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.
The current advice re: kids and milk consumption
The AAP's long-held recommendation, echoed by the current Dietary Guidelines for Americans, is that once weaned, a child should drink whole milk until age 2 and low-fat (1%) or skim after that.
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.
Whole cows' milk can be given as a main drink from the age of 1. Whole milk and full-fat dairy products are a good source of calcium, which helps your child build bones and keep teeth healthy. They also contain vitamin A, which helps the body resist infections and is needed for healthy skin and eyes.
Toddlers who are 2 years old should drink about 2 to 2.5 cups (16 to 20 oz) of cow's milk each day. At this age, you can start to switch your child from whole milk (which contains 4 percent fat) to low-fat (or 1 percent) or nonfat (skim) milk.
The current AAP recommendations suggest switching your toddler to whole milk at 12 months old if they are not going to continue breastfeeding. Then, switch to skim or low-fat milk when your child is two years old. However, if your child is already overweight, you will want to make the switch earlier (around 12 months).
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.
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.
Milk is an important part of a toddler's diet because it provides calcium and vitamin D, which help build strong bones. Most kids under age 2 should drink whole milk for the dietary fats needed for normal growth and brain development.
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.
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.
“Because fat is a source of calories, whole milk (152 calories in 1 cup) is higher in calories than 2% milk (122 calories in 1 cup).” However, both whole milk and 2% milk offer up similar amounts of beneficial protein, calcium, vitamin D, and phosphorus, Tamburello adds.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that parents wean their children off the bottle between 12 and 24 months of age. 1 Like so many aspects of a child's development, it's important to look at your child as an individual.
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.
For toddlers over 12 months, they advise limiting the intake of cow's milk to no more than 500ml (2 cups) in 24 hours. Water should be the main drink from 12 months. For good nutrition, toddlers need at least 1½ serves of dairy foods per day. They also have specific requirements for calcium.
Dairy products are an important part of a healthy, balanced diet and are especially great choices for teenagers. Here are some of the benefits thanks to the nutrients found in dairy… Milk, cheese and yogurt are rich in protein, and protein helps us maintain muscle mass.
It is important to let them know that fat-free and low-fat milk are excellent ways to get enough calcium without adding a lot of extra fat to their diet. An 8 ounce glass of skim milk has only 80 calories and zero fat and supplies 1/3 of a teenager's recommended daily calcium intake.
Teen guys and girls need 1,300 mg (milligrams) of calcium each day. Get it from: Dairy products. Low-fat milk, yogurt, cheese, and cottage cheese are good sources of calcium.
For children ages 2 through 18, nutrient-dense options within the dairy group include unsweetened fat-free and low-fat (1%) milk, yogurt, cheese, fortified soy beverages and yogurt, and low-lactose and lactose-free dairy products.
According to a study, babies that feed on breast milk have the highest level of DHA in their brains. The longer the baby feeds on breast milk, the higher the DHA level. According to World Health Organization (WHO), the ideal age of weaning is when the child is 2 years old.
12 months: After baby's first birthday, it is time to add whole dairy milk to help fuel brain and growth spurts. Breastfeeding can continue after 1 year if desired. Aim for 1 2/3 to 2 cups a day of milk, cheese and/or yogurt. 2-5 years: Switch from whole milk to low-fat or fat-free dairy 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.
To many people's great surprise (including me), there have been a large number of recent studies demonstrating that full-fat milk drinkers not only tend to be slimmer than those on lower-fat varieties, but also have a lower risk of metabolic syndrome – or raised blood pressure, elevated blood sugars and raised levels ...
Do babies and toddlers need cow's milk? No, though the American Academy of Pediatrics does recommend plain cow's milk for toddlers 12 months and older as a source of essential fat and nutrients, including calcium, vitamin D, protein, vitamin A, and zinc.