I posted about raw apples the other day because the number one mistake I see parents making with baby-led weaning is offering their baby whole or sectioned raw apple.
Don’t get me wrong: I get downright giddy when I see parents taking an ambitious whole food approach with starting solids. And I firmly believe that #FingerFoodFirst gives you the best shot at raising a happy, healthy, and adventurous eater.
But the second biggest mistake I see parents making is how they cut cheese for their baby and I want to go on the record to challenge the matchstick (aka french fry) cut that you commonly see other professionals recommending.
Here’s why: The size of a baby or child’s windpipe is about that of a drinking straw in diameter. Foods that could get stuck in a straw, form a seal over it, or block its opening are choking risks.
When it comes to cheese, the main risk is a chunk of cheese breaking off before it is chewed. Which can happen quite easily with the matchstick cut.
In my opinion and experience, a super thin and flat piece of cheese is far safer than a matchstick cut or small cube, both of which could more easily get stuck in a straw. And shredded cheese is even safer. But the flat, thin (or “ruler-thin”) cut makes it easier for babies to pick up and is safe as well. (This ruler-thin cut also works really well for cantaloupe and honeydew melon too!)
Now look. I don’t want you to start pulling out your rulers to meaure the thinness of a piece of cheese, nor do I want you going aorund with a straw to see if something gets stuck. Baby are quiet adept at munching with their gums and in general, do really well.
Before I go though, remember that some cheeses are extremely high in sodium, which if consumed in excess, can lead to hypernatremia, a condition of having too much sodium in the blood, which affects the balance of water in our bodies.1 Early and excessive exposure to sodium is also thought to play a role in cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and obesity.2
For a list of cheeses that are unsafe for babies, check out our guide, 30 Foods You Should Never Feed Your Baby.
Happy (cheese) eating!
- National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 2019. Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
- National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 2019. Dietary Reference Intakes for Sodium and Potassium. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
