How much dairy does a 15mth old need daily?

Question

My son has decided that he doesn't like milk..I've found other means of giving him the calcium he needs, via other Y!A from yesterday.

my question is, how much hard cheese, whole milk yogurt, or whatever else I can get my hands on, does he need during the day?

he's 35lbs, 3ft tall, very energetic and has a very healthy appetite.

In all other senses, he is like a 2yo, in clothing, appetite, growth, etc....do I need to take this into account when it comes to his food too?

Answer 1

None at all.  There is no single food that is necessary for a child (or adult.)  (Think about all the kids who are allergic to dairy.)

If he likes cheese and yogurt, by all means offer him some in his meals.  Otherwise, a good varied diet is all that is necessary. (If he's taking few calcium containing foods, a children's vitamin is a good extra bit of insurance.)

Answer 2

I'm so glad that you are paying attention to what good foods your baby needs! Keep it up.  Sometimes it is hard to feed a "balanced" meal to a youngster when they don't eat everything you make, and they start to fixate on one food item that they really like.  Just keep trying to offer different sources and types of food and you'll be fine.  Try to stay away from fast food sites, sugary snacks and food, and bake food versus deep fat fry.

Right now, you can get creative by blending fruits and veggies that your toddler won't eat and mixing with potatoes, or making a blended drink with.

Also for the future, get creative with your food: research family sites for food recipes that make food look like desserts and fun things like that.  There's recipes for making

a cupcake meal: meatloaf in a cupcake liner, topped with whipped potatoes that have been colored to look like frosting.

I love this site: Baby Center. You can get emailed info for developmental stages, and of course you can search the site for more questions.

Here's what I found:  2 to 3 servings dairy (1 serving = ½ cup milk, ½ to 1 oz. cheese, 1/3 to ½ cup yogurt or cottage cheese)

Here is the whole link for Toddler's age by age guide for feeding.

hope this helps

Answer 3

When I took my 17 month old to her 15  month check up, I was concerned because she does not like milk. We are lucky to get her to drink 2 cups a day. She also eats a yogurt every day. My pediatrician said that was more than enough. You may just want to ask your pediatrician and get their take on it. My daughter is quite a bit smaller than your son. She is 31 in. and 22 pounds. Good Luck.

Answer 4

he is a very healthy baby and growing everyday have him try chocolate milk using skim or soy milk even 2% milk is good if not maybe one yogurt with everymeal as dessert!