My 14 month old daughter just does not seem to like milk. She used to drink her bottles made with formula just fine, but won't hardly drink any milk now, even if I give it to her in a bottle. She loves cheese and likes yogurt pretty well. She eats any vegetable I give her. Does anyone know how much calcium she needs? In other words, if she has a day where she won't drink ANY milk, how much cheese and yogurt should I try to get her to eat?
As much as you can you can give her. Talk to your doctor or a dietitian about it and sources of it. Also try whole milk (it is only 4%- verses 2%), soy milk, rice milk, goats milk. Any thing you can think of. Try chocolate flavoring. She may be allergic to cows milk and telling you in her behavior.
Calcium can come in vegetables as well as milk products. Your pediatrician will probably tell you that she needs the milkfat in whole milk during this year. My dr always says to offer 1/2 cup of milk per snack/meal and that getting the calcium from other sources is just fine. If she will take children's vitamins, she can get some through those as well.
Cheese can make my children constipated so be careful of that.
Hi L.,
I'm not sure how much they need, but wondered - have you tried to flavor the milk? I had to do that with my kids. I gradually put less and less Nesquik (chocolate or strawberry) in it and then they drank it just fine.
Personally, I'm not a big fan of milk either, but love it when it's got a hint of chocolate ;)
Americans eat so much dairy and have high rates of osteoporosis anyway. What I understand is that the best sources of calcium are vegetables like green leafy vegetables. I know a 40 year old with loose front teeth who can get them to tighten up within 48 hours with two things: vitamin D and leafy greens. Milk/Cheese-->loose.
A friend of mine's daughter went through this after weaning..wouldn't touch cows milk. Well, it happened to be over the holidays when my friend discovered her daughter LOVED eggnog!! So, my friend would thin it down with 2 percent. It was an extra form of calicum, and her Doc said that was fine, just not too much, and thinned down was better.
I have this problem with my now 2 1/2 year old, as soon as she was done with the bottle she refused to drink milk except if I occasionally gave her chocolate milk or strawberry. I brought this up to the dietician at the WIC office at our last appointment and she said that they actually get very little of their calcium from milk and not to worry, just make sure to offer lots of alternatives such as you already are, and they will get the calcium they need, she says that toddlers do a pretty good job of taking care of these needs as long as the good foods are offered to them.
I would not worry. Unless you child is now a baby-cow she doesn't need cow's milk to grow properly. The milk campaign is mostly untrue and sponsored by the dairy industry to increase sales. I never gave my son milk and he's perfectly healthy. People don't even process 70% of the calcium in pasteurized milk because the essential enzymes for digestion have been killed. Simply feed her lots of fruits and veggies and she'll be healthier for it.
