When can babies eat feta?

From around 6 months, once your baby is ready for solids, served in a safe shape and texture for their age.

Feta

Tangy, crumbly and full of flavor, so a little goes a long way.

Checked against official guidance on October 18, 2026 · How we review

Quick answer

Babies can eat feta from around 6 months, once they show signs of being ready for solids. Prepare it as shown below.

From 6 monthsMedium choking risk as servedAllergen: Milk

How to serve feta by age

6 months+

Crumbled and mashed into food

Crumble a little pasteurized feta very finely and mash it into warm mashed potato, sweet potato or pasta. You can also mash it with a little breast milk or formula into a soft paste and smear it thinly on soft-cooked vegetable fingers. Feta is very salty, so keep it to a small amount.

Size: A small amount, finely crumbled and mashed into a soft food, or spread on soft-cooked vegetable fingers about the size of an adult finger, roughly 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in).
Check before serving: Squash the mashed feta between your thumb and finger. It should spread into a soft paste, with no firm lumps.

US and UK advice differ here. The AAP suggests mashed food or soft pieces no larger than ½ inch; the NHS suggests soft finger-sized pieces your baby can hold in their fist. Both agree the food must squash easily.

Always have your child sit upright in a high chair or at the table, and stay with them the whole time they eat. Keep to the size and texture for their stage. Every baby develops on their own timeline.

How to prepare feta

1
Check the label: choose feta made from pasteurized milk, especially from markets, delis and farm shops.
2
Crumble it finely with a fork. For young babies, mash it into a soft paste with a little breast milk or formula.
3
Mash it into warm food, or crumble it over soft food cut to your baby's size. Don't add salt.
4
First time? Pick a day your baby is well, at home, when you can watch them for a couple of hours afterward.

How much to offer

For the very first taste, offer a small amount: about a teaspoon of crumbled feta mashed into food. If there's no reaction, offer more next time. Feta is very salty, so keep portions small and pick it as an occasional flavor rather than an everyday cheese. Your baby decides how much to eat: stop when they turn away or close their mouth.

Common mistakes

Serving cubes

Firm cubes of feta can be hard to manage, and the CDC lists large chunks of cheese as a choking hazard. Crumble it or mash it into food.

Using a lot

Feta has about 1,140 mg of sodium per 100 g (about 2.9 g of salt). Babies under 1 should have less than 1 g of salt a day (NHS), so a small amount for flavor is enough.

Not checking it's pasteurized

Cheese made from raw milk can carry listeria and other germs. Check the label says pasteurized, or cook the cheese into a dish until steaming hot all the way through.

Forgetting the other salad foods

Uncut cherry tomatoes are on the CDC choking hazard list, and olives are small and round too. Quarter cherry tomatoes and pitted olives lengthwise.

Where US and UK guidance differ on feta

United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting

The CDC lists feta among safer cheese choices for children under 5, and its listeria advice names feta made with pasteurized milk. Soft cheese made from raw milk, such as queso fresco, is a riskier choice.

United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting

The NHS says babies can have pasteurised full-fat cheese from 6 months, choosing lower-salt options. It says many cheeses are made from unpasteurised milk and it's better to avoid these because of listeria, though they can be used in a cooked recipe. The NHS pregnancy page lists pasteurised feta as safe.

We cover US and UK guidance in detail. Elsewhere, check your national health service's advice too.

Questions parents ask

Can feta be a choking hazard for babies?

Crumbled feta is soft and easy to manage, but firm cubes are a choking risk: the CDC lists large chunks of cheese as a choking hazard. Crumble feta or mash it into food. Stay with your child during meals.

Can babies be allergic to feta?

Feta may be made from sheep's, goats' or cow's milk: the label says which. Milk is one of the most common food allergens, and people with an allergy to cow's milk may also be allergic to sheep's and goats' milk (ACAAI), so feta isn't a safe swap for a child with milk allergy. Milk products like cheese and yogurt can be introduced from around 6 months, a small amount at a time. Most reactions start within minutes to 2 hours, but with cow's milk allergy, symptoms can take up to 3 days to appear. If your baby has eczema or another food allergy, or there's a family history of food allergies, eczema, asthma or hay fever, the NHS says to talk to your GP or health visitor first.

Is feta healthy for babies?

A source of calcium and protein: 100 g of feta has about 490 mg of calcium and 14 g of protein. It is very salty, with about 1,140 mg of sodium per 100 g (about 2.9 g of salt), so 10 g of feta has about 0.3 g of salt. It is not a source of iron.

Can babies eat feta?

Yes, from around 6 months, if it's made from pasteurized milk. Crumble it finely and mash a small amount into food. Because it's salty, keep it to small amounts.

Is feta too salty for babies?

It's one of the saltier cheeses. The NHS says babies under 1 should have less than 1 g of salt a day, and 1 to 3 year olds no more than 2 g. A teaspoon mashed into food fits, but don't add salt to the rest of the meal, and choose lower-salt cheeses for everyday use.

Is feta safe for babies, or is there a listeria risk?

Feta made from pasteurized milk is on the CDC's list of safer cheese choices for children under 5. Cheese made from raw milk is riskier, so check the label, especially for imported or market feta.

Is feta OK if my baby has cow's milk allergy?

Not unless your allergist says so. Even feta made only from sheep's or goats' milk can cause a reaction, because these milks are similar to cow's milk. Talk to your pediatrician or allergist first.

If your baby refuses feta

Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
Feta is tangy and salty. Try mashing a very small amount into a food your baby already likes, such as mashed potato.
Try a milder cheese first, like ricotta or mild cheddar, then come back to feta.
Eat some yourself at the same meal. Babies copy what they see.

Never force or pressure your baby to eat. Some days they'll eat more, some days less, and that's normal.

Buying and storing feta

Keep feta in the fridge, at 40°F (4°C) or below, and use it by the date on the pack. Once opened, follow the label's advice on how many days it keeps.
Cooked dishes with feta keep for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge.
They can be frozen for 3 to 4 months. Reheat only once, to 165°F (74°C), until steaming hot, then let them cool before serving.
Throw away any food left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours (1 hour if it's hotter than 90°F / 32°C).

When to talk to your doctor

Contact your pediatrician, GP or health visitor if:

Your baby has had any reaction to milk products, even a mild one. Stop offering them until you've talked to your pediatrician.
Your baby vomits a few hours after eating dairy. This can be FPIES, a delayed type of food allergy that milk can trigger. If they vomited once or twice and seem alert and like themselves, call your pediatrician or GP. If they vomit again and again, or are pale, floppy, very sleepy or hard to wake, call your emergency number.
You notice mild signs of an allergic reaction after eating, such as a few hives or a little vomiting. See signs of a reaction.
You're worried about how much your baby eats, their growth, or they refuse most solid food for weeks.

Call 911999your local emergency number (such as 112 in Europe or 000 in Australia) now if your baby has trouble breathing, wheezing, can't cough or cry, has lips, mouth, tongue or throat that suddenly swell, or becomes pale, bluish, floppy or unresponsive. Also call if hives come with repeated vomiting.

Offered feta?

Add it to your first 100 foods.

Helpful guides

Sources

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