my son loves milk...somehow its not doing good to him lately...so i will have to cut it down a bit...i want to make sure i dont cut on his nutrition...so how much milk and curd should be given to a 3yr old daily?
Milk is not required and most people have problems digesting cows milk and cows dairy. Its not necessary, so if he's having problems don't make him drink milk. My kids are 8, 5, and 3 and none drink milk on a daily basis. They use almond milk in their cereal and I do use organic milk to cook and bake, thats about it. They are healthy as horses because they get their calcium, vitamins, etc the old fashioned way... from healthy foods. :)
Hi M.---Hello to Iowa from an Iowa native! Hope you are well today.
I am a reformed milk drinker. About 7 years ago I started down a path of wellness education, taking a series of classes taught by a Naturopath who has her PhD in Nutrition. Cows milk is designed specifically for a baby cow to grow up into a 2 ton animal very quickly. It is one of the most allergenic foods known to man, especially with how 'conventional' milk is produced today. I know, it seems counterintuitive as we are told that it is nature's perfect food. But, encouragement to drink milk comes from the dairy industry and the USDA, a govt entity set up to PROMOTE US agriculture. It is NOT a health organization.
But, don't take my word for it. Please go to www.pcrm.org and put dairy in the search box. Two other websites I recommend are www.thechinastudy.com and www.notmilk.com. The Naturopath also warns against all dairy.
There are plenty of reasonable substitutes for drinking cows milk. There are lots of plant milks, almond, rice, coconut, hemp,soy and oat milk. All are fortified. I just drink a smalll amount of water with meals and use these plant milks with cereal and smoothies and I usually use plain soy for cooking. You will get lots more ABSORBABLE calcium from plants, such as broccoli, bok choy, kale, sesame seeds and legumes, without the fat and dangerous dairy proteins. Even skim milk is .5% fat.
Having said all this, I do get my husband goats milk yogurt for when he has breakfast. He mixes a small amount with granola and tops with chopped walnuts and fresh or dried fruit. I also use small amounts of greek yogurt when I can't do without sour cream. When I need a bit of cheese, like for tacos, I always use organic. I just heard a report from Dr. Pam about how the EPA won't allow the dumping of contaminated milk because the antiobiotic residues would pollute ground waters. But our govt allows us to drink the same the same milk. Seems a bit strange to me.
I hope this has helped. I would be weaning him from cows milk and have him start drinking more filtered water. If you want some ideas on how to insure a healthy nutritious diet, I can help there, with info I've learned from the Naturopath. There a a lot of great strategies that you can use to optimize the nutrition, diet and health of your entire family. Be well, D.
Generally I think 16 ounces is enough, but you can ask your ped and it can vary from day to day. If you think his eating is suffering because he's filling up on milk, don't give him milk until he's done eating.
Humans do not require cow's milk for nutritional purposes. Seriously.
Organic yogurt, cheeses, and many veggies are very high in calcium.
Our pediatrician always told us to limit milk intake (I seem to recall 16 oz, but I can't be certain) as they get older. It really depends on the rest of his diet. If he is eating balanced meals, then he is most likely getting the nutrition that he needs. Many of the benefits from milk can also be found in cheese and yogurt (which my little ones love). You just need to watch the sugar content in most yogurts...
To get a professional answer you might google how much milk does a 3 year old need and you'll get the children's food pyramid and lots of other nutritional information on all foods.
Personal beliefs are good for the person who is going by them but when you need information that is realistic then you need to go to the professional.
Children's food pyramid web site:
http://www.fns.usda.gov/tn/kids-pyramid.html
How many servings of milk:
http://pediatrics.about.com/cs/agesstages/a/three_years.htm
What professionals are finding out is that when adults limit certain foods for their kids those kids grow up and eat those foods they were not allowed as children and they do not eat healthy at all, they pig out on unhealthy foods and in the long run these ideals they are trying to teach their kids to do is rather backfiring in the long run.
Feed your children well balanced meals and don't allow lots of un-needed foods but don't cut those things out all together.
he really doesn't "need" milk at all if he is eating a balanced diet. same with juice for the record. humans as a biological being are meant to drink water, and eat healthy foods. that's it. all that other stuff is not necessary.
i wouldnt worry; milk is more harm than good in all reality. just make sure that he gets enough fruits and veggies of all colors; and the deeper/stronger the color the better. ;) i wouldnt worry about it; vegans are the most healthy people on the planet, and they never drink any milk at all! :): ) its not "normal" or "usual" but its possible. ;)
check out the china study
