At what age can you give the child cheese and how to enter it into the diet?

Transparent slices and cubes crumbling from light pressure, blue mold and spicy smoked flavor are all about cheese.One of the most interesting and tasty products in the human diet, depending on the variety, it acts as a daily dish and as a rare delicacy. Snacks and breakfasts are prepared with cheese, added to pastries and baked with vegetables and meat. It is difficult to imagine a person who has never tasted any of the varieties of this product.

Many young mothers have a choice: to give or not to give cheese to their baby. On the one hand, dairy products are recommended in the children's menu, and on the other hand, cheese is a rather difficult product for digestion.

Whatever the type of cheese, they are all made from natural milk. Special enzymes are added to it that allow the liquid to curl and form a denser substance. Soft varieties are prepared in just a few hours, and solids can be kept in a special brine for several years.

Caloric content of fermented milk product can vary from 110 to 420 kcal per 100 grams, depending on the variety. The protein content is from 7 to 30 g, fat from 4 to 33 g, and total carbohydrate from 0 to 20 g. The brackish delicacy has many useful substances. For example, a large amount of vitamins of group B, vitamins A, C, D, E and PP. Many micro and macronutrients, such as iron, potassium, calcium, selenium, zinc and iodine. In addition, it contains fatty acids such as pantothenic. And, of course, milk protein casein.

There are many reasons why this product can be introduced into the children's diet as early as possible. But not earlier than the age of 12 months.

• 100 g of cheese contains more protein than animal meat. In addition, casein is absorbed by the body of a one-year-old child better than animal protein.
• Many babies under 24 months often have indigestion and even allergic reactions to natural milk. So that the baby gets all the necessary vitamins and trace elements, you can add hard cheeses to his diet. Most often, the stomach and intestines of the child react less acutely to this fermented milk product.

• Any dairy products is a rich source of calcium, which is so necessary for the normal formation of the bone skeleton and for the growth of the baby. Calcium directly in cheese is more than in curd at least 10 times. And to taste and structure, its use is much more pleasant.
• The development of internal organs and muscle tissue of the little man contributes to the high content of vitamins and amino acids, in a large number contained in various cheeses. Phosphorus and zinc are beneficial for the nervous system and the formation of brain cells.
• The high calorie and nutritional value of the cheese allows you to quickly recuperate after a long activity of the baby. This is especially true at a time when he learns to walk, and parents begin to engage with him in the first exercise or outdoor games.

In the diet of one-year-old child, you can enter only hard varieties, and soft and melted cheeses are better to be postponed until reaching 2-3 years, since there are less nutrients in them, and their digestion is still too difficult for such a small organism. Unfortunately, this innovation will not be useful for any child. There is a list of certain diseases in which experts recommend to refrain from the use of this fermented milk product:

• with individual lactose intolerance;
• with pyelonephritis and other diseases of the kidneys and urinary system;
• both with increased and with low acidity;
• with hypertension and problems of the cardiovascular system.

It is not necessary to try to feed the child with cheese before they reach 12 months - this is not recommended unanimously by all pediatricians. The fact is that in infancy, the digestive system is still unable to cope with such a complex fermented product, no matter how useful properties it may have. However, it is also not necessary to wait strictly before the birthday.The first feed can be carried out at approximately 11-13 months in stages.

At the first stage, you can offer the child a very tiny piece weighing 2–3 g. Do not try to force the child to swallow cheese, if he did not like the taste or texture. Also, do not succumb to the whims and give the first time too much of a portion, no matter how much the baby asked for supplements. The next day or two days later the portion is allowed to increase by 2 times. It is necessary to observe more closely the chair and the state of health of the child during periods of such tastings., to instantly track the deterioration of health or allergic reaction.

The last stage of the introduction of cheese in the diet of the child is a gradual increase in the amount of the product to the daily requirement. Up to three years, this rate is about 10 g of the product, and preschoolers can already eat about 50 g of hard cheese.

At the first lure and up to 2–2.5 years old, the baby is best served with low-fat cheese with low salt content and without spices. The product should not be smoked or half-smoked, its fat content should not be more than 50%. In the first year it is best to feed the baby with varieties Maasdam, Gouda or Russian. You can choose softer varieties, such as “Creamy” or “Smetankovy”, the main thing is that it is not melted.

After reaching the age of 2, more salty, pickled cheeses can be entered into the menu, for example, Mozzarella or Suluguni. With a deficiency of potassium, you can add to them "Emmental" or "Cheddar".

Many kids love to use different cheeses in their natural form or as part of small sandwiches. But sometimes you want to pamper your baby with something useful, but unusual.

Soft cheese varieties are perfect for making a delicate creamy souffle. Of the ingredients required:

• 4 chicken eggs;
• 30 g butter;
• 70 g grated soft cheese;
• 1 tsp honey;
• 0.5 tbsp. Spoons of sifted wheat flour.

The first step is to prepare a sauce of honey, butter and flour. 10–15 g of oil is heated in a small ladle, honey and flour are added to it. The mixture is cooked to thicken with constant stirring. Add the yolks mixed with 50 grams of grated cheese to the prepared sauce. To soft cheese easier to grater, it can be pre-put in the freezer. Squirrels are whipped in a separate container and injected into the egg-cheese mass with a spatula or spoon. The form is smeared with the remnants of butter and poured with a mixture of all products, sprinkled with the remains of grated cheese on top. Souffle is baked at 180 degrees for 15–20 minutes, served slightly cooled, but not cold.

One of the most useful eggs for a baby are quail eggs. The omelet made from them is very tender and airy, and the cheese will give it a special aroma and taste. For cooking you will need:

• 4 quail eggs;
• 50 ml of medium fat milk;
• 1 teaspoon wheat flour;
• 15 g of hard cheese (for children from 3 years old, you can use Parmesan, for younger children it is better to limit to Dutch);
• vegetable oil;
• salt to taste

Eggs should be washed, broken into a deep dish and salted. Pour in the milk and whip with a mixer or whisk by hand. In the whipped mass gently mix the flour, leaving no lumps. Grease the omelette form with sunflower or olive oil, pour out the egg mixture and put in the oven preheated to 160 degrees for 5 minutes. Sprinkle the semi-finished omelette with grated cheese on top and leave to bake for another 5–7 minutes until the cheese chips melt on its surface.

Cheese is a healthy ingredient in the children's menu. It is rich in protein, calcium and various vitamins.For babies under two years old, it is better to limit to simpler varieties, and preschoolers can be given to try more refined tastes. With all its benefits, the amount of this fermented milk product should remain very limited. Still, cheese should be for the child a kind of delicacy, and not a daily food product.

In the next video, Dr. Komarovsky will tell you when, what and how much fermented milk products can be given to a child without harm to health.