Yogurt Enough Dairy?

My daughter wasn't a huge fan of whole milk at first. Now she loves it and would drink milk all day long but I limit her to 16 oz because she tends not to eat well if she drinks more than that.
At a year when I got the green light for whole milk I mixed 3/4 formula and 1/4 milk for about 3 days then I gradually increased the amount of milk to formula ratio. In about 10 days she was drinking all milk and loving it.
Good luck!

You are far from the first mom to have a problem getting milk into a kid :) Some kids love it, others run the other way. For my youngest daughter I tried Ovaltine, the orange jar. It gives a popular among children chocolate flavor and extra vitamins and minerals. To keep from affecting her appetite she gets one 8 oz cup in the morning, and one at bedtime. My daughter is six now, but has been on this routine since she was one. For my grandson we had to use strawberry syrup to get milk into him as he is not a chocolate fan.

Okay my sister hit a speed bump with my niece on whole milk at a year old. The doctor told her to see if she will drink chocolate milk and she will. I really believe they need the calcium and the vitamins from milk. If she won't drink chocolate try strawberry or banana. I know it is not ideal but at least she will get milk in some form or fashion. My girls love milk sometimes too much. Good luck!

I would avoid yopliat, which has about as much sugar as a coke. plus they recently found heavy metals in it.

Your most healthy alternative is to buy unsweetneded plain yogurt. Add Xylitol sweetener (found online or health stores) and some fresh fruit.
Xylitol is NOT a chemical sugar sub. it actually has been proven good for you in that it reduced bacterial/fungal load in the body.

I had this same problem, and posted a question about it actually. I'll put the link so you can read what suggestions I got. Yogurt is great. They need the calcium, vit D, protein and good fats. How you get those into them is not really important. So you can substitute. I gave yogurt and cottage cheese blended with fruit. I blended the cottage cheese til the curds were smooth and he liked it better that way. I also did OJ, fortified for kids. My doc told me that glass for glass it was the same as milk except for the fat and proteins. So I gave him some of that every day. He didn't like cheese much but would eat shredded cheese. Broccoli is great for similar nutrients. Olive oil and avocado are great for the good fats, which are very important for brain development. Eggs and meat and nut butters are good for protein and fats. And my son finally did start drinking milk just fine. I kept offering a little bit once every day or two, and all of a sudden out of nowhere he drank it and loved it. (I think it took a couple of months.) You can try adding chocolate, but I didn't make a habit of that and we only give it as a treat. If you breastfed, organic milk supposedly has a taste closer to breastmilk than non-organic.

http://www.mamapedia.com/questions/13322307068892282881

PS- I also try to avoid pre-sweetened yogurt. I know you didn't ask about this directly. But even the baby yogurts have a ton of added sugar in them. I buy plain yogurt in the large container and add fruit to it every morning. I use frozen fruit usually, because when I thaw it in the microwave it mashes really well. If I need to, I will still add sugar and sweeten it, but it is a lot less sugar than the kind you buy premade at the store. And way cheaper that way too.

Hi G.,
I know the advise I'm about to give is not the norm but it's really factual. I recently stopped giving my son milk because I learned that because it's pasturized, (a heating process) the protein is destroyed and the benefit is lost. Instead, I give him almond milk (it's not been heated so he gets the benefit of the protein and calcium)....and they have flavors! He loves it! If you give yogurt, try Stoneybrook brand.....any flavor. It has much less sugar and the sugar it does have is all natural. I also give my son a protein pudding. It tastes great and is safe for little ones. Very easy on the digestive system but huge benefits for the immune system, bones, and developing muscles.
L.

Yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese... tons of Ca++ and fat rich sources out there aside from milk (do NOT use low-fat yougurt, or low-fat cheese -whole milk products only :)- they need those fats for brain development, but do not need the carbs from the filler used in low-fat products ).

What we did though, was switch to chocolate milk. Not the kind you buy at the store... chocolate syrup + whole milk + shake shake shake. Voila. That way you can control how much chocolate goes into it. We'd use about 1-2 tablespoons per 20oz... vs about 1/2 cup per 20oz which is apx what's in storebought chocolate milk. The syrup was more than enough to change the color & flavor, which is what he really wanted. When we first switched though, and when we were hiding liquid medicine in it, we'd load up on the chocolate. And then, easy peasy, gradually lower the amount we put in.

Just checking though... are you serving the milk warm or cold? My kiddo wouldn't touch cold milk until he was almost 3. So he had "hot chocolate" (actually, he called it "warm" chocolate, and was quite empathetic about it not being hot ;). He'd eat cold yogurt/ cheese/ juice/ etc., but milk needed to be warm.

