My 1 year old doesn't like milk!! What do I give her?

My daughter has been on Enfamil Prosobee (Soy milk) since she was born. Now we are starting her on whole milk. She doesn't like it at all. Its not that she can't drink it, she doesn't like the taste. She takes a few sips, gives this "dirty look" and throws the bottle to the side. I was the same way as a baby. I still am. My mom use to put Carnation Instant Breakfast in the milk because I liked that better. Should I try that? I would only use maybe a spoonful to give it some flavor. Please help!!

My 1 year old doesn't like milk!! What do I give her?
My toddler doesn't seem to want to make the transition to cow's milk. Any tricks I can try?


Some toddlers greedily gulp whole cow's milk right off the bat. But because milk has a different texture, taste, and even temperature than breast milk or formula, some kids are hesitant to make the switch. If that's the case for your toddler, try mixing whole milk with some breast milk or formula at first (say, one part whole milk and three parts of his usual stuff). Then slowly shift the ratio until he's drinking 100 percent whole milk.





You might also try giving him just a little bit of whole milk at a time — a few tablespoons as a treat — until he asks for more. Or mix it with some cereal. And remember, just because your toddler is drinking his own milk from a cup now doesn't mean that you need to stop nursing him. Just make sure that breast milk isn't his primary source of nourishment. He's grown to where he needs more.





How much milk should my toddler drink?


Your 1- to 2-year-old child should drink 16 to 24 ounces of whole milk a day. While you'll most likely have to work to make sure that he meets the requirement, keep in mind that it is possible for him to drink too much milk.





If your child drinks more than two to three glasses of milk during the day, he may not have room at dinner for the other foods that he needs to round out his diet. (He needs plenty of iron-rich foods like leafy green vegetables and meat, for example, because milk, unlike formula, does not contain iron.) So if your toddler's thirsty, get him in the habit of drinking water throughout the day, too.





Can I give my toddler fat-free or reduced-fat milk?


Not yet. While we adults strive to eat and drink lower-fat versions of our favorite foods, it's important that you start your child out with whole milk, not lower-fat varieties.





That's because he needs the higher fat and caloric content for his growth and development right now. In fact, for children under 2 years old, fats should make up about half of the total caloric intake for the day. Once your child has another birthday — and he doesn't have any growth problems — you may decide to start switching to reduced-fat milk.





What if he's made the transition but just doesn't like milk?


Meeting the minimum requirement of 16 oz. can be a challenge if your child doesn't care for milk. While chocolate milk does add sugar to your child's diet, it has the same amount of calcium and other important vitamins and minerals as plain milk. Better yet, try a powdered flavoring — just a small amount will provide less sugar than preflavored milks. Some varieties (like Ovaltine) contain added vitamins and minerals, too.





Keep in mind that there are many ways to sneak some milk into your child's diet. Serve him puddings, custards, and shakes for snacks. Make his soup with milk rather than water, and add a milk-based sauce or gravy to casseroles.





What if he absolutely refuses? Or if we're vegans?


If your child won't let a drop of milk cross his lips or he can't tolerate it because of an allergy or your family is vegan, you'll want to be very conscientious about making sure he gets all the calories, protein, calcium, vitamin D, and other vitamins and minerals he needs. Your child's doctor or a nutritionist can help. So might these tips:





Some plant foods, like dark green leafy vegetables, broccoli, blackstrap molasses, and brussels sprouts, contain calcium. So do pinto beans, figs, tofu made with calcium, and calcium-fortified fruit juice. These foods don't provide all of the vitamins found in milk, though. They contain no vitamin D, for example, so if your child doesn't drink milk, you'll want to make sure that his multivitamin contains 100 percent of the vitamin D he needs. Also keep in mind that these are not easy substitutions — it takes 4 cups of broccoli to provide the same amount of calcium as 1 cup of milk, for instance.





Some cereals are fortified with vitamin D. Check the labels.





Soy milk can substitute for cow's milk, but check the labels because not all varieties have the same nutritional value. Some are fortified with vitamin D, vitamin A, and/or calcium, while others aren't. The amount of calcium and other nutrients can also vary, so look for those that have the greatest nutritional value.





Yogurt is a great food for those who shun milk or are lactose intolerant. It has the same amount of protein and calcium as milk, but contains much less lactose, so most people who are lactose intolerant can tolerate yogurt. (Note that being lactose intolerant and allergic to milk protein are not the same thing.) Yogurt also contains bacteria that's healthy for the intestines.





Should I buy organic or hormone-free milk for my child?


While there's no conclusive evidence that these kinds of milk are better for children, if you have access to organic or hormone-free milk, you may want to consider the option. Some parents are willing to pay the significantly higher price for milk that's as pure as possible. Read up on growth hormones in milk and organic foods to help you make a decision.





