The Best Cheeses for Children

A Paediatric Dietitian's Guide to the Best Cheeses for Children at Different Developmental Stages, What Cheeses to Avoid, Why it Matters and My Top Package Cheeses for on-the-go snacks and lunch boxes.

Cheese can be one of those magical foods in a parent’s kitchen, easy to serve, packed with nutrition, and usually a hit with little tastebuds. But with so many varieties on supermarket shelves, it’s not always clear which cheeses are the best choices for babies, toddlers, and older children. This guide breaks it down simply, helping you choose nutritious, and delicious options to support your child’s growth and development.

Why Cheese Is a Winner for Kids

Cheese is a nutrient rich food that is great for supporting growth in children.

• Packed with calcium and phosphorus important for growing strong bones and teeth

• A good source of protein that provides the building blocks for muscles to support a child's growth

• A good source of fat for developing brains and meeting high energy demands of growth (especially important under age 2)

• Vitamin A for healthy eyes and immune function

• Vitamin B12 crucial for brain development

  
  

It’s also incredibly versatile, add it to toasties, pasta, serve with veggie sticks, in sandwiches, baked dishes, or simply on its own.

When Can Babies Have Cheese?

Most cheeses can be safely introduced from around 6 months of age when your baby is ready for solids, as long as they are pasteurised. Cheese is a common allergen (dairy), so once you know daily is tolerated, you can include cheese as a regular part of your baby's diet.

Choking Risk and Cheese

Cheese can be a choking risk or babies, especially cheese sticks and cubes of harder or firmer springy cheese. For babies 6-12 months choose soft cheeses like ricotta or grated hard cheeses.

What About the Sodium (Salt) Content in Cheese for Babies?

While cheese is nutritious, most varieties naturally contain salt because it’s used during the cheesemaking process. This doesn’t mean cheese is off-limits for babies, it simply means choosing lower-sodium options and keeping portions small is key in the first year.

The Best Cheeses for Babies (6–12 Months)

Ricotta

Creamy, neutral, and perfect for babies learning to chew. Mix it with fruit purée, add to pasta, or spread on toast strips.

Mild Cheddar (grated)

A great first “harder” cheese - just make sure the pieces are grated for safe eating, and this can also be mixed into foods.

Best Cheeses for Toddlers (1–3 Years)

As toddlers develop more chewing skills, you can expand their cheese world and introduce a few more textures and strengths. Cheese at this age can still be a choking risk especially cubes, chucks or rounds of harder cheese or firmer springy cheeses, serve cheese in slices, grated, or shredded.

Mild to Tasty Cheddar

A reliable, nutrient-dense family favourite. Serve grated, thinly sliced, or added into foods.

Fresh Mozzarella (packed in water or whey)

Stringy, melty, and fun for little hands, serve bite-size pieces cut from a thin slice.

Swiss Cheese

Gentle, nutty flavour with tiny holes that toddlers find fun. Easy to slice thinly for sandwiches or snack platters.

Paneer

Great for cooking. Its firm texture holds shape in curries, stir-fries, and baked dishes.

Cheese Sticks/String Cheese

Serve pulled apart or shredded for young toddlers, string cheese or cheese sticks can be a choking risk

Parmesan (fresh)

Use small amounts of fresh grated parmesan to flavour dishes or sprinkle over pasta

Best Cheeses for School-Aged Kids

By this age, children can enjoy a wider variety of flavours and textures. This is a great time to explore and expand their palate!

Tasty Cheddar

Still a top choice, nutritious, versatile, and a strong source of calcium and protein.

Colby / Jack Cheese

Mild, buttery, and melts easily, great for Mexican-style meals like quesadillas or burritos.

Feta

Crumbly and tangy. Try it sprinkled over roasted veggies, mixed into pasta salads, or added to omelettes.

Haloumi (served warm)

Chewy, salty, and delicious when grilled, serve small slices alongside veggies, pita, or dips. Great for adventurous eaters.

