This common question has a complex answer. Milk is an important source of fats, protein, calcium, and vitamins A and D, and children of any age as well as adults can continue to drink it for the rest of their lives if they wish.
Toddlers can get all the nutrition they need by drinking cow's milk or a fortified soy drink and eating a variety of solid foods. When your child is 2, you can switch to low-fat or nonfat milk. Between 12 and 18 months of age is a good time to move to a cup.
Cows' milk
Semi-skimmed milk can be introduced once your child is 2 years old, as long as they're a good eater and they have a varied diet. Skimmed and 1% milk are not suitable for children under 5 years old because they do not contain enough calories.
General guidelines for how much milk a child each should drink are: 2 – 3 cups per day for children 12-24 months; and 2 – 2½ cups per day for children 2–5 years old. For children over 5 years old, the daily recommendations are 2½ cups to age 8, and then 3 cups for ages 9-18.
Healthy children over the age of 1 who have adequate nutrition intake during the day do not need to eat or drink overnight. In fact, children who drink milk between 7PM-6AM sleep less at night (1). If your 2+ year old child is asking for milk or food in the middle of the night it is most likely out of habit.
Too much milk can lead to health problems such as iron deficiency anemia and protein loss from the gut. While it is true that milk can be a great part of a healthy diet for children, too much milk can lead to health problems such as iron deficiency anemia and protein loss from the gut.
While some toddlers may still want milk right before going to bed (or even in bed) many sleep experts warn that giving in to these whims may encourage bad habits.
4-8 years – skim or low-fat dairy milk, up to two and a half cups a day. 9-18 years – skim or low-fat dairy milk, up to three cups a day.
Between the ages of 2 and 5, tots should drink about 2 to 2.5 cups of milk per day, and most should make the switch to low-fat (1 percent) or nonfat (skim) milk. Along with healthy fats, milk provides calcium, protein, vitamins A and D, and zinc.
Drinking too much milk can lead to picky eating, as we already discussed. It can also lead to iron-deficiency anemia. It is important to limit a toddler's milk to 2 cups per day or 16 ounces. When it comes to dairy, toddlers do not need more than 2-3 servings per day total.
Children can get protein from other foods but if your child does not drink milk, they may not be getting enough calcium and vitamin D. Children over 12 months of age need to get 2 cups (500 mL) of milk every day because it is the main food source of vitamin D and an excellent source of calcium.
Limit your child's cow's milk intake to no more than 500ml in 24 hours, and to reduce tooth decay avoid putting children to bed with a bottle of milk.
After your little one's first birthday, milk shouldn't continue to be part of his bedtime routine. When you drop the bedtime bottle, there's no need to replace it with anything. Milk before bed contributes to middle of the night wake ups and this is less than ideal.
So it's usually recommended that kids 1 to 2 years old drink whole milk. Then, if their growth is steady, it's safe to switch to low-fat or nonfat (skim) milk. Note: Kids at risk of becoming overweight can be switched to lower-fat milk before turning 2.
Offer milk in a different way
Try offering milk in a different way. Sometimes the novelty of a new way of drinking milk is enough to convince him to give it another chance. A different temperature. if he typically drinks milk ice cold, offer it at room temperature or warm.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Heart Association (AHA) recommend low fat or skim milk for children after 2 years old. What is this? The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) recommend the same — after 2 years of age, switch to low fat dairy products.
What happens when toddlers drink too much milk? Drinking too much milk can cause an imbalance in three ways: firstly, it is high in energy (calories); secondly, it contains a lot of calcium; and thirdly it contains little fibre.
And milk is a rich source of protein and calories, which is important for growing kids. Malnutrition is still a problem, even among children in the developed world. Picky eaters may struggle to get enough protein and calories in their diets, and milk is an easy, nutrient-rich way to deliver those calories, said Dr.
The longer you keep giving that bedtime bottle, the harder it seems to do away with it, for both you and your baby. Many experts recommend completely eliminating the bedtime bottle by their first birthday.
Over a few nights, gradually dilute the milk with water. Do the same for any bottles offered during the night. Generally within a night or two of just offering water, your toddler will realise that milk isn't an option and they will start to resettle them self and 'sleep through'.
It's good to wean children off the bottle by 12 months. You can use a gradual or an immediate approach to weaning off the bottle. Introducing a cup from 6 months can help your child wean off the bottle. If children get upset about weaning, a drink from a cup, extra comfort and quality time can help.
Sufficient nutrition intake help kids stay active throughout the day so that they have enough energy for not only cognitive but also physical activities – indispensable for optimal body growth. Drinking milk in the evening 2 hrs before sleep is advisable as kids' body absorb calcium best during sleep – according to Dr.
Drinking milk at night increases the chances of weight gain as metabolizing and digesting the protein and milk fats take time. A glass of milk has around 120 calories, this is one of the reasons why you must avoid drinking milk at night as the calories don't get burnt easily and this leads to weight gain.
If your toddler still wants to drink out of a bottle, make it part of your bedtime ritual instead of giving it to them when they wake up at night. Keep in mind that it's recommended to wean toddlers off bottles completely by 2 years old.