That's basically it Stoked, good answer! The fats are essential for growth and development in the first two years and when low fat products are given they don't get enough fat overall. It is fine to give them the low fat versions occasionally of course, it's just best to give the full fat ones normally.
Thanks ladies. That does answer my question and I feel like we're 'right' with the occasional (prob once a week) drink of low-fat milk. Sorry to harp on though... just wanting to FULLY understand so i can make conscious choices about her diet...
Do toddlers who are still BF (like I said, usually 3-5 times per day) and have a balanced diet including dairy still need the fats from cows milk? DD would eat me out of house and home if she had free access to the fridge! She's a great little eater and will have fruit, veg, cereal, cheese, yoghurt, bread, pasta every day. She also eats stuff with 'good fats' like avocado, fish and stuff that I cook with olive oil. Just wonderin'!
Hun, if she was only having bfs and no milk than that would be enough with a balanced diet of solids. However the dairy milk she is drinking means less breastmilk that she is drinking, so the full fat version is much better. It could be that she's getting enough anyway, but to be sure that is a good source of fat and too much does no harm at that age. I hope that makes sense.
I had been meaning to ask this too, as we too have on the odd occasion used our "low fat" milk on DD's cereal - but most of time is full fat. She is a massive eater too, but only 2 BF's a day so I do try to make sure she gets enough dairy as well. More often in this house is me having her full fat milk than vice versa though - although I read somewhere recently about a study where full fat milk was thought to protect against heart attack or stroke - so that is what I am telling myself anyway :-)
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