Can babies eat cheese? Yes, yes and yes! Babies as young as 6-months-old (who can chew or gum small bites) can enjoy cheese, Tillamook Cheese of course! But just like any food you’re introducing to a baby for the first time, you have the yellow light:

• cut cheese into bite-sized pieces
• hold off if your baby has been diagnosed with a milk allergy
• watch for food allergy signs, which can be mild or severe (always call 911 during a severe allergic reaction)
• after introducing cheese for the first time, wait 3 days before moving on to your next new food (this will help detect a possible allergic reaction to cheese)
• consult with your doctor if you have any questions, concerns or uncertainty about introducing cheese to your baby

So why can your baby eat Tillamook Cheese before milk, which we’re instructed (by most health care providers and pediatricians) to hold off on introducing to our baby until they’re 12-months-old? Because the culturing process that the cheese goes through makes cheese easier to digest and helps reduce lactose. Also, Tillamook Cheese is pasteurized and, therefore, will not be potentially contaminated with a dangerous bacteria called Listeria monocytogenes.

I chomped at the bit for my little guy to get some of his own chompers so I could bring Tillamook into his life. He just turned a year old and he’s an authentic Tillamook Cheese baby!

For some information on cheese during pregnancy, click here.