Skim milk for 2 year old?

[~*Nicole*~]

Essentially, is it alright to offer only skim milk as opposed to 1 or 2%??? DH and I drink skim and I'd prefer to buy one container of milk, but if it's crucial for DD to have a higher fat content, then I'll continue to purchase separate milks. I just didn't know if there was any reason for. She eats well and has no weight issues. Loves yogurt and cheeses as well.

Just wondering as I just went shopping and bought one large skim and then thought....oooh I better see if that's okay!

[Mashi]

Personally Nicole I think it has to do with what you are comfortable with and what Ava will drink.  If you spend some time googling you will so many different opinions.   I've just mucked up my broswer and lost the pages I'd pulled up but will post the links later - basically the American Academy of Pediatrics says after age 2 skim milk is great, if they will drink it. The earlier you get them onto low fat milk the better, because then it's not harder when they are older. The Australian gov't site says no skim milk until over age 5.  You could probably spend more time searching and come up with a case for each side of the coin.  If Ava is eating lots of yogurt and cheese then she's still getting fats, and if she is getting a good healthy diet with a balanced/appropriate amount of fats then I'd not worry about it, if that's what is easier for your family.

[15milner]

From age 1-2 we gave the boys 4%.

We switched to 2% when MAtthew was 2 but in recent months we can now get the 1% milk in our local shop and since its on offer that's what we've been drinking since he was 2.  I wouldn't go down to what we call skimmed milk which is even less than 1% - more like 0.5%.

Looking at the nutritional values etc, the calcuim levels are the same, just the fat that changes.

I'd say going to 1% or 2% would be fine.

Alex

[~*Nicole*~]

She will drink ANY type of milk, except chocolate!!! LOL I offered it once as a treat and she didn't like it...which is odd considering she likes chocolate itself. Hehehe. I believe she gets enough balanced nutrition. She eats fruits and veggies, dairy and proteins, etc. I mean, like any kid she loves chicken nuggets and macaroni and cheese, but generally tries more adult type foods presented to her.

Thanks, Mashi! I knew you'd have some info. for me!

[Mashi]

Here's the official policy of the AAP saying that after 2yo children should be on skim milk, as dairy is a high source of saturated fat and cholesterol, which they don't need so much of after 2.
http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;117/2/544

Here is a more readable version, though not the "official" one:
http://pediatrics.about.com/od/weeklyquestion/a/04_low_fat_milk.htm

Australia:
http://www.cyh.com/HealthTopics/HealthTopicDetails.aspx?p=114&np=302&id=1788

UK:
http://www.eatwell.gov.uk/agesandstages/children/yrtoddler/#elem218432
Though the reasons in the UK for not using skim is not fat content -- it says that skim milk doesn't have enough vitamin A or calories for a child. That one confuses me, because you aren't really using milk strictly for calories the way you were when your LO was young - they can/will get enough calories from other foods at this age, and if it needs to be dairy that's where cheese and yogurt come in (both high cal!) and vitamin A....well my DS eats loads of pate so for us it's not a concern but I'll look it up to find RDAs!

[Colin Macs Mom]

Just keep in mind Nicole that we can't give medical (or dietary LOL) advice here so you should always discuss with her doctor first and make sure. There are lots of different theories about milk so you definitely want to arrive at a choice that you are sure about.

[deb]

Jess posted the reminder before my post was done, so I'll add in the disclaimer that I'm not a medical professional BUT we've gone thru a LOT of twists and turns to find food that works for us as a family and keeps us healthy, and so far here is where we are:
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm going against the grain on this one. We not only use full-fat milk (we can't digest pasteurized cows' milk but CAN digest yogurt, so I use it to make our own yogurt), but we also use real honest-to-goodness butter and plenty of it. Vitamins A and D, which milk is often fortified with, are fat-soluble. (I won't tell you how many eggs we eat, and when we have chicken, it's pretty much dark meat only.

