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Little People, Big Changes

For babies, the time around turning one is a huge transition - which means a lot of adjustment for you, too! As my son was nearing the one-year mark, one of my concerns was the best way to transition him from formula to whole milk. He had been fed a goat milk formula to ease digestive sensitivities, so I wanted to be confident about the kind of milk I served in its place. Since we had so many challenges with breastfeeding, he had certainly become a “bottle baby” and was quite fond of his feeding times.

Most pediatricians suggest switching to whole milk around baby’s first birthday, but some physicians believe that milk is not needed at all with proper diet and nutrition. If you’re asking yourself, “Is my 1-year-old eating healthy enough?” read this post. At this point, they should be getting most of their nutrients through solid foods and/or purees, but milk is 1) a great way to transition from formula (or the breast) rather than quitting cold turkey, and 2) a safe backup to make sure your pre-toddlers are still getting vital nutrients like protein, calcium, and Vitamin D - especially on days when they may be little busy bodies and not eat well.

Many companies now make toddler formulas, but I wanted to give my son a more nutritious and natural alternative, particularly since the AAP does not recommend these “transition drinks.” Deciding what kind of milk to give your little one is about tailoring to their needs, including diet, allergies, or digestive sensitivities. Some parents introduce milk as early as 10 months, while others get through the first year until they start the weaning process. Let’s discuss:

• How much milk pre-toddlers and toddlers need each day

• Nutrient comparisons for coconut, almond, goat, cow, soy, and oat milk

• A sample transition schedule from formula to milk

How much milk does my toddler need?

The answer to this question varies, but the general rule of thumb is no more than 16oz of milk per day. It does depend, to some extent, on what kind of milk you are giving your toddler. For example, cow milk and goat milk have 1g of protein per 1 ounce. If your toddler drinks 16oz of cow or goat milk per day, then he would be consuming 16g of protein just through dairy. By most health estimates, 1 to 3-year-olds only need 11-16g of protein per day (or 0.55g per pound of body weight). In this case, you would want to lessen the amount offered, maybe to 8 ounces per day and offer other sources of protein like meat, beans, quinoa and/or leafy green vegetables.

Too much protein causes extra work for the kidneys, but too little protein doesn’t support healthy functioning of muscles, blood clotting, immunity, and hormones, to name a few. Again, toddlers do not need milk with a health diet, but it is an easy way to make sure they get a good intake of protein, potassium, calcium, and Vitamin D. One of reasons many pediatricians recommend that 1-year-olds drink milk is because Vitamin D is only found in specific foods like fatty fish and egg yolks - and your child may not readily eat these on a regular basis.

Alternatives to Cow Milk

There are several alternatives to cow milk - including coconut, goat, almond, oat, flax, pea, and other nut or plant-based milk. For toddlers, it’s important to offer milk that is a good source of protein and plenty of healthy fats, as well as important vitamins and minerals like Vitamin D, calcium, potassium, and iron. Most kinds of milk are fortified with vitamins and minerals. However, there are some nutritionists who believe that nutrients which are not naturally occurring are not as readily absorbed by the body and that synthetic versions of vitamins and minerals must be food-based in order to “count.”

Be wary of ingredients in dairy milk alternatives, including natural flavor, guar gum, xantham gum, locust bean gum, and/or carrageen. These fillers, stabilizers, and sweeteners are best avoided on a healthy diet for your little one.

Whichever milk you choose, you can always supplement your toddler with the proper vitamins. Make sure that the source of Vitamin D is D3 and not D2, which boosts vitamin D levels but does not sustain them the same as D3 (which is usually why D3 is recommended for infants). It’s always helpful to get as much nutrient-dense food as possible in one fell swoop. Let’s compare each type of milk based on the key nutrients they provide.

Milk Vs. Milk

Coconut milk - Protein: 0g, Total Fat: 4.5g, Calcium: 2mg, Fiber: 1g, Iron: 0% DV, Potassium: 40mg, Sugar: 8g, Vitamin D: 30% DV

Almond milk - Protein: 1g, Total Fat: 3g, Calcium: 2mg, Fiber: 1g, Iron: 4% DV, Potassium: 35mg, Sugar: 0g, Vitamin D: 25% DV

Goat milk - Protein: 8g, Total Fat: 7g, Calcium: 300mg, Fiber: 0g, Iron: 0% DV, Potassium: 420g, Sugar: 11g (naturally occurring lactose), Vitamin D: 15% DV