Yogurt is fantastic! We have it daily. I has tons of calcium and many other great benefits. But please watch out for the ones with tons of sugar and artificial sweeteners. You have to read the labels very carefully.

My son didn't consume milk at all btw 14 and 18 months. I tried everything but he just didn't like it! We ate lots of yogurt and cheese and I tried to find calcium any way I could. He eventually took to milk and loves it now. Hang in there.

It's a fine source of calcium and should be fortified with A and D. I would just watch how much sugar and other stuff is in it. Maybe use the "yobaby" brand which I believe has no added sugar.

If she'll eat it, keep feeding it to her.
My daughter is 21 months and she will NOT drink milk since we took away her bottle several months ago. She LOVES yogurt so we always have some on hand!

I'm not sure. I would compare the amount of calcium and vitamins on the side of the yogurt package to a serving of milk. If she still needs the milk, try chocolate milk. Not a ton of chocolate, just barely enough to flavor it. Or strawberry. I know some parents detest that, but it's a good way to get kids to drink it. And my pediatrician said the benefits of drinking the milk outweigh that tiny bit of sugar. They get more sugar eating two slices of bread. You may also want to try giving her formula with just a bit of milk mixed in, then gradually add more. My kids drink one glass of chocolate milk a day. If they are having it with something that is already sweet, like cookies, then it has to be plain milk.

Cottage cheese, regular cheese, calcium fortified juices and foods are all good sources of calcium to supplement with. I mix my son's yogurt with cottage cheese as it has a lot of protein as well as calcium. And as a snack sometimes, cheese slices and crackers. Hope this helps! Good luck ;)

My oldest son was born with a milk protein allergy and by the time he grew out of it (at a little over a year old) he refused to drink regular milk. Like you, I tried to find alternatives. Yogurt was the best!!! So, I would give him yogurt in the morning and a yogurt drink with dinner. I kept this up for a while, but we kind of got out of it when he started eating more of a variety of things. I was always concerned that he didn't get enough calcium, so I started giving him the gummie calcium vitamins. I started him at age 2 - I would cut them up into 3 pieces so he wouldn't choke on them. He still eats them today at age 6, but eats all sorts of calcium stuff (Cheese, yogurt, yogurt drinks, orange juice with calcium, etc.).

In other words, I would not concern yourself with the milk drinking part. Just supplement with other things. And by the way - my doctor thinks that his calcium intake is fine based on the above diet.

Also, you could try Rice Milk which has more than enough calcium - it's just expensive. Or mix strawberry or chocolate in her milk (which my son seems to like, but I don't do it often due to the sugar).

Studies show that children can drink chocolate milk - if it gets them to drink it, and that the benefits of drinking milk far out way anything that putting chocolate in it could do. There is even sugar free chocolate mix out there too if you don't mind her having the fake stuff. My daughter is a huge milk drinker - I've heard that Publix has stricter standards and has the lowest amount of hormones and antibiotics in their milk. At home - I make her chocolate milk, but for her packed lunches (she's in K now), or when we travel or go out, I buy her little 6 packs of Horizon organic chocolate milk at Walmart. They are in little juice box style boxes, and they are organic! (way way way cheaper in the fridge @ Walmart vs the warm shelf @ Publix). Maybe your daughter would like chocolate milk, and maybe she would kind of like drinking it from a straw in a juice box like a big girl vs out of a bottle or sippy cup. Good luck!

When I went from bottles to sippy cups, both of my twins lost interest in milk. I bough the organic strawberry smoothies from Stoneyfield and mixed it with the milk....problem solved. However, they are now 6 and 1/2 and still want their milk that way but, oh well. They eat a lot of yogurt as well and have had only 2 stomach illnesses ever......I'm convinced it's b/c of all good bacteria they get daily. god luck!

Hello G.,

If your daughter doesn't like milk... follow her instinct. if you're worried she's not getting enough calcium, think of it this way, what could she eat if she had a milk allergy? there is so many things she could have instead of cow milk. I had that issue with my son and I desguised with chocolate, etc... and then a year later had to pull the plug in the milk because of all the sinus and ear infections.
I'm not saying to go out of your way to avoid dairy... but don't push it. there are many other sources of calcium, vitamin D and protein.
Good luck! ~C.~

Buy organic yogurts that are plain and add your own fruit.

Yes. we have an 17 month old. OUr doctor actually recommended more milk products and less milk itself. Yogurt, cottage cheese, mozarella are favorites around here. sometimes the dairy products constitute most of his protein servings. i ry to ensure 2-4 servings depending if he ate any tuna or chicken that day. (if no meat, than more dairy etc.)

