Which Milk is Best to Transition Your Toddler To?
My friend’s son is approaching his first birthday (hooray!) and at his doctor’s visit, the pediatrician told my friend that she can transition him to “any kind of milk, just not more than 24 ounces per day.” There are soooo many kinds of milk on the shelves these days, I think parents could use a little more guidance than “any kind”. Especially when the nutrition profiles vary greatly from one milk to another. But that’s why I’m here, and I’m going to break it down for you!
So my friend asked me, “What milk do you think I should transition him to because I thought whole milk was the way to go?”. And she is right. For most toddlers who are ready to move on from breast milk or formula, whole cow’s milk is my recommendation and I’ll explain why below. But I also want to touch on the timing of this transition, breastfeeding beyond 1 year, and which milk alternative is best for those who need one due to allergy, intolerance, or personal preference.
SO, WHY WHOLE COW’S MILK?
Pasteurized whole cow’s milk that is fortified with vitamin D is the standard recommendation for toddlers 12-24 months old because it’s safe, nutritious, and an important part of a child’s diet.
The fat content, in particular, is important and beneficial for 3 main reasons which are:
- Fat is essential for a child’s brain and nervous system development.
- The higher fat content makes it a concentrated source of energy to meet the calorie demands of growing toddlers with small tummies.
- The fat makes it more satisfying, which is why kids tend to like it better than low-fat options and therefore drink it more readily.
Along with fat and calories, cow’s milk provides many other critical nutrients including:
- Protein
- Calcium
- Vitamin D
- Phosphorus
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin B12
- Potassium
- Riboflavin
- Zinc
- Choline
- Magnesium
- Selenium
So there’s no doubt it’s a nutritious beverage that little ones often depend on to meet their needs as they wean from breastmilk or formula and continue to increase their intake of table foods.
WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO TRANSITION TO WHOLE MILK?
There isn’t one “best” time to transition since all kids develop at their own pace, but in general, it is safe to transition to whole cow’s milk at 12 months old, just not before then. Around a baby’s first birthday, his intestines have matured more and he can properly digest cow’s milk. Prior to this time, large amounts of cow’s milk can cause intestinal bleeding. Also, the kidneys are not mature enough to handle the protein and mineral load before 12 months of age.
Another reason why we transition around 12 months of age is that children are usually eating a variety of table foods by this time, so their diets change from relying primarily on breast milk and/or formula for their nutrition to a variety of table foods with the addition of cow’s milk and other dairy products.
This transition doesn’t have to be at 12 months on the dot. Like I said, kids develop eating skills at different paces just like everything else. If your child had a slower start with solids and is still working up to big kid meals and snacks, you can wait a bit longer to make the transition to whole milk. Talk to your pediatrician to figure out if your child seems ready to transition or needs the nutrition from breastmilk or formula a little while longer. The appropriate time to switch is when your child accepts a variety of table foods from each food group and is eating 3 meals a day plus snacks in between. That can be a better rule of thumb than relying solely on the child’s age. If you decide to wait to make the switch, you can start working on offering expressed breast milk or formula in a cup at meal or snack time rather than a bottle.
And side note- whole milk should never go in the bottle, only a cup! (Preferably an open-faced cup).
WHAT IF YOU CONTINUE TO BREASTFEED PAST 1 YEAR? SHOULD YOU INTRODUCE ANOTHER MILK OR WAIT TO FULLY WEAN?
Of course, nurse as long as you and your baby are enjoying it. I breastfed my daughter until she was about 18 months old. Breastmilk is optimal in meeting a child’s needs and filling in those nutritional gaps that aren’t met with food quite yet. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months and then continued breastfeeding along with appropriate complementary foods until 1 year of age or longer. The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding until age 2 or longer. Those are the recommendations, but you need to do what’s best for you and your child. And if you continue to breastfeed past 12 months, you don’t have to offer another milk yet. You can, but you don’t have to. Whether your child needs another milk nutritionally or not will depend on how often your baby nurses and what other foods your child is consuming. So it depends on your personal situation. If you’re unsure if your baby could use another milk, talk to your child’s pediatrician and seek out a Registered Dietitian who can assess and make recommendations.
If you continue breastfeeding and don’t introduce cow’s milk or a milk alternative, there are a couple of nutrients to keep in mind: vitamin D and calcium.
- Breast milk is low in vitamin D, so your baby should remain on vitamin D supplementation until fortified milk is introduced. Yogurt is usually fortified with vitamin D so that can contribute some, but cheese is not usually fortified.
