Indian elderly people always recommend that we drink a glass full of milk daily to keep ourselves healthy. Children should have at least two to three glasses of milk a day for the healthy growth of their bones. This can change according to the age of children. As for new born babies, milk is the only source of food they have. When they grow up, milk still remains the main source, and along with that, they start having small amounts of cereals, fruits, and vegetables. But as the days are passing by, everything is becoming adulterated, and most of us are confused about serving milk to our small ones.

I remember once my child’s pediatrician suggested us not to serve milk to our kid, as nowadays it is difficult to get pure milk and in big cities it is far more difficult. Although our doctor suggested not giving milk to our kid, it was hard for us to accept it. That is when we started to think about which kind of milk is good for our kids and how much milk can be provided to him on a daily basis. If you too are pondering on such a type of question, then this article would be of help to you.

Why is milk important for growing kids?

Milk is one of the most important nutrients for the healthy growth of our bones. This health drink consists of vitamin D, vitamin A, and protein. It is a rich source of healthy fat, which is important for the brain development of children. Children till the age of two should be provided with full-fat milk, and later they can be served low-fat milk.

What kind of milk is recommended for kids?

Cow milk is the best recommended milk for kids. As we all know, the quantity of milk we provide to kids changes as they grow up. When our kids are very small, i.e., 0–6 months of age, milk is the only food they have as they are not able to have solid food. When they are a year old, they should be given four to five glasses of milk as milk remains the main food for them till this age. Children over two years old can drink two to three glasses of milk every day. In India, children are given a glass full of milk with dry fruits after they wake up in the morning, and in the evening, they are again given a glass full of milk with some snacks.

Children allergic to cow milk

Some children are allergic to cow’s milk. Meet with your child’s pediatrician and understand the reason behind them being allergic to cow’s milk and also learn which type of milk should be served to your kid. Children who are allergic to cow’s milk can be given certain plant-based milks, the best of which is fortified soy milk. Soy milk is just like cow’s milk and contains all the nutrients present in cow’s milk. However, before buying soy milk, do check the nutrient content as different brands have different nutrient content. Also remember to check if it has extra calcium and vitamin D added to it without any sugar.

In this technological era, it is very easy for us to come across other options like almond milk, coconut milk, hemp, rice, etc. It is better not to give such milk to our kids as their nutrition level is very low. Our market is overwhelmed with different kinds of products, toddler milk being one of them. All such products have lots of sugar added to them and hence are not good for the health of our kids. In fact, they might reject the most nutritious cow’s milk if such drinks are served to them.

So continue to give your child two glasses of milk every day, and remember to serve them with either cow milk or soy milk if they are allergic to cow milk.