Switching 2 Year Old from Whole Milk to 1 or 2%

Personally i dont advocate milk/dairy too much for children or adults but having said that - children do no need the diet versions of foods ... the whole thing is just fine.

I never even put my second child on whole ilk. I went straight to 2% because that is what everyone else in the house drinks. It is definately more of a personal choice. The consistency is going to be different so your child may not like it too much at first.

I heard from a show that parents now days are worried to much about the fats in there small childrens foods. I think whole milk is fine unless there is a problem with there weight. I would look up on the computor the benifits of whole milk for young children. MR

I moved my boys from whole milk to 2% when they turned 2. We are almost at 3 years now and I've recently bumped them down to 1%. If he is like most toddlers, he's getting enough calcium from yogurts, cheese and cereals and doesn't need the extra calories or fat from the whole milk.

K., I can't remember where I heard or read about this but there was a news piece not too long ago about whole milk vs low/non fat milk and prostate cancer. It showed a study that men who drank low/non fat milk were more likely to have larger cancer tumor in the prostate. The low/non fat milk was not shown to cause the cancer per se, but if you did get the cancer the tumors/cysts (whatever they are called) were larger in the men that drank lower fat milk. My husband hates any milk other than whole and that is all he will drink. He couldn't wait to show me this study. I am not sure there is a causal relationship between the two and I would think they would need some more studies, but I have both my 3 & 4 year drinking whole milk (also organic). I still drink the low fat, but thought I would give my 2 cents (if it is even worth that . . . ). Good luck

I switched each of my children over to 2% after two. Their ped. said they don't require the increased milk fat after two years of age.

Hi K.,
I would recommend keeping him on the whole, unless he has weight issues. My son is a bit bigger than most kids his age (he's 7), and I believe I kept him on whole until almost 4. Especially if your son is very active, the fat is not going to hurt him. Also I read somewhere that fat is important for a child's nervous system. I dont know if this helps but I hope so.

My boys are 5 and 3 and I still have them on whole milk. They are both healthy and not overweight, so I just haven't seen any need to change.

My son is 18 mos. I buy 2% for the family and whole milk for him. If I am out of whole milk he gets 2%. I plan to continue with whole milk and 2% until he starts preschool.

we switched my daughter to one percent around age two. Our doc said that even though she is little she doesn't need the extra fat in the whole milk, so since we drink 1% so does she.