Cow milk - Protein: 8g, Total Fat: 8g, Calcium: 300mg, Fiber: 0g, Iron: 0% DV, Potassium: 350mg, Sugar: 11g (naturally occurring lactose), Vitamin D: 25%

Soy milk - Protein: 8g, Total Fat: 4.3g, Calcium: 6% DV, Fiber: 10g, Iron: 8%, Potassium: 287mg, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin D: 0%

Oat milk - Protein: 2g, Total Fat: 7g, Calcium: 245mg, Fiber: 1g, Iron: 0% DV, Potassium: 325mg, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin D: 0%

Summary

• From 1 to 3 years old, your toddler needs about 0.55g of protein per pound of body weight. For example, my 24-pound son should have about 13g of protein per day. He may get about 5-8g of protein through milk, but at least half should be through other food sources.

• Cow milk and goat milk are better sources of protein, calcium, and potassium. They are less processed and don’t typically contain fillers, additives, or sweeteners like other milk options. Check out this post for recommended levels of protein, calcium, potassium, and other nutrients for 1 to 3-year-olds.

• Nut or plant-based milk is a good alternative for toddlers who have CMPA (Cow Milk Protein Allergy), digestive sensitivity to dairy, or whose families are vegan. Supplement with vitamins or foods rich in calcium and potassium. Make sure that protein consumption is about 0.55g per each pound of body weight through other sources if their milk does not contain much protein.

• If the milk you give your pre-toddler or toddler does not contain enough Vitamin D, supplement with vitamin drops. Check the ingredients list to see if the milk you give your toddler is fortified with Vitamin D. If not, supplement with Vitamin D drops or offer plenty of fatty fish and egg yolks.

Transition schedule

10 Months

Work down to 4 bottles per day and feed baby purees and soft solids (like avocados, bananas, and steamed baby carrot slices). Let baby guide how much she wants to eat. Offer the first bottle of the day when they wake up. Offer the middle 2 bottles of the day after solids. And offer the last bottle right before bed time.

Help your baby get the hang of drinking from the sippy cup as much as possible. A little choking is normal (I know, still scary!) as she gets the hang of it. Try a sippy with a different flow if you think it’s too much for her. Be careful not to switch sippy cups too often so she has time to adjust. (We tried 3 different sippy cups before my son finally took to the Avent 6mos+ sippy cups.) Sometimes the sippy cups that say 12mos+ are still too fast flow for 1-year-olds. You can also begin helping your baby learn to drink from a regular cup around the same time. (So much to do, right?)

11 Months, 1 Week

Begin to transition baby from the bottle by removing one of the midday bottles, typically the lunch bottle. By the end of week 1, you’re down to 3 bottles per day - morning, afternoon, and night. Baby is eating 3 meals a day around 4-8oz each with (2) 2oz snacks (here’s a guide).

11 Months, 2 Weeks

Now, remove the afternoon bottle. Offer more solids at lunchtime, but don’t force baby to eat them. Most babies have a decrease in appetite between 9-12 months, so don’t worry if it seems like they’re not “making up for” the lost bottle. If they don’t have a good meal, try to make up for it at snack time. By the end of week 2, you’re down to 2 bottles per day - morning and night.

11 Months, 3 Weeks

For the last 2 bottles, you can simply replace with a sippy cup of whole milk! We switched the morning bottle first, then switched the night time bottle last (this is the favorite feeding time for most babies). If your baby doesn’t take to the taste of whole milk, you can do a mix of 50% formula and 50% milk, then gradually increase the amount of milk until there’s no formula. Some moms also wean from formula before they wean from the bottle - baby drinks whole milk from a bottle first, then changes over to a sippy cup once they’re accustomed to milk.

12 Months

Baby has one 2-4oz sippy cup of whole milk first thing in the mornings, solid foods and purees all day, then one 2-4oz sippy cup of whole milk at night. Now, we’ve successfully transitioned from bottles and formula (or hey, we’re almost there) and our 1-year-old is full on her big people food!

Personal Pick

After comparing labels and reading the research, I chose to transition my 1-year-old to goat milk, which is known for the A2 dairy properties that make it easier to digest. Also, it has less allergens, is more alkaline, and is packed with minerals like potassium and calcium. I like that because it’s dairy it doesn’t have stabilizers and sweeteners like other kinds of milk, but it’s not inflammatory and allergenic like cow milk. If you’re curious about transitioning your pre-toddler to goat milk, check out this post!