When to Switch from Whole Milk for 2 Year Old

My Ped also told us that we could go right to skim. He said they will get enough fat from the other things that they eat.

Amy - we went from breast milk right to skim milk. My son was big and strong and didn't need the extra calories and fat. No problem with the transition and he LOVES it.

D. in milwaukee

My doctor said my 2-yr-old can drink whatever we drink now, which is skim. I think if he's underweight you should stick with whole or 2%, but if he's okay weight-wise, he can drink what you drink.

My doctor was fine with skim milk for our 2 year. In fact, I read that the new recommendations are to go lower due to obesity problems in children. The recommendation was to stay with higher fat if the child was low in weight.

Just like Diane, our boys went from breastmilk to skim milk, which I intro'd around 18mos when they were still nursing. Neither of them had whole milk.

I've even read conflicting advice about having your baby on whole milk in the first place (kids need fat for a developing brain, but they don't need saturated, animal fat; they need healthy fats) so unless there is a specific reason to keep him on whole milk, I'd think it would be fine to switch him at 2 years. Just keep the good fats coming!

Amy,

With my first son we did 2% because of what everyone said about additional fat. But we've gone to skim with my other 3 and truly, I haven't seen any difference. I think what really makes a difference is what your kids actually eat! (My pediatrician said it doesn't make a difference.)

Lisa - mom of 4 boys

Amy,
My twins went from whole to 1% (because that is what my husband and I drink). The Dr. said it would be fine since there were no weight/health issues with them.
(Our only issue is trying to find our very own cow with a huge milk supply!) =)
J.

I switched my son to 1% at 2, because thats what we drink. My doctors always said that was fine. I mentioned it to our new pediatrician and he recommended that we all drink whole milk. I thought that was funny. I can't drink it because I am mildly lactose intolerant and 1% is all I can handle, but I still thought it was interesting. The doctor said everyone in his family drinks whole milk. Go figure!!

Hi Amy,

Regardless of your son's current height/weight it's okay to switch him to skim now. If he's skinny and could benefit from calories, it's best to give those from a source other than milk. If he's normal or heavy then it shouldn't be an issue.

I say this because research NOW shows that ADULTS who drank whole/2% as KIDS were much less likely to switch to 1%/skim than adults who drank 1%/skim as kids. This was evident even if the adults health status changed so that skim milk was best for them. Switching to skim now will lead to a lifetime of skim milk consumption. :)

The doc and I didn't even discuss this when I took my twins for their 2 y.o. check up. He knows I'm about to graduate with a BS in Nutrition, so when milk came up I just told him we had already switched to skim and that was the end of it.

Good luck!

Our doctor told us it had to be 2%. They need it for brain development.

They usually recommend using 2% milk when you switch from whole. However, this does depend upon the growth of your child (how much they weigh, which percentile they are in).

When my daughter turned 2, my pediatrician was fine with her drinking 1% milk like me even though she is low in her weight range. She's petite boned so if you look at her, you can tell that she's not too thin. My doctor felt it was fine for her to eat the same way I do at that age so I don't see any reason why skim milk would get a thumbs down.

Angie

just a word of caution about the doctor's visit. i was told that my health insurance would not cover the 1-year visit until after she turned 1... check into it before going the day before he turns 2.

At our 2 year appointment the dr told us to switch to 2%, then lower after a while. She said the gradual change would be best, a sudden switch from whole to skim might make my dd stop liking milk.

My doctor suggested either 2% or 1% for my 2 year old. He said that having the little bit of milk fat in there was still good for his development as opposed to switching all the way down to skim.

I would do what you think is right for your son. My little guy is thin and really active. I kept him on whole milk because he only drinks about a cup and a half a day. I plan on switching to 2% around 3. I am hoping by then he will eat more fats, and drink more of the lower fat milk. Each kid is totally different. Unless the doctor has a good reason for what he says I think mom is the best one to make these decisions.

