D.M. asks from Brookline, MA on May 09, 2010
When to Switch from Yobaby to Regular Yogurt?
hi everyone--
my 14.5 month old daughter has been loving yobaby for a long time, but i was wondering when it would be okay to switch to regular yogurt (since the yobaby is so expensive). she eats greek yogurt, and my husband just bought trader joe's organic yogurt cups, which has .5 fewer grams of fat and 10% less calcium than the yobaby. she definitely gets a lot of calcium with cottage cheese, tofu and cheeses, plus her milk. what have others done? thanks!
So What Happened?™
looks like our yobaby era will be coming to an end-- thanks, everyone, for your responses!
Featured Answers
D.B. answers from Boston on May 10, 2010
I agree that so many products are marketed to babies when regular products work fine. I would watch the sugar content but be careful not to go to "light" versions that include aspartame. Also, barring a weight problem already, I don't think you should limit fat too much for babies and toddlers - putting them on too many light or skim products can be counterproductive. They do need a certain amount of healthy fats.
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R.M. answers from Nashville on May 09, 2010
I never did use YoBaby. I'm not sure what is supposed to make it better than regular yogurt. I used plain yogurt and added my own fruit. Buying organic plain or greek in the big carton and adding your own fruit is so much cheaper, and even if you have to add sugar, you can use so much less and it is just regular sugar, or you can even use honey instead.
2 moms found this helpful
H.W. answers from Lewiston on May 10, 2010
Yobaby is just regular whole milk yogurt packaged in small containers. There's nothing special about it. To save money, I just bought Stoneyfield Farms whole milk yogurt. My son didn't love plain yogurt (but it has almost 1/2 the sugar of other flavors) so I mixed plain with flavored to cut down on sugar but still give him the whole milk fat. Greek yogurt is another great option with good protein.
1 mom found this helpful
B.R. answers from Milwaukee on May 09, 2010
My kids always had "regular" yogurt...there was no yobaby when they were little.
1 mom found this helpful
J.C. answers from Anchorage on May 09, 2010
Once you know there is not a milk allergies, yogurt is fine. Mine have been eating it since they were 11 months.
1 mom found this helpful
K.E. answers from Boston on May 10, 2010
All that's necessary is that you use whole-milk yogurt because, before 2 years old, babies need the higher fat content for proper brain development. I buy large cartons of whole-milk plain yogurt and then add a little seedless jam (melt it and stir it in as a syrup), honey, or maple syrup.
My kids eat so much yogurt (and actually, I eat it as well) that I decided to get a yogurt maker. You can make yogurt with any type of milk and then strain it to get Greek yogurt if you like (if you do this, you end up with leftover whey from straining the yogurt, and you can replace water with whey when you're baking to enrich your breads and baked goods).
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S.D. answers from Indianapolis on May 09, 2010
Babies don't need "YoBaby" any more than they need jarred purees. Do they add sugar to the YoBaby? I never even looked. I bought plain, whole-milk yogurt and added a bit of vanilla and some fruit.
Anyhow, the short answer is, any time. You don't ever need to give the over-priced baby versions of foods. They can eat bits of adult foods from the begnining:)
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A.C. answers from Houston on May 09, 2010
You can switch any time...YoBaby isn't necessary at any point. My daughter never would eat it.
Greek yogurt is a great option...it comes in low and regular fat versions AND has more protein than other yogurts. Most brands have less sugar (and I've never seen one with HFCS...which I also believe is the devil). I also like that greek yogurt was thicker and my daughter could feed herself more easily with less mess.
D.M. answers from Boston on May 10, 2010
We just switched over to the TJs organic yogurt cups from the YoBaby and our daughter loves them. Definite cost savings.
I think the overall rule of thumb is after 2 years old kids switch to lowfat anyway.
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