Hi Moms-
My son turned 2 in June. He is still drinking whole milk. My husband and I drink 1% milk. Is it okay to switch him to 1%? When have you stopped whole milk with your kids? Thanks for the input!
I stopped whole milk before 2 years old... look at the nutritional information - most people are shocked to find that skim milk and whole milk have almost the exact amount of protein and vitamins. The only difference is the amount of calories/fat. Children under 2 need the additional calories/fat, but after 2, they just need the protein and vitamins, and all milk has about the same amount.
We never switched off of whole milk. My oldest is almost 14 and she actually needs to drink whole milk (she is a twig-i say that lovingly!). I am under the impression that it has very good amounts of vitamin d also. I assume if my kids had a weight issue i would have to lower it, but my husband and i are now used to whole.
If you really want to switch i would do it slowly, going right to 1 % may taste watery to him.
My son's pediatrician said he could go to 1 or 2% whichever we were drinking at age 2.
Definitely ask your ped since it will most likely depend on your son's growth and overall nutrition. We did whole milk from 1-2 years and then switched to 2% with all of our kids, but I know our ped's recommendation vary depending on the situation.
Ask YOUR pediatrician. Ours told us to use whole milk until age 2, then go to 2% or lower. Our son is 4 and has been on 2% since age 2. I'm surprised to hear people giving milk to infants younger than age 1. Our pediatrician told us that was a no-no.
Doctors say whole milk from 12 month to 24 months. Then many say any milk but only about 16 ounces a day for they get enough from other sources.
Hello,
Yes, we switched to 1% at 2 years old. :)
It depends on the diet, but I would say keep him on whole milk. I've drank whole milk almost my entire life (used to live in Europe where I had access to non-pasteurized milk) and my cholesterol is great. Kids need more fat until they get older. Don't worry about the cholesterol for now.
i own a daycare and i have to give whole mike to children until they start school. Because there is not enough fat in their diet. I would keep giving him whole milk or ask your dr.
T.
My son just turned two last week, and at his 2 year follow up appointment our Pediatrician said that it would be fine for him to start drinking whatever the family drinks. He gets plenty of calcium from other sources as well. So, it should be fine.
Hi Ali, Kids need whole milk when they are little. I changed my girls to 2% after they started school and were getting 2% milk there. Consult your doctor about it durring your next visit and see what he thinks before making your decision. Best wishes
Ask YOUR pediatrician.
My son drank whole milk til 2, then I switched him to 2%, and most recently to skim (he's 6).
From what I've seen and heard, pediatrician recommendation is all over the board on this one. My opinion is that you should base your choice on the rest of his diet. We are still giving our 3 year-old sons whole milk because they get very little fat in the rest of their diet (and they need some fat for development). We aren't over the top on fat-free, nor do we give them artificial sweeteners, but we feed them a lot of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, etc. They both still have no body fat at all, so I'm not concerned with the fat from their milk. We will continue to re-evaluate as they grow to see when to wean them back.
It's great that you are seeking what's best for your little guy, but don't stress over the decision - he's probably only drinking a few cups of milk each day, so either choice will help him to get the calcium and vitamin D that he needs . . .
All of my kids drank whole milk until they started PreK, then we switched them to 2%. They don't get enough fat in their diets otherwise, and they need that at age 2.
My oldest just turned 2 as well and his doctor said even skim milk is fine, that kids shouldn't be filling up on whole milk at this point and can get all the same nutrients from skim or 1%. You might want to confirm with your son's pediatrician but I think most of them say the same thing. Hope that helps.
Our pediatrician told us whole milk until 2, at that point, we were told it was appropriate to switch to 1%, which is what we drink.... I've heard a lot of different opinions on it, but our daughter was at a healthy weight and eating a pretty balanced diet, and she was fine with it. I'd get your pediatrician's opinion and go with it.
wow, advice is all over on this one. Our ped had us switch to 2% at at 2. This year (age 3), we asked if we could go to a lower % (either 1% or skim) because that's what we drink and it's more convenient. He said no, we should stick with 2% because unless your child is overweight, they need the extra fat for brain development until age 5 at least.
I think it is best to call the pediatrician and see what they say. I think they want them to drink whole or 2%. I am not sure what age they should stop drinking whole milk.
Our Pediatrician told us we could stop whole milk after their first birthday. We transitioned to 1% and she loves it.
after 2, you can switch him to whatever you want. I think 1% is fine... that's what we drink!
2% is fine as long as he is growing properly. The 1% might not have enough fat for his development.
What I have been told at the WIC office is that children need to be on whole milk by the age of 1, then switch over to 2% by the age of 2 since they are still little and do need some of the milk fat that older bodies can do without. My WIC case worker advised me to keep my kids on 2% until they reach 5 yrs of age and then they can be switched over to 1%.
Hi, Ali!
Please check out www.RealMilk.com and http://westonaprice.org/federalupdate/aa2005/infoalert_07...
Thanks! Good luck!
