DD loooooves milk. I usually have full-fat milk in the fridge, but if I've run out, I sometimes give her some of mine (low-fat). Just wanted to double check...
I've heard that you're supposed to give children full fat milk and figured that's because they need the fats and milk proteins 'as-is'. Is there anything else I've missed - ie. is low-fat milk bad for them in any way?
Someone might correct me but I'm almost certain there is nothing bad in there for them (not like diet drinks for eg. not that mine have fizzy drinks but YKWIM!!) but as you said they need the full fat of the cream for calcium and growth up until they are 2. We often run out and give DS light and he is fine and also use it if he has been a bit sick as it's not as heavy for his tum. HTH!
Last edited by Beach Mama; August 14th, 2010 at 05:45 PM.
Thanks hun. Just wondering though, why it would be a problem? She's still having 3-5 BF a day and eats heaps of cheese, yoghurt etc. so I'm happy about her calcium intake etc. Just wanting to make sure that there's nothing in low fat milk she could react badly to etc. KWIM (Sorry, having one of those days where I can't construct sensical sentences!!)
ETA - Tan, just saw your post. Yeah, that's what I'm getting at. Thanks!
Low fat milk is full fat milk that has been skimmed, so it's not that there is anything 'bad' in low fat milk as such it's just that when it does get skimmed a lot of the good stuff is taken with it along with the fat. So just occasionally if you've run out of the regular it wouldn't hurt to replace with low fat but it wouldn't have the adequate nutrients for a child to drink all the time. Especially if milk is their main source of calcium.
I think it is because babies need fat in their diet.. it is very important at such a young age. Milk is very filling so i guess your DD will be filling up on milk that doesn't have enough fat etc that she needs... Does that make sense?
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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Is low-fat milk bad, or full-fat just better?
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