Why is it "required" that the answer to that question's voting include a number other than zero? My children rarely drink cow's milk, though they will occasionally have dairy products it is nowhere near even 1 glass per day.
Wow! What a response! Just for the record, my "babies" are 20, 16, and 11, so we're far, far beyond the issues of what they drink as little ones. Back then, I nursed them--through toddlerhood. For those of you suggesting I do some research, well, I'm a trained midwife, have many friends who are nutritionists, and have done all kinds of research on the subject. We do NOT need dairy products for our calcium or vitamin D, though these nutrients are indeed essential. There are plenty of sources and supplements. However, I'm not against dairy--we have cow's milk in the house, and I love cheese. But we don't have anywhere near a glass of cow's milk a day. Personally, I have no problem with cow-based dairy, as long as it's organic (those fats someone talked about should NOT come with all the fat soluble toxins, antibiotics, and hormones involved with commercially raised cows--and that is a major reason for the early onset of puberty we are seeing in many girls these days).
My question was more a comment about the so-called "survey"--which to me seemed more like a push poll (something ostensibly to give a scientific answer, but really designed to influence people to do something). It seems like it would be impossible to get good stats if they were really interested in that, if they don't offer an option for "0-1" glasses per day.
If it bothers you that much, couldn't you just skip the question? I mean, it's something on the internet, right?
Dairy products build strong bones-the easy way to get it is to drink milk. I think it could be any limitation on the milk such as 2% or 1% or even a soy base. It does help. The only thing I can base this on is myself-as a child my grandfather gave me a glass of milk before each meal (yes my mom was mad because it slowed my food intake) but today at 60 yrs. my doctor tells me my bone density test says I have the bones of a 30 yr. old-so there you are. It worked for me. Any dairy product should be helpful.
That question BUGGED me too! Neither me or my older daughter can drink milk as we both have milk allergy. My youngest drinks breastmilk. My answer would be zero too. I was annoyed that wasnt an option as well. :)
Nothing wrong with that! We're the only species that habitually drinks the milk of another species and it's a little weird, honestly.
You don't have to drink cows milk to be healthy. There are TONS of other ways to get the same nutrients. I'm with ya on this one! I use cows milk for cooking, baking and to pour on cereal. Sometimes my kids get chocolate milk as a treat, but mostly, they're not drinking it. My kids are healthy and happy. They grow at a phenomenal rate in fact!! lol!
I too sometimes wonder who writes these survey questions. I don't like how they are slanted sometimes and aren't really giving you true choices. (a la the vote put to the people of Puerto Rico lately courtesy of your friendly neighborhood democrats....)
Rice milk for the guy and kiddo, soy for me. I think some of this (poll) has to do with dairy counsel sponsorship. I have a lactose intolerance issue and the guy has always preferred rice milk for as long as I know him. We eat well, my son and husband do cultured dairy, and we are all fine.
For what it's worth, I passed up the USDA subsidy for our preschool. A big reason is because children have to have a doctor's note if they don't drink dairy milk. I don't think it respects the families religious or personal preferences AND it's just a bit too nosy for me. I can't even begin to think of asking a parent "Could you get your doctor to say that your child has a "legitimate" reason for not having dairy?" Puh-leeze.
Glad I'm not the only bugged by this!
I also can't stand the chocolate milk question.
In our household, milk comes from my breasts and I'm not going to measure the milk I make in a glass. My oldest drinks cow milk and soy milk occasionally, but less than 2 glasses a week.
Years back, Mary Lou Henner stated in a book of her's,(I'm para phrasing) "the only reason for cow's milk is to make an 80 pound calf grow to an 800 pound bull in a short period of time"
My three year old has never had a glass of milk in her life. WHY!?! Because I dont like milk...the hub doesnt like milk....I can honestly say that to date, since the first of the year, we MAYBE have purchased 2, maybe three pints...AND EVEN THAT was for cooking.
Did I TRY milk with my daughter? Of course!!! I tried it all, chocolate, no chocolate, strawberry, no strawberry, warm, cold, HELL!!!, I even tried goats milk!!!! She drinks water....funny...isnt that what we humans are supposed to drink in the first place?
Thats my two cents, anyway.
M.
Your children need a certain amount of Calcium & Vitamin D everyday. Check with your dr. about how much your children need & find other things that they will eat/drink that have the Calcium & Vitamin D they need.
