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Parmesan

A small pinch, finely grated, adds big flavor to pasta and vegetables.

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

Quick answer

Babies can eat parmesan 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 parmesan by age

Parmesan for 6 months+: a pinch, finely grated into food

6 months+

A pinch, finely grated into food

Grate pasteurized parmesan very finely and stir a small pinch into warm mashed vegetables, pasta or risotto, or, once wheat has been introduced on its own, sprinkle a little over soft toast fingers and warm until melted. Check the bread label for honey, which isn't safe before 12 months. Parmesan is very salty, so a pinch is enough. Never give chunks, shavings or the rind.

Size
A small pinch of finely grated cheese stirred into mashed food, or melted onto soft toast fingers about the size of an adult finger, roughly 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in).
Check before serving
Rub the grated cheese between your thumb and finger. It should be fine and powdery, with no hard bits.

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 parmesan

  1. 1

    Check the label: choose parmesan made from pasteurized milk. If it doesn't say pasteurized, only use it cooked into a dish until steaming hot all the way through.

  2. 2

    Cut off the rind and grate the cheese very finely, using the smallest holes of the grater.

  3. 3

    Stir a small pinch into warm food, and let it cool. Don't add salt.

  4. 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

Start with a small pinch stirred into food. If there's no reaction, offer it again another day. Parmesan is one of the saltiest cheeses, so keep it to a pinch or a light sprinkle. Your baby decides how much to eat: stop when they turn away or close their mouth.

Common mistakes

Giving chunks, shavings or the rind

Parmesan is very hard, and the CDC lists hard foods and large chunks of cheese as choking hazards. Grate it finely, and throw the rind away.

Using a lot

Parmesan has about 1,180 mg of sodium per 100 g (about 3 g of salt), and babies under 1 should have less than 1 g of salt a day (NHS). Use a pinch for flavor.

Choosing shelf-stable grated parmesan

Grated parmesan sold in a tub or shaker can be saltier: about 1,800 mg of sodium per 100 g (about 4.5 g of salt). Grate your own from a block, and check the label.

Sprinkling unpasteurized parmesan on food

Cheese made from raw milk can carry listeria and other germs. Choose one labeled pasteurized, or cook unpasteurized cheese into a dish until steaming hot all the way through. Sprinkling it on warm food is not enough.

Where US and UK guidance differ on parmesan

United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting

The CDC lists hard cheese such as parmesan among safer choices for children under 5. The FDA counts pasteurized extra hard grating cheeses such as parmesan as low risk, and unpasteurized hard cheeses as high risk, so check the label.

United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting

The NHS says babies can have pasteurised full-fat cheese, including hard cheese, from 6 months, and its snack list from 12 months says to choose a lower-salt cheese. 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 allows unpasteurised hard cheese such as parmesan in pregnancy, but the baby page makes no such exception, so we follow the baby page.

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

Questions parents ask

Can parmesan be a choking hazard for babies?

Parmesan is a very hard cheese. Chunks and shavings are a choking risk, and the CDC lists large chunks of cheese as a choking hazard. Grate it finely and stir it into food. Stay with your child during meals.

Can babies be allergic to parmesan?

Parmesan is made from cow's milk, one of the most common food allergens. Milk products like cheese and yogurt can be introduced from around 6 months, a small amount at a time. Once your baby has had them without a reaction, keep them in your baby's usual diet. 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 a diagnosed milk allergy, don't offer parmesan unless their doctor says it's OK. 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 parmesan healthy for babies?

Rich in calcium and protein: 100 g of hard parmesan has about 1,180 mg of calcium and 36 g of protein. It is very salty, with about 1,180 mg of sodium per 100 g (about 3 g of salt), so a 5 g sprinkle has about 60 mg of sodium (about 0.15 g of salt), about a seventh of the NHS limit of less than 1 g of salt a day for babies, so under 1, keep to a small pinch.

Can babies eat parmesan?

Yes, from around 6 months, finely grated and in small amounts, if it's made from pasteurized milk. Stir a pinch into warm food. Never give chunks or the rind.

Is parmesan too salty for babies?

It's one of the saltiest 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 pinch for flavor fits, but don't add salt to the rest of the meal.

Is parmesan pasteurized?

Not always. Some parmesan is made from unpasteurized milk, so check the label. For babies and young children, choose one labeled pasteurized, or use unpasteurized parmesan only in a dish cooked until steaming hot. See the US vs. UK note below.

If your baby refuses parmesan

  • Many babies need 10 or more tries before they accept a new food. Keep offering it alongside foods they already like.
  • Try another form: stirred into pasta, risotto or mashed vegetables, or melted onto toast.
  • Parmesan has a strong taste. Try a milder cheese first, then come back to it.
  • 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 parmesan

  • Keep parmesan in the fridge, at 40°F (4°C) or below.
  • Hard cheese such as parmesan keeps for 6 months unopened and 3 to 4 weeks after opening. It can be frozen for 6 months. For shelf-stable grated parmesan, follow the label.
  • Cooked dishes with parmesan keep for 3 to 4 days in a covered container in the fridge. Reheat only once, to 165°F (74°C), until steaming hot, then let them cool before serving. Rice dishes are the exception: cool them within 1 hour, keep them in the fridge for no more than 1 day, and reheat them only once.
  • 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 parmesan?

Add it to your first 100 foods.

Recipes with parmesan

Spinach pesto pasta

From 12 months · 25 min

Helpful guides

Sources

  1. NHS: Foods to avoid giving babies and young children
  2. NHS: Your baby's first solid foods
  3. NHS: Foods to avoid in pregnancy
  4. NHS: Salt in your diet
  5. NHS: Food allergies in babies and young children
  6. CDC: Choking hazards
  7. CDC: Safer food choices for children under 5
  8. FDA: The dangers of raw milk
  9. ACAAI: Food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome (FPIES)
  10. USDA FoodData Central: Cheese, parmesan, hard
  11. USDA FoodData Central: Cheese, parmesan, grated
  12. USDA FSIS: How long can you keep dairy products like yogurt, milk, and cheese in the refrigerator?
  13. USDA FSIS: Leftovers and food safety
  14. Food Standards Agency: Home food fact checker
  15. NHS: Food labels
  16. NHS Best Start in Life: Storing and reheating food

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