Frankly, there is also increasing evidence that just because a fat is saturated does NOT make it automatically "bad." Artificially saturated trans-fats HAVE been shown to cause any number of ailments, but naturally saturated fats like milk fat/butter, and tropical oils (we also cook with coconut oil a LOT!) haven't been found to be the culprits for most of the things saturated fats are blamed for, unless consumed in excess - and nothing should be consumed in excess!

In addition, it's not just babies and young children who benefit from good fats in the diet. Cholesterol is vital for nerve development and function, not just for little but for bigger kids too.

A link for ya: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/why-whole-milk-is-the-healthiest-choice.html#. Again, this isn't mainstream stuff, not yet, anyway, but it's a viewpoint worth investigating when deciding.

[SylvieA]

I'm with Deb on this. Only DH drinks 1%, but myself and the kids use full fat milk(can't get unpasturized here). I love real butter and use it a lot to, same as coconut oil. I wouldn't dare getting anything reduced in fat as my kids would look like walking skeletons, they are just naturally skinny.
I was told you can change after 2yrs. It's a personal choice I guess.

[~*Nicole*~]

I think part of the thing is that DH and I are both what I would consider "average" in terms of height/weight, BUT tend to have to work at maintaining our weight or becoming a bit overweight easily. We both fluctuate at the higher end of average and DD appears to be following suit. So she is certainly not skinny and certainly not overweight.

I don't love milk, but can tolerate any fat content as long as it's COLD. Warm milk makes me gag. BLECH. DH can not stomache anything above skim. Says it's too thick and gross. I am trying to drink more to actually be a role model for DD who has recently started requesting juice more often. So now I am sticking to milk for breakfast and dinner and diluted juice for lunch with water other times.

Deb-I'm not sure why but I can't stomach dark meat. Isn't that terrible? I also always look for lean and fat free everything. As a child/teenager, I'd scrape all the fat off of my meats as the texture of it was something I could not handle. I'd literally eat tiny tiny portions just b/c they'd have so much fat I'd have to cut the whole thing away to find any non fattening pieces or I wouldn't eat it. DH thinks I am nuts. So I don't worry about it from a health standpoint, more a personal taste standpoint. I'll check out that link though.

Sylvie-I've never purchased or used coconut oil. I rarely buy butter and use margarine. I couldn't imagine drinking unpasteuraized milk!

[Mama2boys]

right there with Deb, we have whole milk and whole milk yogurt as well. I think some fat is certainly needed by the body and thsi is good stuff. Plus its not like we are drinking milk the whole dya long 2 cups of whole milk won't upset the weight balance!

[teilvnav]

I am with the majority here, for the most part (I do usually eat lean meat, because I am trying to lose weight). We give Nathan whole milk (3.25%), and because I don't want to buy two different kinds I just use that as well. DH doesn't drink milk, so he could care less when kind I drink! I usually only have a bit in my coffee, and maybe some cereal.

I think that after 2 years old, it is up to you. If you think she will still get the healthy fats from other parts of her diet (which are vital to proper brain development), then skim milk is probably fine. I will be sticking with whole milk for a while, because I like the idea that it suppliments DS's diet a bit on days when he does not eat well.

We use butter, too. Too many chemicals in margarine! I would rather be careful about natural fats and use them in moderation than injest so much artificiality.

[MLK]

We all drink whole milk here too. As for saturated fat - well about 50% of the fat in breastmilk is saturated, it's got to be there for a reason.

Funnily enough some of the short chain saturated fatty acids in milk (butyric acid) actually protect against bowel cancer  - but since it is not PC to recommend dairy fat the authorities recommend eating lots of fibre so your gut bacteria can produce the butyrates instead.

The fat soluble vitamins in milk also get the calcium into the bones and teeth where it's needed - this is my own theory, but I wouldn't be surprised if there was a link between the recommendation to give toddlers reduced fat/skim milk and the subsequent increase in tooth decay of baby teeth. I've known 4 year olds who've had to have cavities filled.