My boys love cows milk as my whole family does. My youngest went through a phase where he would only drink it with Ovaltine in it, now he just wants white milk.
It seems the 1st 3 or 4 replies are against cows milk & I am the opposite. I have a sweet tooth (choco-holic) & I must have my milk with my sweets.
God bless!
I would skip the question altogether rather than give a false answer. If there is a section for comments, write in that it is missing an option for zero.
As for nutrition, I am sure you already know how to get proper fat, calories, Vitamin D and Calcium. My daughter drinks a glass of milk maybe once a month. She doesn't care for it. I switched to goat milk and it still didn't make a difference. We now drink raw milk (goat or cow) and she will drink more of that than the store bought milk - I think it's a freshness issue. But, still she just doesn't desire it. We make sure we eat plenty of dark leafy greens, we do eat other dairy products, get at least 15-20 minutes of sun exposure each day we can and get healthy fats from salmon, nuts/seeds and avocados.
I love dairy and could never give it up. Raw milk is super healthy as all the healing properties are still in it, but even before we started drinking the raw milk, we still ate other dairy regularly. SO I am not anti-dairy. But, I am extremely confused why we are supposed to fatten up our children with a saturated fat food that is pumped full of artificial vitamins and minerals that our bodies don't easily absorb. My daughter is nearly 4 and nowhere near obese, but incredibly strong and healthy. She gets plenty of healthy fats for brain development and is truly scary smart, so it is possible to raise your child without cows milk as a form of liquid calories.
My sentiments exactly. We do not have cow's milk either except for in a recipe like mashed potatoes or mac and cheese...they will eat yogurt occasionally, but mostly tea and water...sometimes juice. we eat a very well balanced diet and get plenty of nutrients from our food sources rather than relying on animal sources for these things...lots of whole grains, plants, legumes, seeds nuts,etc...some fresh fish...but we do not drink milk. it is for baby cows.
Well, it's not the calcium or vitamin D that's the issue with this. If your kids are over 5 years, no worries, bc then it really is just about these 2 nutrients, which could just as easily be replaced by non-dairy means. However, because peoples brains are primarily made up of fat, it's suggested that kids under 5 years old get plenty of milk fat (usually from whole milk products),so that the rapidly growing brain isn't inhibited.
Ha ha! I love it! I was thinking the same thing too and it was annoying the heck out of me!!!! Thanks for the post! We NEVER drink cow's milk at our house...well, it goes in my coffee, but that's it!
Thanks for the laugh!
Mine doesn't either and I'm not too worried about it. We get Vitamin D from the sun each day and she eats plenty of meats/cheese/fruits & veggies so I figure what the heck. I don't buy into the "you have to drink milk to be healthy" theory.
Why are some moms so worried that your kids are malnurished? This was not a question about how to get calcium into a diet. I don't understand why there is no "zero" response listed. It totally skews the results because those kids who don't drink it are not going to get counted. My son never liked any milk other than mine and about a month ago I took him off dairy completely and his eczema has cleared up and his language and behavior have improved. Milk is not for everyone.
We don't really drink a lot of milk either. We live in a rural county that is the #1 milk producer in the US, and if you have ever driven by a dairy farm, it's revolting. You can smell the stench literally a mile away. I guess having been born and raised here, I've never really understood how anyone could think that milk is healthy. Yes, I know there are regulations about the milk being pasteurized, but these cows live in absolute filth. I don't see how an animal could produce healthy anything living in that kind of mess. I mean, I'm not totally against milk - one of my kids loves Cheerios in the morning, but I'd rather give them broccoli or spinach so they can get their calcium. And we live in the California sunshine, so vitamin D is not an issue for us.
Mom,
What are they drinking instead and how old are they? I think you need to do some research on the internet or in books to see other ways then can get dairy since the protein and calcium that milk provides is needed for their bodies; if not you could be harming their growth, by not insisting they eat more dairy products. Their little growing bones need it to stay strong. Not to offend you, but in we can't always let our children tell us what they will and will not eat or drink,in this situation you need to insist this changes and be the parent and not let them rule the roost. Good luck
How old are your children? Children are not baby cows so unless they are babies I wouldn't worry about it. My sister never drank milk but I was a milk drinker. It depends on the child - his/her tastes and/or dislikes. I would give them calcium supplementation though and lots of other foods have calcium in them. Be careful of the calcium supplementation because some don't break down in the body and you just waste money giving them the supplement. Get a good quality calcium, one where you know the toxins are NOT in the product, and they check the product throughout the manufacturing cycle to make sure the product is pure. There are very few products out there that have this criteria and most of them are not in the supermarkets. I would try the health food stores and even them are suspect.