Parmesan (fresh)

Use small amounts of fresh parmesan to flavour dishes, sprinkle over pasta

Not All Cheese's Are Created Equal: Why it's Important to Check the Nutrition Label on Kid's Cheese

Some cheese slices, cheese spreads, cheese triangles, and individually wrapped “cheese snacks” may look child-friendly, but they are very different from real cheese. They’re often ultra-processed, made with more added salt, contain added preservatives, added food colourings, emulsifiers, and even flavour enhancers, and they contain less actual cheese! This means they offer fewer nutrients and more sodium compared to natural varieties of cheese like cheddar or mozzarella, neither of which is great for tiny tummies nor growing bodies.

What about low-fat cheese or light cheese

For most children - especially those under 2 years - low-fat or “light” cheeses are not recommended. Young children need the extra energy and healthy fats found in full-fat dairy to support rapid brain development, growth, and nutrient absorption. Full-fat cheese also tends to be less processed and contain less sodium which is also recommended for children.

It is perfectly healthy for children of all ages to eat regular, full-fat cheese!

What to look out for and avoid in ultra-processed cheese

Ingredients: Cheese (56%) [Milk, Milk Solids, Salt, Starter Culture (Milk), Rennet], Water, Milk Solids, Butter [Cream (Milk), Water, Salt], Emulsifiers (331, 339), Salt, Thickener (407), Acidity Regulator (330), Preservative (Sorbic Acid), Natural Colour (Carotene).

• Mostly avoid cheese's that are not 100% cheese, some cheese can be as low as 45% actual cheese, meaning more than half the product is added ingredients. On the ingredient list the percentage of cheese is listed.

Ingredients: Milk, Water, Milk Solids, Mineral Salts (339, 331, 341), Salt, Food Acid (270), Preservatives (200, 235), Butter or Cream or Milk Fat, Starter Culture, Enzymes, Colours (160a, 160b).

• Avoid cheese's that contain a list of additives like emulsifiers, added preservatives, thickeners and food colours, this means the cheese is ultra-processed, and some preservatives, food colours and additives may have negative impacts on children

  
  
  
  

• Ultra-processed cheese is also higher in sodium which is not great for tiny tummies. They typically contain >1100mg of sodium per 100g. This is nearly DOUBLE the amount of sodium found in a typical cheddar cheese, and more sodium than Feta (a well-known salty cheese)

  
  
  

  

  

  Examples of ultra-processed cheese.

My Top Packaged Cheese's Snacks for Kids

My top packaged cheeses for children, that are 100% cheese, a great source of protein and calcium for growing bodies and great for an on-the-go snack or in lunch boxes. Be sure to serve them in an age and stage appropriate way (remembering that chunks or rounds of firm cheese can be a choking risk for children under 3 years)

Examples of 100% cheese

Cheese	Ingredients	Sodium Content per 100g
Woolworths Natural Cheese Sticks	Cheddar Cheese (Milk, Salt, Starter Culture (Milk), Non-Animal Rennet)	650 mg
Bega Stringers	Milk, salt, enzyme (non-animal rennet), culture (milk)	700 mg
Woolworths Tasty Cheese Slices	Pasteurised Milk, Salt, Starter Culture (Milk), Non-Animal Rennet	652 mg
Bluey Craft Cheese Sticks	Pasteurised Milk, Salt, Cultures (from Milk), Rennet (Vegetarian)	747 mg
Coles Cheesey Peelers	Pasteurised Milk, Salt, Enzyme (Vegetarian Rennet), Starter Culture (Milk).	670 mg
Babybel 100% cheese	milk (98%), salt, bacterial culture (milk), microbial rennet	710 mg
Aldi Gouda Cheese Bites	Milk, Salt, Starter Culture (Milk), Non-Animal Rennet	673 mg
Aldi String Cheese Streamers (PINK PACK)	Milk, Salt, Starter Culture (Milk), Enzyme (Non-Animal Rennet), Starter Culture	649 mg
La Casa Del Formaggio Mozzarella Sticks	Milk, salt, Non-Animal Rennet, Starter Culture	626 mg

The Bottom Line

Cheese can be a wonderfully nutritious and enjoyable part of your child’s diet from soft, creamy options for babies to more complex flavours for confident eaters. Start with mild, pasteurised varieties, keep textures developmentally appropriate, and have fun exploring new tastes together.

Cheese is one of those rare foods that ticks the boxes for nutrition, convenience, and kid appeal so embrace it as part of a balanced, varied diet that supports happy, healthy eaters.

X Anna