With so many options and nutritional considerations, choosing the best milk for toddlers may be tricky. This in-depth post will help you to make the most informed decision.
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Top Common Questions Answered
If you're breastfeeding, you might be feeling confused as to when to introduce milk to your child's diet and whether or not it's necessary to do so. Just like with many transitions, it's scary to move from breastfeeding/formula to milk, isn't it?
I discuss in this post the importance of taking a gentle and slow approach when it comes to weaning as well as the current recommendations on how long to continue breastfeeding.
First, know that breastmilk will continue to offer your child many benefits from nutritional, immunological, and emotional standpoints. However, after one year of age, getting nutrients from foods becomes a priority as milk, whether it's breastmilk, cow's milk, or plant-based alternatives, cannot meet all their needs to support their growth and development.
If your child is still nursing a lot after one year of age and isn't showing much interest in food, I recommend offering the meal before you nurse. Once your child starts to eat more food, the number of sessions should naturally decrease.
The goal here is that by age two, your child will rely less on liquid nutrition and more on solid food.
Toddler's tummies are small, so it's important to make every bite and sip count!
Important considerations:
Milk nutrition: Does it contain the essential nutrients like fat, protein, calcium, and vitamin D?
Does it contain added sugar?
What's on the ingredient list?
Is it affordable?
Is it readily available?
Dietary preferences - is your family vegetarian?
Medical conditions - does your child have an allergy to dairy, soy, or nuts?
The most important thing to remember is that regardless of which milk you choose, you want to ensure that your child's diet is not lacking the key nutrients mentioned.
So for instance, if you select almond or coconut milk, you'll need to be more proactive about serving other foods that are rich in protein and fat. More on this below.
Do NOT offer milk other than breastmilk or formula.
Cow’s milk may put babies at risk for intestinal bleeding. It's also high in protein which, just like with sodium, can be too much for your baby's kidneys to handle
However, dairy products like yogurt and cheese are fine to introduce as early as 6 months of age. You can also cook with milk too. You just don't want to offer it as a drink!
Check out: Best first foods for babies
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends 2-3 servings of dairy per day, or about 16 to a maximum of 24 ounces of milk per day. You can check out all the recommended portion sizes for each food group here.
Remember, milk is filling and so if offered throughout the day, it can sabotage their appetite and lead to grazing and not eating their meals. So the best time to drink milk is with their snacks/meals.
Milk Nutrition Comparison Chart
Here's a chart for a comparison of common unflavored, unsweetened milk alternatives. The numbers are based on USDA nutrient database.
Do check your labels as protein and vitamin content may differ depending on the brand you get.
Type (1 cup) | Calories | Protein (g) | Fat (g) | Calcium (mg) | Vitamin D (IU) | Iron (mg) |
Breastmilk | 172 | 2.5 | 11 | 79 | 10 | 0.07 |
Whole Cow's Milk | 150 | 8 | 8 | 306 | 128 | 0.07 |
2% Cow's Milk | 122 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 293 | 117 | 0.05 |
Goat's Milk | 168 | 10 | 9 | 327 | 128 | 0.122 |
Soy Milk | 105 | 3.6 | 6.3 | 300 | 108 | 1 |
Pea Milk | 70 | 4.5 | 8 | 465 | 120 | 1 |
Hemp Milk | 70 | 5 | 3 | 300 | 100 | 1.8 |
Oat Milk | 130 | 2.5 | 4 | 350 | 100 | 1.8 |
Coconut Milk | 76 | 5.1 | 4.5 | 459 | 96 | 0.73 |
Almond Milk | 37 | 2.7 | 1.4 | 481 | 96 | 0.85 |
Rice Milk | 115 | 2.4 | 0.68 | 288 | 96 | 0.49 |
Best Milk for 1 to 2 year olds
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends WHOLE cow's milk in the absence of a dairy allergy.
That's because, as you can see in the chart above, cow's milk is an excellent and convenient source of many of the key nutrients. It's also readily available and cost-effective compared to others.
Now, I know there's a lot of misinformation out there that you MUST introduce cow's milk at a year. That's simply not true.
Again, referring to the chart, breastmilk has a higher fat content compared to whole cow's milk, and the nutrients are more bioavailable as well, meaning they are more easily absorbed in the body.
As long as you're nursing at least 3-4 times a day, there's no need to add cow's milk.
However, the two key nutrients during this age, calcium and vitamin D, are quite low in breastmilk. Therefore, you must ensure that your child is getting adequate amounts through their diet. More on this below.
Best Milk for 2 years and older
While the recommendation is to switch to low-fat milk at this time to reduce total fat intake, there's a lack of evidence to show its overall benefit.
The fact is, fat is an ESSENTIAL part of a well-balanced diet and super important for not only babies but young toddlers. They continue to have increased caloric requirements for growth and brain development.