- Calcium needs increase from 260mg per day at 7-12 months to 700mg per day at 1-3 years. And while breast milk contains calcium that is readily absorbed, it’s not a whole lot. Breast milk contains an estimated 78mg per cup while whole cow’s milk contains 280mg per cup. So if you don’t introduce another milk, just make sure you’re offering other dairy products like yogurt and cheese with a goal of about 2 cups per day. A 1 cup equivalent is 1 cup of yogurt, 1 ½ ounce of natural cheese, 2 ounces of processed cheese, or ⅓ cup of shredded cheese. For those who can’t have dairy, there are other calcium-rich foods and dairy alternatives that are fortified.
On a personal note, I thought it worked nicely to offer whole milk to my daughter at 12 months old in a cup at snack or mealtime while I continued to nurse until she was 18 months old. It was a transition period, so by the time we stopped breastfeeding, she was enjoying whole milk with her meals, and she was ready to let go of nursing. But everyone is different and you should do what feels right for you and your baby.
WHAT IF MY CHILD CAN’T HAVE COW’S MILK OR I PREFER A PLANT-BASED OPTION?
Some kids need a milk-alternative for a variety of reasons. Some children can’t tolerate cow’s milk due to an allergy or intolerance (although lactose intolerance is very rare in toddlers, and there is lactose-free whole milk if needed). Other parents may want a plant-based alternative due to personal preference. For kiddos with allergies, many will do fine on a plant-based milk alternative depending on how many allergies they have and how much variety they have in their diet. Others may need a special hypoallergenic formula to supplement their diet (this is usually the case when multiple food allergies are involved, the diet lacks too many foods, and/or weight gain and growth are lagging). If that is the case, then your doctor and/or dietitian will definitely be involved to prescribe that and monitor your child’s nutrition. For the context of this article, I am talking about plant-based milk alternatives that you see in the dairy aisle at the grocery store. None of these alternatives are completely identical to cow’s milk, but there are more nutritious options than others. Here are a few things to consider when looking for a plant-based option:
- Look at the fat, protein, and calorie content to make sure it’s suitable for a growing child because kids rely on milk for all of these nutrients.
- For example, Almond Breeze Unsweetened Almond Milk provides only 30 calories, 1 gram of protein, and 2.5 grams of fat per 8oz cup. Compared to a cup of whole milk which provides 150 calories, 8 grams of protein, and 8 grams of fat. This almond milk option does not compare and does not provide enough fat or energy to support a child’s growth and development.
- Make sure the milk alternative is fortified with at least calcium and vitamin D because not all brands are. Some will be fortified further with other nutrients found in cow’s milk like the ones I listed above.
- Many plant-based “milk” varieties are sweetened with sugar, which you want to avoid as much as possible since it’s recommended to avoid added sugar before age 2. On the other hand, if you go with an unsweetened version, the calorie and carbohydrate content can dip pretty low.
WHICH PLANT-BASED OPTIONS ARE MOST COMPARABLE TO WHOLE COW’S MILK?
No plant-based milk is completely comparable, but the ones that come closest to whole milk’s nutrition profile are fortified soy milk (which has been around for a long time) and pea milk (which is newer on the market). Another interesting option is Oatly Oat Drink Whole. Let’s take a look at how they match up…
SOY MILK
Fortified soy milk can be a suitable alternative to cow’s milk, like Silk Original Soymilk. Many of the same vitamins and minerals found in cow’s milk are added to soy milk. The fat content is 4.5 grams per cup (compared to 8g in whole milk), so you would just want to make sure you are offering other sources of fat to make up for it such as oil, butter, avocado, hummus, and nut or seed butter. Most original soy milks will contain 5 or more grams of added sugar per cup. Unsweetened varieties are available, but the calories are lower. So if you go that route, offer other sources of fat and carbohydrates to make up for it. Avoid flavored versions that have even more added sugar (like up to 15 grams per cup!).
PEA MILKS
Pea milks are made with pea protein.
Ripple is a brand of pea milk that uses pea protein and water as the main ingredient. Like soy milk, it also has a lower fat content of 4.5g per cup. It also contains 5 grams of added sugar, and it’s fortified with some vitamins and minerals that whole milk has.
Silk Protein is a combination of almond and cashew milk with pea protein and is most similar when it comes to the fat, protein, and calorie content. It contains 8g fat, 10g protein, and 130 calories per cup. It has a lesser amount of added sugar at 2g per cup. It’s fortified with calcium and vitamin D, but it’s not as fortified with the additional vitamins and minerals as the other two I mentioned above. It’s also higher in sodium (230mg per cup vs. 120mg in cow’s milk vs. 90mg in soymilk). The kidneys can handle more sodium at 12 months old and sodium requirements increase from 370mg (7-12 months) to 1000mg (1-3 years) per day. But two cups of Silk Protein per day will provide 460mg sodium, which is almost half of a toddler’s daily needs, so I would just say to be mindful of the additional salt in the rest of the child’s diet. Sodium can add up pretty quickly.
