~0.2 mg |
Common questions about cheddar
How much cheddar can a baby have?
A 15–20 g portion — a small handful grated — is reasonable a few times a week. That is already around a third of an under-1's daily salt allowance, so it is not an every-meal food.
Mild or mature cheddar?
Mild is usually lower in salt and easier on the palate. Mature carries more flavour, which means you can use less.
Reference material
Guidance on this page follows the sources listed below.
Foods parents look at next
Dairy & eggs
Cheese
Calcium, fat and protein in one — the trick is picking a low-salt one and cutting it right.
Dairy & eggs
Mozzarella
One of the mildest, lowest-salt cheeses — but never in cubes or sticks.
Dairy & eggs
Parmesan
Very salty, very flavourful — a seasoning rather than a cheese portion.
Dairy & eggs
Cottage cheese
Soft, high in protein and much lower in salt than hard cheese.