Not to mention, a low-fat diet often leads to high carbohydrate intake with inadequate nutrients. So rather than trying to eliminate fat from your child's diet, focus on offering healthy fats!
Saturated fat in whole milk, cheese, or coconut oil is different from the saturated fat found in pizza, fried foods, baked goods, and other processed meat products. Trans fat, is one type of fat you do want to avoid completely!
I personally am still serving whole-fat dairy to my 2-year-old. It definitely keeps him fuller for longer.
Best non-dairy milk for toddlers
As you can see in the milk comparison chart above, the best choices that will help meet your toddler's nutritional needs are soy and pea milks.
If it's necessary for your child to consume milk other than these options, it may be helpful to consult with your pediatrician or a registered dietitian to make sure that your child is getting the adequate nutrition they need to for them to grow and thrive.
A brief note about soy
I get asked this question A LOT, so I thought it's worth mentioning here. Many parents are concerned about serving soy products to their children due to fear that it may cause cancer or feminization in boys. It's true that soy foods contain isoflavones (a phytoestrogen), which are similar to hormone estrogen in structure. However, phytoestrogen and estrogen are not the same, and they behave differently in the body.
All this to say, a moderate consumption of 1 to 2 servings of whole soy foods, such as tofu, soy milk, edamame, and soy nuts are deemed safe, according to the American Institute for Cancer Research.
A serving equals: 1 cup of soymilk, ½ cup of tofu, tempeh, or soybeans. Avoid processed soy products, like soy burgers, bars, etc.
Related: How to Prepare Tofu
Selecting dairy-free milk:
- Look at the ingredient list! Oftentimes these milk have a really long list. Shorter the better.
- Make sure to look for full fat, plain, and unsweetened option.
- Shake up the bottle really well before serving as the fortified nutrients settle to the bottom.
- Make sure it's fortified with calcium (you'll see it listed in the ingredient list either as calcium carbonate or tri-calcium phosphate. Choose the one with calcium carbonate as it's more absorbable.) and vitamin D.
Does a toddler need to drink milk?
Yes and no. Milk is such a convenient way to provide the key nutrients that they need. However, as long as your child is getting the adequate amounts of protein, fat, calcium, and vitamin D through food, it's not required.
Good dietary sources for:
- Fat: avocado, nuts, seeds, fatty fish, eggs, oils (e.g. olive, avocado, coconut, sesame, walnut, canola), whole fat or 2% dairy products
- Protein: meats, poultry, fish, peas, beans, lentils, eggs, grains, nuts, seeds, cheese, yogurt
- Calcium: yogurt, cheese, green leafy vegetables (spinach, collards, kale), broccoli, cabbage, tofu and other soy products, beans, nuts and seeds, seafood/fish (with bones), fortified foods (e.g. cereals, bread), backstrap molasses
- Vitamin D: this is a challenging nutrient to meet from our diets so you may need to supplement if you're not doing cow's milk. It's found in the flesh of the fatty fish (like salmon, tuna, mackerel), beef liver, cheese, egg yolks, mushrooms, and fortified foods like cheese, yogurt, and cereals.
To sum
The best milk for your child is one that will help meet your child's nutritional, medical needs, and taste preferences.
Shannon says
I remember working in the child care center and milk was a requirement by law to give to all the kids in the center.
Emily says
I love this post, especially the nutrition comparison chart. Have you looked into cashew milk? I know it’s not a common store bought milk, but I make my own sometimes & wonder if the nutrition content might be comparable to some of the other non dairy options. Thank you for your work!
Min says
Yes it will be comparable to almond milk. If you enjoy cashew milk then that's totally fine. Just make sure that your child is getting adequate fat, protein, calcium, and vitamin D from other sources. Def try to fortify your homemade milk with calcium and vitamin D.
Rachel H says
When you say someone should not give cow’s milk before one, does that include yogurt or just milk?
Min says
A great question! So you don't want to offer it as a drink. You can cook with cow's milk (add to muffins, oatmeal, etc). And you can offer yogurt or cheese before one too. If have questions about yogurt, I have a post on that too. Just search for best yogurt.
Shafali says
This article is so informative and detailed .
I guess all my queries are solved now . Thankyou so much 🙂
Min says
Yay!! I'm so glad 😉
Helene says
Hello Min,
Thanks for the info!
Is there a typo? You mentioned the Breast milk has higher fat content than Cow's milk but the chart shows otherwise.
Please advise!
Min says
Yup! You're absolutely right! Thanks so much for catching that. Just fixed it. the values for fat and protein were flipped...
Amy says
Thank you for this post! My husband and I were googling furiously whether or not my toddler needed cow's milk. This is very helpful, thank you.
Min says
You're very welcome!! So glad you found this helpful 😉