Whole Milk for Toddler

I switched my son from formula to milk at 12 months. I started mixing half milk & half formula as he would not take milk all by itself at first and gave him more milk & less formula every few days until he was drinking just milk. He gets a 6 oz. bottle at nap time & bed time. For everything else that he drinks he gets a sippy cup. During the day he gets pretty much as much water as he wants. When he has juice it is always 1 part juice to 2 parts water. I do not think that kids need all the sugar that comes with juice, even though it is natural sugar. I try to not give too much fluids before any meal so that they can get full with food instead of juice/water/milk. I always give my son a cup of juice/water with every meal. If your daughter is thirsty, I say give her more water or diluted juice. Nothing wrong with being well hydrated. Plus since they are eating more whole foods they get vitamins from that. I try to always give my son a fruit or veggie with every meal. Cold apples & peeled cucumbers are great for teething children!! :)

Check out this link below...great chart and guide for feeding...I use it all the time.

Keep in mind that at this point that without BM, hydration is important so water is going to play a big part in that. But, don't let her get full on liquids before meals.

Talk to her Pedi if you have serious questions about diet and intake.

http://www.babycenter.com/0_age-by-age-guide-to-feeding-y...

Hi A.,
Another poster recommended giving your toddler lowfat milk, but toddlers should be drinking whole milk until the age of two, at least. The higher fat content is very important for brain development.

I've found that the website wholesomebabyfoods.com is helpful for all kinds of nutritional questions regarding kids!

Hi A.:
You'll get mothers who swear by whole milk,but my sons physician told me,when I first switched them from formula to whole milk,(never to give them whole milk)I was under the assumption,that whole milk gave them more nutritional value. He explained,that the only added value in whole milk verses 2% milk was (FAT) He said, that toddlers don't need that much fat.He explained, that milk with lower fat content had the exact nutrients as whole milk,minus the extra fat. She will consume plenty for her (Brain development) through the diet she eats. Besides, 2% fat in her milk is plenty for her brain. I wanted my sons healthy ,not over weight,or suffering high cholesterol by the time they were five. Toddlers will grow accustom to the (rich taste of whole milk and will fight the switch latter. Your daughter isn't going to ask for more than she can handle,but I would make sure she ate at her regular meal times,so as not to fill up on fluids. She will get into a habit,and it will create poor eating habits. I wish you and your darlin daughter the best.

For that age range, my doctor say to give whole milk and 24 ounces of dairy a day total. The 24 oz doesn't need to solely come from milk, it also includes cheese and yogurt. I try to go 3 - 6-7oz glasses of milk per day for my daughter.

I have always read the recommendation as giving whole milk to children between ages 1 to 2. They need the fat for brain development.

I'd say give her as much as she wants. If her tummy starts hurting then she'll drink less right? It's a whole lot better to drink milk than juice (and make sure to dilute that about 50/50- less sugar, more water) and soda! My 3 1/2 year old doesn't even like soda just because I never gave it to her. I honestly don't understand why young children are drinking soda anyways, but thats just me :)