OATLY OAT DRINK WHOLE
Another milk that is interesting is Oatly Oat Drink Whole. This particular brand of oat milk is quite comparable to whole cow’s milk in calories, fat, vitamins, and minerals, but is much lower in protein (2.4g per cup vs. 8g per cup of cow’s milk). If a child’s intake of protein-rich foods is good including eggs, nut/seed butter, meat, fish, and poultry, then this milk could be a suitable option. A young child’s protein needs aren’t super high actually and can be met with small portions of protein-rich foods. However, meat is commonly reported by parents as a non-preferred food, so it will depend on the child’s individual diet and food preferences. A registered dietitian can help make sure your child is getting all the nutrients he or she needs, so definitely seek one out if you need some help!
OTHER FACTORS TO CONSIDER
No milk alternative matches up exactly to whole cow’s milk, but these are the ones that come closest. Of course, there are other factors to consider when making this decision such as food allergies, availability, cost, and taste preference.
Here is a nutrition breakdown of different types of milk so you can see how they compare to whole cow’s milk.
MILK COMPARISON CHART
Nutrients per 8oz cup:
| Type of Milk | Calories | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Added Sugar | Calcium | Vitamin D | Iron | Sodium | *Other vitamins/minerals | Major Food Allergens |
| Whole Cow’s Milk with Vitamin D
(USDA) |
150 | 8g | 8g | 12g | 0g | 280mg | 3mcg (120IU) | 0mg | 105mg | Phosphorus, vit A, vit B12, potassium, riboflavin, zinc, choline, magnesium, selenium | Cow’s milk |
| Lowfat Cow’s Milk (1%)
(USDA) |
100 | 8g | 2.4g | 12g | 0g | 305mg | 3mcg
(120IU) |
0mg | 107mg | Phosphorus, vit A, vit B12, potassium, riboflavin, zinc, choline, magnesium, selenium | Cow’s milk |
| Almond and Cashew Milk with Pea Protein | 130 | 10g | 8g | 3g | 2g | 450mg | 2.5mcg (100IU) | 1.7mg | 230mg | Potassium, vit E | Almond, Cashew |
| Soy Milk | 110 | 8g | 4.5g | 9g | 5g | 450mg | 3mcg (120IU) | 1.3mg | 90mg | Vit A, folate, phosphorus, potassium, riboflavin, vit B12, magnesium | Soy |
| Pea Milk | 90 | 8g | 4.5g | 6g | 5g | 465mg | 6mcg (240IU) | 0mg | 110mg | Potassium, vit A, vit B12 | – |
| Oat Milk | 137 | 2.4g | 6.7g | 16g | 0g | 288mg | 3.6mcg (144IU) | 0mg | 93mg | Potassium, phosphorus, vit B12, riboflavin | – |
| Almond Milk | 60 | 1g | 2.5g | 8g | 7g | 450mg | 5mcg (200IU) | 0.7mg | 150mg | Potassium, vit E, vit A, phosphorus, magnesium | Almond |
| Coconut Milk | 70 | 0g | 4g | 6g | 5g | 460mg | 2mcg (80IU) | 0.5mg | 65mg | Potassium, vit A, vit E, vit B12 | Coconut |
| Cashew Milk | 25 | <1g | 2g | 1g | 0g | 450mg | 2.5mcg (100IU) | 0.5mg | 160mg | Potassium, vit A, vit E | Cashew, Almond |
| *Rice Milk | 120 | 1g | 2.5g | 22g | 0g | 350mg | 3.5mcg (136IU) | 0.6mg | 70mg | Potassium, vit A | – |
| Hemp Milk | 140 | 4g | 6g | 19g | 12g | 263mg | 2mcg (80IU) | 2mg | 130mg | Potassium, magnesium | – |
This chart is for you to see how plant-based milk alternatives compare to cow’s milk. I am not recommending one milk alternative over another as that will depend on someone’s personal situation.
All plant-based milk varieties listed above are fortified with vitamins and minerals meaning they have been added to the product and are not naturally occurring. The vitamins and minerals in cow’s milk are naturally occurring. Not all milk alternatives are fortified and the number and quantity of nutrients may vary from one brand to another, so look at the nutrition facts label and ingredient list to find out.
*Due to the risk of arsenic exposure with excessive intake of rice products, the AAP recommends to not use rice milk as a substitute for cow’s milk. Talk with your doctor if you are using rice milk as a substitute.
Do you have further questions about what milk is best for your toddler? Comment below. I would love to hear from you!
Do you need more detailed help on how to feed your child? I share Ellyn Satter’s feeding philosophy to raise competent eaters who have a healthy relationship with food that will last a lifetime. She has many resources that provide detailed guidance on how to feed children of all ages. Check out her shop here.
**Disclaimer: This post and blog is for informational and educational purposes only and isn’t a substitute for individual medical advice. Talk to your child’s pediatrician and/or dietitian about the right choice for your child as recommendations will vary from person to person.
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