How Much Milk for 13 Months Old?

Jin,
If she has a varied diet, you shouldn't worry. Dairy is probably the worst way to put calcium in your diet since pasteurized milk products have been altered by the process as to render the calcium almost unusable by the human body. Water is still the best way to hydrate. Avoid juice if you can, as it's not necessary for hydration, or nutrition.

Here are some options for calcium rich foods to add to her diet if she's not already eating some of them. Keep in mind the suggestions to avoid certain foods until appropriate ages. Also, organic sources are always best if they can be had.

The calcium contained in leafy green vegetables is more easily absorbed than the calcium in milk, and plant proteins do not result in calcium loss the same way as animal proteins do.

Calcium content of foods per 100-gram portion (100 grams equals about 3.5 ounces):

01. Human Breast Milk 33 mg (shown for comparison)

02. Almonds 234 mg
03. Amaranth 267 mg
04. Apricots (dried) 67 mg
05. Artichokes 51 mg
06. Beans (can: pinto, black) 135 mg
07. Beet greens (cooked) 99 mg
08. Blackeye Peas 55 mg
09. Bran 70 mg
10. Broccoli (raw) 48 mg
11. Brussel Sprouts 36 mg
12. Buckwheat 114 mg
13. Cabbage (raw) 49 mg
14. Carrot (raw) 37 mg
15. Cashew nuts 38 mg
16. Cauliflower (cooked) 42 mg
17. Swiss Chard (raw) 88 mg
18. Chickpeas (garbanzos) 150 mg
19. Collards (raw leaves) 250 mg
20. Cress (raw) 81 mg
21. Dandelion Greens 187 mg
22. Endive 81 mg
23. Escarole 81 mg
24. Figs (dried) 126 mg
25. Filberts (Hazelnuts) 209 mg
26. Kale (raw leaves) 249 mg
27. Kale (cooked leaves) 187 mg
28. Leeks 52 mg
29. Lettuce (lt. green) 35 mg
30. Lettuce (dark green) 68 mg
31. Molasses (dark-213 cal.) 684 mg
32. Mustard Greens (raw) 183 mg
33. Mustard Greens (cooked) 138 mg
34. Okra (raw or cooked) 92 mg
35. Olives 61 mg
36. Oranges (Florida) 43 mg
37. Parsley 203 mg
38. Peanuts (roasted & salted) 74 mg
39. Peas (boiled) 56 mg
40. Pistachio Nuts 131 mg
41. Potato Chips 40 mg
42. Raisins 62 mg
43. Rhubarb (cooked) 78 mg
44. Sauerkraut 36 mg
45. Sesame Seeds 1160 mg
46. Squash (Butternut) 40 mg
47. Soybeans 60 mg
48. Sugar (brown) 85 mg
49. Tofu 128 mg
50. Spinach (raw) 93 mg
51. Sunflower Seeds 120 mg
52. Sweet Potatoes (baked) 40 mg
53. Turnips (cooked) 35 mg
54. Turnip Greens (raw) 246 mg
55. Turnip Greens (boiled) 184 mg
56. Water Cress 151 mg

Best of luck,

Rolinda
Wife, Mother, Friend

The most important aspect is the fats, so make sure whatever dairy she does get is full fat. It's crucial until at least 2 years of age for brain development. Calcium and vitamin D and all that can be gotten from other sources, but it's really hard to approximate the proper type of fats.

I was told by a nutritionist at the WIC office that children as young as your daughter only needs between 8-12oz a day. When my daughter was 13 months, she was drinking 16oz and they told me to cut back, so according to WIC, your child is drinking the perfect amount.

My daughter weaned from the breast at about 13 months. She would not take ANY kind of milk - not one drop. We tried any kind we could think of....soy, rice, dairy, chocolate, etc. She didn't want any parts of any of it. She ate plenty of cheese and yogurt so we just gave up. Probably around 20 months she decided that she liked soy milk. She went through a phase of drinking a lot but now will drink probably 1 cup or so a day. We offered dairy milk to my son around 1 year - he gagged and spit it back out at me! So we gave up on that again. He had an allergic reaction to cashews around 17 months and was still nursing, but couldn't for 48 hours because I had also eaten the cashews. He started drinking soy milk at this time and he's completely addicted to it still. We use a half gallon container in about 1-2 days between the 2 kids. My daughter is now almost 3.5 and my son will be 2 this week.

Does she eat cheese, yogart or other dairy products.
If she's getting calcuim from other sources don't worry.
My son is lactose intolerent but he gets his calcuim from other sources. He LOVES Almond Breeze (milk free milk)
OR
Try adding a little ovaltine via chocolate milk. Not all the time cause the child is small. But my son doesn't eat veggies AT ALL so I have to find ways for nutrients via, nutra pals, ovlatine, daily vitamin.

Good Luck
N.

My Dr would tell you to try other calcium related products like cheese and yogurt...She is definately old enough for yogurt and she might like it. You might want to try pudding...i did that with my son when was younger and woudn't drink much milk.

Good luck!

My experience is that my oldest wouldn't drink a lot of milk either. I started using strawberry mix and she will drink all the milk I give her. Same with my twins. Try flavoring her milk with strawberry mix or chocolate syrup. Otherwise I think she is getting enough. Also try and give her more cheese or yogurt.

Good luck.

peds say between 16 and 24 oz. in reality if she eats cheese, yoghurt (milk products) you shouldn;'t worry whether she is drinking enough milk. but she does need fluids so make sure she drinks plenty of water, or dilluted with water juices.
good luck
vlora

Hi Jin~
My 20 month old son is the same way. Ever since we switched him from the bottle to a cup he has lost interest in milk. If I'm lucky he'll have 4 oz. a day. The doctor suggested to keep offering milk despite his lack of interest and also give him yogurt and cheese, another source of calcium. He also takes a liquid vitamin every morning. My son, like your daughter, is also very healthy, happy, and developing as he should.
Hopefully this helps. Good Luck!
~E.

Don't force more milk on her if she won't take it. It would just be pointless. Make sure you offer her plenty of other dairy and sources of calcium and vitamin D. My son barely drinks milk and my doctor said maybe he is not a milk drinker but because he gets enough calcium from other sources and enough dairy to not worry. (I can't drink anything but lactaid and I didn't really drink the milk from school lunches. My son is the same way. He would only drink Prosobee- a soy milk formula after I switched from breastfeeding.)

Just check with her doctor as to any concerns they might have and any suggestions. I wouldn't worry though