How to Choose The Best Milk for Babies After One Year
Parents are always worried about their babies or kids’ health. For them, seeing their kids healthy and happy is always their primary goal. They always include healthy things in their kid’s diet so that they can get all the nutrients that are necessary for their growth. Milk is a common and main element in that diet cause it is considered as a complete food. Research says that breast milk is best for babies under 1 year of age, and after the age of one, cow is considered good for them. But many other kinds of milk are the best milk for babies.
In the below article, we are going to discuss the best milk for babies that will help them in their growth. Let’s dive into the world of the best milk for babies!
Right Time to Introduce Other Milk
If you are a breastfeeding mother, then there’s always confusion in your mind about when you can include other milk in your child’s diet. Remember that breastmilk contains many benefits from nutritional, immunological, and emotional standpoints till your baby becomes one year old. But after that, it becomes a necessity to include other meals or milk (cow milk, plant-based milk, and breastmilk) in your kid’s diet to provide them with all the nutrients; it also can’t support the growth and development of your baby. So, in conclusion, the right time to stop breastfeeding your baby is min. 2 years. Till then, continue with breastmilk (not only breastmilk) to provide them with nutrients.
Best Milk for Babies for One-Year-Old
Under the age of one year, the only milk a kid can drink is breast milk, or if it is not available, then you can feed them formula milk. But after they cross the age of one, you can introduce them to others, i.e., cow milk.
1. Cow Milk
If you want to stop breastfeeding, then you can replace cow’s milk with it. This is because, after one year, a baby becomes open to various varieties of food and milk. Cow milk can become a more significant part of a child’s diet as long as they have a balanced and varied diet. This includes the other source of nutrients. After 2 years of age, whole milk is introduced to babies cause the fat in it supports brain development, which is necessary for the kid’s mental growth.
2. Breast Milk
Though you can start giving other kinds of milk to your baby, you keep them deprived of breast milk. It contains all the nutrients that a baby needs. It not only has nutritional value but also boosts their immune system. There are many advantages it is easily digestive, hydrates them, increases the bond between mother and kid, and also includes fatty acids.
Importance of Cow Milk
Cow’s milk is an important source of nutrition not only for a baby but also for almost all human beings. However, during the first year, an infant’s nutrition is different compared to those of older children and adults. Most infants require a higher intake of essential nutrients like fat, protein, and certain vitamins and minerals. However, it is necessary to introduce cow milk only when an infant crosses the age of one. There are many reasons behind it. Some of them are:
- Cow milk can be a little harder for infants to digest. It contains high levels of protein and minerals, which can create a little pressure on infants’ kidneys.
- The second reason is that cow milk is low in iron, and if you introduce cow milk too early to infants, then it might lead to a deficiency of iron in the baby.
- Cow milk is a common allergen, and introducing it too early may increase the risk of allergies and other digestive issues.
What Food Should Be Avoided
Certain food items must be avoided at any cost to prevent the health of your baby. The below food items are some of those babies aged 12-24 months.
- Food that contains sugars with no calories sweetness must be avoided. This also includes sugar-sweetened and diet drinks.
- Food that contains a high amount of sodium
- Some dairy products like unpasteurized juice, milk, yogurt, or cheese
- Food that is hard to chew and cause choking, like a hot dog, raw vegetable, some hard fruits, hard cheese, popcorn, and nuts.
We also recommend consulting a dietician and checking out whether there is any other food item that can be avoided and is harmful to the baby.
Cow Milk v/s Breast Milk.
There is always a debate about which milk between breast and cow is the best option for a one-year-old baby. So, below are some reasons to conclude the best milk for babies:
1. Nutritional Value
Breast milk is uniquely made for babies and their requirements, it contains elements like antibodies, enzymes, and other components that support the immune system and overall development. Cow milk is a great source of calcium and vitamin D that is important for the growth and development of bones and muscles.
2. Emotional Connection
Compared to cow milk, babies feel more connected to breast milk, which provides them comfort and emotional attachment. Also, it enhances the emotional attachment between the baby and the mother. That is why breast milk is recommended for babies under one year of age and is a perfect option for them.
3. Affordability
On one hand, cow’s milk is heavily produced all around the world, whereas the affordability of breast milk depends on the mother. It is not something that we can buy and sell. In some cases, mothers do not undergo the process of breast enlargement during pregnancy. This leads to no availability of breast milk.
