Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Cow's milk: When and how to introduce it -2

How much milk should my toddler drink?


Your 1- to 2-year-old child should drink 16 to 24 ounces of whole milk a day. While you'll most likely have to work to make sure he meets the requirement, keep in mind that it is possible for him to drink too much milk.



If your child drinks more than two to three glasses of milk during the day, he may not have room at dinner for the other foods that he needs to round out his diet. (He needs plenty of iron-rich foods like leafy green vegetables and meat, for example, because milk does not contain iron.) So if your toddler's thirsty, get him in the habit of drinking water throughout the day, too.

Can I give my toddler fat-free or reduced-fat milk?

In most cases, not yet. While we adults strive to eat and drink lower-fat versions of our favorite foods, it's important that you start your child out with whole milk, not lower-fat varieties.

That's because he needs the higher fat and caloric content for his growth and development right now. In fact, for children under 2 years old, fats should make up about half of the total caloric intake for the day. Once your child has another birthday — and doesn't have any growth problems — you may decide to switch to reduced-fat or nonfat milk.

Possible exceptions: If you’re overweight or obese, or have a family history of obesity, high cholesterol, or cardiovascular disease, your child’s doctor may recommend starting now with reduced-fat milk.

What if he's made the transition but just doesn't like milk?

Meeting the minimum requirement of 16 oz. can be a challenge if your child doesn't care for milk. While chocolate milk does add sugar to your child's diet, it has the same amount of calcium and other important vitamins and minerals as plain milk. Better yet, try a powdered flavoring — just a small amount will provide less sugar than preflavored milks. Some varieties (like Ovaltine) contain added vitamins and minerals, too.

Keep in mind that there are many ways to sneak milk into your child's diet. Serve him puddings, custards, and shakes for snacks. Make his soup with milk rather than water, and add a milk-based sauce or gravy to casseroles.

What if he absolutely refuses? Or if we're vegans?

If your child won't let a drop of milk cross his lips or he can't tolerate it because of an allergy or your family is vegan, you'll want to be very conscientious about making sure he gets all the calories, protein, calcium, vitamin D, and other vitamins and minerals he needs. Your child's doctor or a nutritionist can help. So might these tips:

Some plant foods, like dark green leafy vegetables, broccoli, blackstrap molasses, and brussels sprouts, contain calcium. So do pinto beans, figs, tofu made with calcium, and calcium-fortified fruit juice. These foods don't provide all of the vitamins found in milk, though. They contain no vitamin D, for example, so if your child doesn't drink milk, you'll want to make sure he takes a vitamin or multivitamin that contains 100 percent of the vitamin D he needs. Also keep in mind that these are not easy substitutions — it takes 4 cups of broccoli to provide the same amount of calcium as 1 cup of milk, for instance.

Some cereals are fortified with vitamin D. Check the labels.

Soy milk can substitute for cow's milk, but check the labels because not all varieties have the same nutritional value. Some are fortified with vitamin D, vitamin A, and calcium, while others aren't. The amount of calcium and other nutrients can also vary, so look for those that have the greatest nutritional value.

Yogurt is a great food for those who shun milk or are lactose intolerant. It has the same amount of protein and calcium as milk, but contains much less lactose, so most people who are lactose intolerant can tolerate yogurt. (Note that being lactose intolerant and allergic to milk protein are not the same thing.) Yogurt also contains bacteria that's healthy for the intestines.




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