I'm worried about milk allergies. Can I give my toddler soy or rice milk instead of cow's milk?


True allergies to cow's milk are relatively uncommon — only 2 to 3 percent of children are allergic to milk, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), and 95 percent of them outgrow it by age 3.





If your child drank cow's-milk-based formula as a baby without any problems, you can rest easy that he'll have no problems tolerating regular cow's milk. Even babies who were exclusively breastfed for the first year can usually handle regular cow's milk because they've been exposed to cow's milk protein in their mother's milk (unless their mothers avoided all dairy).





If your child drank soy formula because your doctor recommended it, though, check with your doctor before starting him on cow's milk. She may recommend that you start with a soy beverage that's been fortified with vitamin D and calcium. A follow-up formula, made for toddlers, can also be a good choice. Rice milk, on the other hand, is not a good choice for toddlers because it's usually low in protein, calcium, and B vitamins.





Still, it never hurts to arm yourself with information. The main symptoms of milk allergy are blood in the stool, diarrhea, and vomiting. If your child also develops eczema, hives, a rash around the mouth and chin, chronic nasal stuffiness, a runny nose, cough, wheezing, or breathing difficulties, it could be a sign that the respiratory system is being affected by a milk allergy. If your toddler develops any of these symptoms, talk with his doctor.





If it turns out that your toddler is allergic to cow's milk, you'll want to be careful to avoid foods such as cottage cheese, condensed and evaporated milks, ice cream, yogurt, margarine, milk chocolate, and powdered milk. And read labels for sources of cow's milk protein, like casein and whey.
Reply:try high juice apple with some cooled boiled water my daughter loves this but not much else Report It

Reply:put some strawberry or chocolate flavoring in it just enough to slightly alter the taste as her taste buds are more sensitive than yours.
Reply:If a baby don't like something it signs something. Don't try to urge her to drink milk. Give her what she enjoy to eat. It is full scentific. Trust me...
Reply:i think give her juice and just keep tryin with the milk. dont give her the instant breakfasy it will be hard on her belly. try sone formula that might help or talk to your docter
Reply:The whole milk may be just to much for her. Try 2 percent, she will get the same nurishment but less fat. I used to have to put a bit of chocolate mix in my daughters milk or she wouldn't drink it.
Reply:Try Silk it is a soy milk that has as much calcium as milk but it also has alot of protein which is really important for her development.My youngest son had to start drinking it b/c of his adhd and we were so scared that he wouldn't like it but not only did he love it my other kids did to .It comes in different flavors like vanilla ,chocolate,plain and the best part is no more of those hormones that they give the cows is getting pumped into your kids! Hope this helps a little.GOOD LUCK!
Reply:Have you tried her with Semi-Skimmed and Skimmed? I find Skimmed tastes like water and Semi-Skimmed tastes like watered-down milk.
Reply:I have a friend who gives her daughter high calcium mineral water because she will not drink milk.
Reply:I breast feed my daughter for the first year, then I gave her a sippy cup filled with 8th continent vanilla soy milk. She's two this Sunday and very healthy. soy milk is better for females anyway, give her a healthy start.
Reply:My doctor said that you can try the Carnation Instant Breakfast...wont hurt. but if you are feeding her cereal...mix it with milk. She wont know. Or give her soy milk.
Reply:I agree...do what your mom did to your milk. I'm like you, I never like the whole milk but I've never tried Soy Milk. Maybe you should try it, I think she might like it. If your daughter doens't like that, see a doctor. Maybe they have something to help her drink milk. What my mom did is never give me milk. I drank milk only with cereal only because the sugar was in the milk from the cereal but anyways.
Reply:I wouldn't stress about the whole milk thing. My little girl is almost three and when she turned 1, I was all worried about her not having enough milk. Her doc told us that we should not focus on the milk anymore, to let her get what she needed from her food. He said she didn't need anymore milk than what was in her morning cereal.





Also, my little girl was on soy milk and eventually she came around to the taste of the whole milk.





Try not to worry, they'll get what they need :)
Reply:If your daughter has been on soy infant formula, I would suggest that you give her the soy milks that are available. My son is lactose intolerant and was on infant soy formula till he was 7 yrs old. Now he drinks soy milk but prefers the chocolate flavor the best. He is now 16 and very healthy.
Reply:IF SHE DON'T WANT MILK THEN TRY PORIDGE BECAUSE PORIDGE IS NUTRITIOUS. YOU CAN ALSO ADD MILK, HONEY, MARGERINE IN THE PORIDGE.tRUST ME SHE WILL LIKE IT.