4. Impact on Environment
If we talk about the impact, then the amount of impact breast milk has on the environment is less than cow’s milk. This is because making of cow milk requires a lot of production and transportation that causes air and water pollution. Also, it is said that dairy farming contributes to the emission of many green gases.
Milk For Vegan Diet
First of all, if, as a parent, you are looking for a vegan diet for your kid or baby. Consultation from experts like pediatricians is necessary. They will provide personalized guidelines for what you can feed your baby and what you can avoid for your baby. Compared to cow’s milk, vegan products or milk may not provide sufficient nutrition to the baby. You can prefer this option if your baby is allergic to cow’s milk. Cow’s milk contains vitamin D and calcium, which helps in the growth of muscles and bones, so if you are replacing this dairy product with calcium, make sure that this product fulfills all these requirements.
If the reason is that the baby does not like the taste and texture of cow’s milk, then here is an idea: you can mix a small amount of regular milk with plant-based milk, which will make them use the taste and texture of milk.
Goat’s Milk
If you are introducing goat milk in the diet of the baby, then you must take careful consideration for it. Nowadays, it’s seen that many parents include milk to avoid cow’s milk because of its increased popularity. Though it is equally nutritious as cow milk, before providing goat milk to your baby, you can consult a pediatrician. Most parents most probably give goat milk cause their baby is lactose intolerant or is allergic to cow’s milk. But being a milk or dairy product, it still contains lactose in it, though the amount is less than cow’s milk. Due to this, a lactose-intolerant person can’t handle it better than cow’s milk.
Coming on to the allergy point, goat milk has quite a similar protein structure compared with cow milk. So, it’s not right to say that a person who is allergic to cow’s milk is not allergic to goat milk. There is a high chance of getting allergic to goat milk.
As we all know, babies must be handled with all the care, so replacing goat milk with cow milk is not a decent decision to make as it can be dangerous for the health of your baby.
Non-Dairy Products to Avoid
Babies, after one year of age, are introduced to wider varieties of milk that are necessary for their growth. This also includes some of the nondairy products, but before introducing them to your babies, you must know what must be avoided for your baby. Some nondairy products can harm their health as they may contain allergens, choking hazards, or nutritional concerns. So we bring you some dairy products that must be avoided at any cost for a year-old baby.
- Nut-based milk (almond milk or cashew milk) is popular among adults and is particularly made for them. So, that is why it may not be the best milk for babies.
- Flax Milk mainly contains a source of omega-3 fatty acids but might not be suitable for babies due to its low protein content.
- Soy Milk is considered a good alternative compared to other nondairy products, but some babies might be allergic to it and also can have difficulty digesting it.
- Coconut Milk is the most popular alternative for replacing dairy products but fails to provide the same nutritional benefit as cow milk or fortified non-dairy products.
- Due to the presence of arsenic content and low nutritional value, rice milk must be avoided for the kids till the age of 5.
Conclusion
These were some of the best milk that you, as a parent, can include in your kid’s diet. Also, there are some other ways to provide nutrients to your kid, like juice. Make sure not to stick to milk.
We recommend you consult a pediatrician or registered dietician for detailed information on the child’s diet. They are professional and have specialization in that degree, so you will get proper knowledge of whatever you want to know.
Was this article helpful, and did it give you the proper knowledge of milk for your baby? Let us know in the comment section below.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Milk is Best for Baby Weight Gain?
For the first year of a baby, breast milk is considered the best option. Cause it provides all the nutrients and calories that are necessary for healthy growth and weight gain. But if your baby has crossed the age of one year, cow milk can be considered as it contains a high fat and nutrient profile.
Is Buffalo Milk Good for One Year Baby?
Buffalo milk cannot be included in the diet of your baby. There are many reasons, one of which is that it contains a high amount of fat compared to cow milk. Because of this, drinking buffalo milk can lead to obesity. Which you surely do not want for your child.
How Can I Increase My Baby’s Height?
A child’s height depends on genetics, and there are certain limits to how much you can influence their final height. But if proper nutrients and exercise are provided to them since childhood, then it can create a difference. Just make sure to keep it natural rather than using artificial methods.
Which Milk Gives Height?
Including milk in the diet may affect height cause it contains calcium and vitamin D, which are necessary for bone health and growth. But if you think that only milk can increase the height of your baby, this perception is wrong. With milk, make sure that your kid is getting proteins and nutrients.
