Taking Away Milk to Have Child Eat Better

Updated on August 08, 2007
A.C. asks from Argyle, TX
5 answers

Hi Mamas!

My almost 2yr old son is not a great eater. I offer him three meals a day plus snacks. I have also been giving him a warm 6oz bottle of milk for nap and night time (so 12 oz of whole milk per day). He eats very little in the morning and in the evening. Lunch time is hit or miss. My mother suggested cutting out the milk altogether so that he would be hungrier for real food. She also suggested to cut back on the cookies (he has begun to ask for cookies now).

I took the bottles of milk away yesterday and today. To replace this, I am giving him cold milk in a new/fun sippy cup. He is not really taking to the cold milk, but my hope is that he will eventually drink it with ease. I was not comfortable giving him no milk at all, per Mom's suggestion. He does eat yogurt and cheese and gets calcium other ways.

My questions are....
1. Does it make sense that reducing liquid calories, such as milk, will increase the child's appetite for other foods?
2. Is it bad or good to totally remove milk from a child's diet?
3. Do you have any tricks or advice for getting a 2 yr old to eat well at each meal?

Thanks so much in advance for the great advice!
A.

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So What Happened?

It's been almost 2 weeks now. I took away the warm bottle of milk and stopped offering cookies any time he refused to eat what was served. I also feed him a little something (yogurt or breakfast cookie from Quaker) first thing in the morning. He is eating much better now. Like I said, he has a small breakfast then a good size lunch then a small snack after he wakes up from his nap (peaches or applesauce) then a good dinner. I did talk to the pedi about milk and told her I stopped the bottle and am just offering him cold milk in a sippy and they said "that's all you can do...if he does not like the cold milk in a sippy then move on with your life." So I am trying to get the calcium in with cheese, yogurt, etc..

More Answers

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T.O.

answers from Dallas on

I agree with Debi.... kids at that age don't need milk. That is an American habit, not a need. Yes, it makes sense to reduce the liquid calories to get him to eat other stuff.

Maybe you just need to have a bunch of little foods available all day. He might be a grazer. You can always keep his "lunch" or "dinner" in his own tupperware container and what he doesn't finish goes back in the fridge and if he wants a snack pull it out. He can still sit down with you at lunch and dinner so he gets into that habit, but he doesn't have to eat much.

You doctor is the best judge of if your son is healthy and getting enough calories. But milk is not a requirement. Calcium is.

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A.B.

answers from Dallas on

I went through this with my daughter. My doctor said that as long as the child is eating one meal a day that they will be fine. My daughter is still a picky eater and usually won't eat anything but milk in the mornings still. I have put her on the Arbonne Children's Hybrids. It gives them their daily fruits, vegetables, vitamins and minerals. I can give you more information about them if you would like. It is a powder that you mix with water. Or you can freeze them into popcicles. Hope this helps.

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D.W.

answers from Dallas on

Kids do not NEED milk, they do need calcium. At 1-3 years of age he should have approximatly 500 mg/day. This can be in any form- Calcium enriched products such as OJ, waffles, and bread are wonderful. Along w/ cheese, yogurt, even chocolate milk.
Most 2 year olds don't eat well. Don't stress. The more attention you give him the less he will eat. Offer him 3 meals plus 2 small healthy snacks (a yogurt, fruit, goldfish crackers...) a day. Period. Set the kitchen timer. When the eating time is over it is over. No cajoling, begging or bribing on your part.
There has never been a case of malnutrition reported in children who are offered food.
My oldest child didn't eat dinner from about 18 months of age to 6 years old. He is fine :-)

D.

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C.M.

answers from Dallas on

My 2 yr old doesn't eat much either. I figured out that if I put an empty plate in front of him and wait for him to ask for some of my food, he'll eat everything I give him off of my plate. It's probably not the best long-term solution, but it works great for me. I think he just likes to be in control. He also eats better if I let him scoop out his own seconds. Hope this helps. It also helped when I limited him milk at breakfast only ... water the rest of the day.

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A.E.

answers from Dallas on

I was worried with my 3 year old because she doesn't like milk very much. I thought as long as she was getting yogurt and cheese she was fine. Our pediatrician said that although they do have calcium, other dairy products are not a substitute for milk. They have Calcium they lose it when they poop without the Vitamin D that milk provides, so he said. Talk to your doctor to see how he feels about taking the milk away because ours was very clear that milk is necessary in toddlers. In fact he told me to put whatever (strawberry or chocolate flavoring, etc) I had to into it to get my oldest (3) to drink it. He said that not getting enough milk at a young age will cause osteoporosis when they are in their 20s.

We also have a 2 year old 'milk-aholic' at our house, but the doctor said she was fine unless she drinks more than the recommended amount per day (and I can't remember what he said that was). However, I know that she drinks at least 12 oz a day and the doctor said that was fine.

To get him to eat, try to make the meals fun by letting him help when possible (stirring, pouring ingredients, etc). Plus, I try and always have fruit on hand because my girls love it and I usually give it with breakfast & lunch. I would also really limit the amount of snacking he's doing. If he gets cookies after leaving an empty plate at dinner, that is not teaching him anything. Make cookies a dessert after meals when he's eaten well and give him (somewhat) healthy snacks during the day like fruit, veggies, crackers, applesauce, etc.

I hope something I've said helps. Please remember that no matter how well intentioned moms are by giving advice, your doctor always knows best so give him a call. I hope you get the answers you need soon.

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