A.

you could switch any time now! :D just go for it.
you are the parent. as much as they push milk on our children, i would just take it easy. the fats in milk are NOT good for us by any means. we dont have to follow the doctors orders, vegans and vegetarians do just fine on their own.
milk companies have plenty of money, just like formula companies. what makes any of us think that milk companies dont pay doctors to push milk?
as long as you eat a healthy diet of veggies, fruits, WHOLE GRAINS and legumes (you know, beans....) you dont need anything else. :D

I don't even remember what my doctors said about it when our girls each turned 2, but I just switched them to 2% at that time. My son will be 2 in April and that's when we'll switch him to 2%, just like the rest of us. Ask your doctor, but I would switch to whatever you drink.

My daughter has been on skim since she was 1 per dr's recommendations. She is a bit heavy for her age and she didn't need the extra calories/fat. Our dr said in general most kids get plenty of nutrients including fat (for brain development) from other sources. Whole milk isn't usually necessary. He told me to just make sure the milk has vitamin A and D. I say, go ahead with giving your child the same milk as the rest of your family. I think some of the responders seem to have a negative view of their drs or drs in general. In my opinion bad drs who push certain drugs or products are the exception not the rule. Drs encourage milk because its an excellent healthy source of a lot of nutrients. Although vegans may be able to find the same nutrients in other sources, as a general rule, most families don't have the same eating habits as vegans,etc. I personally can't drink milk so I find the nutrients (calcium, etc) in other foods. It's the same for kids. Find the appropriate nutrients in whatever format the kids like. Good luck.

My ped never put mine on whole. At one, I started giving them 2%...they were always high in percentile too. I don't remember when we switched to 1%, which is what the rest of the family drinks. May have been at 2. Good luck!

I would assume it would be just fine to switch him to whatever you drink at 2. My ped. actually let us switch our daughter to 2% at 18months b/c she was in the 90th percentile for both height and weight and 2% is what the rest of the family drinks. You might have to gradually go from whole to 2% to 1% and then skim just to let your son adjust to the taste, but that shift shouldn't take more than a week or two. Good luck!!

It is really going to depend on where your little one is on the charts. Our son was strong on the charts (not over weight or anything but strong)so the doctor had told us when he turned 1 that we didn't have to do whole milk, skim was fine. The difference between whole milk and skim is 4% fat and 0% fat, that is all.

When my son turned two the doctor told us to switch him to whatever we were drinking and that skim was fine. Probably depends on the doctor and if your son is in the normal weight range.

they say that kids need more vitamin D now...

my son is 4 and he still drinks whole milk...then again so do I, but my husband drinks skim...

They would still recommend whole milk if your toddler is under weight. Otherwise you should be able to switch to skim. It really depends on the child. Two of mine were able to and one was kept on whole milk because she was so little.

With both of my boys, the dr. told me they can have any kind of milk when they are 2. My current 2YO is big for his age, so I actually put him on 2% after his 18-month check-up with the doctor's OK. Since my husband prefers 2%, we have 2 kinds of milk in our house and the boys drink whichever one I give them. They are not even close to being overweight, so I don't worry about the fat content in their milk. They just burn it all off anyway.

My daughter's ped said at her 2 year check-up that our daughter could drink whatever hubby and I were drinking (whole, 2%, 1%, skim... she could drink whatever).

My daughter is average weight and in the 90% for height, so since she was growing well she did not need the whole milk. Also at the visit our ped said to start a mulit-vitamin since my daughter is a picky eater but also to help make sure she gets the vitamins she needs.

If in doubt you can ALWAYS ask the doctor, they have heard every question and will be helpful. It is better to ask a lot of questions and be in the know then ask none or few and still have questions about what is 'best' for you child.

Hello -

I just took my daughter in for her two year checkup last week and my doctor said that she can now drink whatever type of milk the family is drinking so I would think skim milk would be fine for your son.

we have had our daughter on 2% since she was 1 or so.

When my twins turned 2, their ped put them on 2% milk.