Raw milk yogurt, or goat's milk yogurt, and then you put fruit in it. Not pasterized sweeted ugh yogurt.
Also you can make barley"milk"- slow cooker barley pearls- and the "milk "
from that is super for all of us- the Roman army moved on barley- great stuff- no allergies.
best, k

milk is not essential, there are other dairy products. As for calcium, there is orange juice etc...My son did not care for cows milk, but would drink with vanilla added or chocolate. make sure the vanilla u use does not contain alcohol as most do. He is now 4 & still isn't a big fan nor does he care for cheese items either, no yogurt either. I do give him a multi-vitamin. He is quite healthy. Best of luck & you will find ways to get the nutrients in other than the one source.

Yogurt is certainly better than nothing. Have you tried to disguise the milk? Offer a bowl of cereal, chocolate, milk shake, etc?

How old is your baby? Plain good Greek yogurt is best. Why introduce him or her to the taste of sweet so young. This is setting up a sweet tooth trend. Add real fruit such as mashed bananas or blueberries on occasion. My son began his life in Turkey where he had the best fresh plain yogurt almost every day! He was never sick, is now an over six foot athlete, graduatingfrom Annapolis and does not have a sweet tooth - likes good sweets on occasion. Hope this inspires you.

My son wasn't a huge fan of cow's milk until he turned 2. He continued to receive breastmilk, so not drinking cow's milk on his first birthday wasn't a big deal, but I knew it was something we needed to deal with long term. (If not milk, then at least dairy.)

Fortunately he loves yogurt and all sorts of cheeses. These work as great substitutions to plain milk.

At two years old I offered him milk in a sippy cup with a little splash of the strawberry syrup and he loved it. I limit how much milk he drinks since he will only drink it with the syrup in it (and I never use even a half dose of the syrup in his cup, it's only a tiny bit.) I don't particularly limit his yogurt and cheese though, so I know he is getting plenty of dairy.

I recommend giving her the yogurt (perhaps the lower sugar ones) and then giving her formula (step 2 for toddlers) if she doesn't want milk yet. It is a big change to switch for regular milk, so initially give her the formula, and then slowly mix in regular milk as she gets accustomed to the taste.

Good luck :-)
R..

Hi G.,

My daughter is 4 and drinks small amounts of milk occasionally. She is a big fan of "drinking yogurt" though. She drinks about six 3 oz. bottles of the Dannon pro-active (almost a whole package) a day. So, she is getting 18 oz a day. Our pediatrician says milk and yogurt are interchangeable. There is the sugar reality though. 3 oz of her yogurt contain 13 grams of sugar while 4 oz of the organic 2% milk I buy has 6 grams. She does not drink juice daily though and is not into sweets. So, for us, it kind of works out.

Your baby is young still and may acquire a appetite for milk in time. I wouldn't fret.

Hope this helps.

N.

It's not so much about milk as it is the nutrients that are in it. My girls (3 and 4) have never been fans of regular milk, but they love chocolate milk (of course) and I buy the Horizon organic low fat kind - to me, the fact that it may have a few more calories does not outweigh the fact that it has the nutrients they need. Also, I've always made sure they get nutrients like calcium in orther ways - they love broccoli and spinach and cheese, to name a few. So I would say to focus overall on a healthy diet and don't look at it as a daily count - what she's taking in over the week is what's important. I don't remember when I started giving this to my kids, but they love to snack on frozen peas - I know, sound weird and gross, but it's not and many kids love it; it's worth a try! Hope this helps!

Your pediatrician gave the green light for your human child to consume the breast milk of the cow? Hmmmm if you're concerned about calcium your best bet is to feed her green leafy veggies, and make a dip from tahini. Sesame seeds are full of calcium and the right kind with the right combination so that your body doesn't need to leech calcium from your bones to properly metabolize the calcium from cow's milk. Humans aren't designed to drink the breast milk of another species whether it be cow (great marketing scheme for many years) or camel, pig, monkey or any other mammal other than another human (your own breast milk)
Yogurt is concentrated cow's milk there are pus secretions in it, hormones, sugars, dyes, gelatin, chemicals, all sorts of unnatural things. Check out www.notmilk.com
My daughter has never had any mammal milk other than mine. She's very healthy, never gets sick and has a perfect cbc according to the dr.
I give her hazlenut drink or almond. There are many different kinds, they also often have calcium enriched.
If you get your daughter used to fresh, whole foods she will love them for life. If you get her used to sugar, chemicals, dyes and processed foods not only will she be unhealthy, she will create bad eating habits for life.