N.
Health and Wellness coach
Haven't read other responses but don't let others tell you if they're not drinking milk, they're going to be malnourished or not gain weight. Let me tell you, I had twins born at 27 weeks and so after coming home and for the first couple of years calories were an important thing. Well, both had to do soy formula and switching to milk was so hard because it upset their tummies. One finally did switch and still drinks it, but the other never did drink it and still doesn't. The one that didn't is the smaller one, but she was always healthy and consistent with her growth and they are 9 yrs. old now and totally healthy. SO DON'T STRESS ABOUT IT AND DON'T LET PEOPLE TELL YOU YOUR A BAD MOTHER BECAUSE YOUR KIDS DON'T DRINK IT!!!!!
Please be careful and make sure they are getting their calcium in other ways. It is funny how against milk some of these moms are. Most of my kids are huge milkers, so is my husband. None of them are overweight or have any issues. To each their own i guess. I hate milk and i am paying for it BIG time with my teeth, bones and hair. I try to get my calcium in other ways. Like cheese :)
My kids aren't milk drinkers, either. I agree with another post that quoted from Marilu Henner. I'm not sure if that's where I saw it, but it wasn't just one source, anyway.....humans weren't meant to drink cow's milk. You'd think that would be more obvious with all the lactose intolerant people out there. If my kids want to, they get a glass of milk, but it's very rare. The milk we have is for cereal and cooking. We also have rice milk, which my kids (especially the toddler ) LOVE. We eat yogurt, cheese and drink orange juice. The reason I never pushed it was because if I had to drink a glass of milk, I'd probably gag.
I wouldn't worry about it too much. I'm assuming that your children go to the doctor regularly for check-ups, as long as he/she hasn't said they are lacking in calcium or vitamin d I think they will be fine.
I have never liked milk, even nonfat cow's, soy or rice milk. I must find enough nutrients somewhere though... I've (knock on wood) never broken a bone, I'm 24 and pregnant and my OB said by just being out in the sun a few minutes each day helps my body produce enough to help my baby also. So drinking milk isn't really as important as they stress it to be. :)
My kids rarely drink milk and I never did as a child. I'm 40 and was a rough tomboy who is still a klutz, and my boys are rough and tumble and no broken bones yet! We eat a fair amount of yogurt and cheese and other dairy products, but no one here is a milk drinker. You can get calcium a number of ways (including dark leafy greens and fortified juices like orange juice), so it's really not imperative that anyone drink milk!
We noticed that our son was not drinking much milk or eating dairy (around age 2 when we quit the bottle). We decided to make a family rule, "No treats until you have had 2 milks." (We did not specify the size of the milk). The intent was to get our kid to drink more milk. The actual benefit of it was that we cut way down on the treats, sugar and juices. My son is now 6 and asks for milk. He enjoys it. It is also nice to not get begging anytime we are near treats- he knows he can have a treat if he has had his milk- there is not debate about it.
I agree with the others though. If you don't want to feed your kid milk and can provide calcium in some other food source that is OK too. You are the best parent for your kids. All any of us want is healthy happy kids!
Hmmm. I'll be curious to know what people's answers are because my 20 mo. old doesn't drink any milk either. Our Dr. said that as long as she's getting some other whole milk forms of dairy and other good fats that it's not necessary. We tried to get her to drink it, but she won't unless it's in a bottle and we are DONE with those.
I'm not a big fan of milk myself, but my son does drink it and often. If your children aren't drinking it, you should probably encourage them to eat or drink other things with the necessary vitamins. Who doesn't love a good glass of orange juice, or frozen yogurt (or regular yogurt!), cheese and crackers, veggies, fruits, cottage cheese. As long as their diet is otherwise diverse, there really probably isn't an issue. I wasn't big on milk growing up, but most other dairy products.. bring 'em on!
I don't drink it, I just don't like the taste of it. My mother said even as a child I didn't like it. Our pediatrician recommends getting your daily dose of Vitamin D from the sun each day. My son doesn't like it either but he does get calcium from yogurt, cheese and calcium fortified juices. I will use milk for baking or cooking if it is called for. I think soy milk is nasty as well.
