Age Suggestion
6 months
Iron-Rich
No
Common Allergen
Yes
Gouda cheese may be introduced as soon as baby is ready to start solids, which is generally around 6 months of age. While gouda cheese can be high in sodium, a taste here and there as part of a varied diet is not a cause for concern. Choose pasteurized gouda cheese to minimize the risk of foodborne illness.
Gouda has long been sold in Goudse Kaasmarkt, one of the Netherlands’ famous cheese markets. But even in the early 1900s, gouda was popular far beyond the bustling markets of its home country. Gouda wouldn’t seem to be easy to transport—it often comes in large wheels that weigh up to 16 pounds (7 kilograms)—but the traditional way of pressing the cheese in wooden molds resulted in a thick rind, making it well suited to long-distance distribution, even before modern refrigeration. Today, there are countless varieties of gouda, many flavored with spices, but only Noord-Hollandse Gouda has earned the status of Protected Designation of Origin by European law.
Every baby develops on their own timeline, and the suggestions on how to cut or prepare particular foods are generalizations for a broad audience.
Feel free to share tastes of pasteurized gouda cheese here and there with baby as part of a varied diet. If sharing gouda at this age, offer in long, flat slices to reduce choking risk and make it easier for baby to self-feed. If you want to use gouda in melted form, opt for shredded gouda and sprinkle sparingly, as large globs of melted cheese can be difficult for young babies to chew and manage in the mouth. Avoid offering any kind of cheese in cubes and large chunks.
Feel free to share tastes of pasteurized gouda here and there with baby as part of a varied diet. Cut pasteurized gouda into long, flat slices or bite-sized pieces torn from a flat slice. Alternatively, grate the cheese and serve the cheese on its own or folded into meals. Continue to avoid serving cheese in cube shapes or large melted globs, as these pose a high choking risk.
Serve bite-sized pieces of pasteurized gouda cut from a thin slice, shredded gouda, or long flat slices for biting and tearing practice. At this age, you can also melt the cheese in a thin layer over bread, tortillas, pasta, beans, or vegetables. Just make sure the cheese isn’t too hot, but also hasn’t cooled so much that it re-hardens or gets clumpy.
Yes. Gouda cheese can be firm, and it can form a sticky mass in the mouth—all qualities that increase choking risk. To reduce the risk, prepare and serve gouda in an age-appropriate way as described in the How to Serve section. As always, make sure you create a safe eating environment and stay within an arm’s reach of baby during meals.
Learn the signs of choking and gagging and more about choking first aid in our free guides, Infant Rescue and Toddler Rescue.
Yes. Gouda cheese is often made from cow’s milk, which is classified as a common food allergen by the World Health Organization. It is an especially common food allergen in young children, accounting for about one-fifth of all childhood food allergies in the United States. Keep in mind that some gouda cheese may be made from goat or sheep’s milk and dairy products from other ruminants such as sheep, goat, and buffalo may provoke similar allergic reactions to cow’s milk dairy products. That said, there’s good news: milk allergy often disappears with time. Research shows that the majority of children with cow's milk allergy will outgrow it by age 6, and many babies with milder symptoms of milk protein allergy (which can show up as painless blood in stool) are able to successfully reintroduce cow's milk as early as their first birthday, with the guidance of their appropriate pediatric health professionals. Note: Aged cheeses generally contain histamines, which may cause rashes in children who are sensitive to them.
Milk is a common cause of food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome, also known as FPIES. FPIES is a delayed allergy to food protein which causes the sudden onset of repetitive vomiting and diarrhea to begin a few hours after ingestion. This is termed acute FPIES. Left untreated, the reaction can result in significant dehydration. When milk is in the diet regularly, FPIES can present as reflux, weight loss, and failure to thrive - this is termed chronic FPIES. Symptoms generally improve with elimination of milk from the baby’s diet. Thankfully, like other forms of milk allergy, FPIES which presents early in life is generally outgrown by the time a child has reached 3-5 years of age.
Lactose intolerance, which is when the body has a hard time processing lactose, the sugar that is naturally present in milk, can sometimes be mistaken for an allergy, as it can result in bloating, gas, diarrhea, nausea, and other discomfort. For those with older children who are lactose intolerant (keep in mind this is uncommon for infants and toddlers), some good news: compared with milk and certain other dairy products, many cheeses may be better tolerated by those with lactose intolerance, particularly aged cheeses, which have lower lactose content. Be sure to connect with an appropriate pediatric health care professional for any questions about lactose intolerance, and know there are many lactose-free dairy foods available.
If you suspect baby may be allergic to milk, consult an allergist before introducing dairy products like cheese. Based on a baby’s risk factors and history, your allergist may recommend allergy testing, or may instead advise dairy introduction under medical supervision in the office. If the risk is low, you may be advised to go ahead and introduce cheese in the home setting. As with all common allergens, start by serving a small quantity on its own for the first few servings, and if there is no adverse reaction, gradually increase the quantity over future meals.
No, not when it is consumed as an ingredient in food as part of a varied diet. While gouda is high in sodium, the amount of sodium that babies eat tends to be low as they learn the skills to feed themselves, and some sodium is important for supporting baby’s electrolyte balance, hydration, and movement. While many health organizations recommend avoiding or reducing salt in food shared with baby, recent reviews of literature suggest that this may not be necessary. Furthermore, sharing family meals, even if they contain salt, has its benefits: baby has opportunities to explore a wider variety of food, share their family food culture, and practice eating a variety of textures. Gouda cheese can be made from unpasteurized (raw) milk; choose pasteurized gouda to reduce the risk of foodborne illness.
Knowledge and practice with rescue maneuvers. Parents and caregivers who watch the choking and rescue videos in our Starting Solids bundle often share how confident they feel.
While a high chair can help create a safe eating environment, there are alternative ways for baby to eat safely, such as holding the child on your lap or sitting together on the floor. For more information, see our article on high chairs.
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