My 2 Year Old Does Not like Milk

My daughter didn't like milk after being breastfed either. So I started her on soy. We later found out she is sensitive to dairy. We now use soy, rice, almond, oat and hemp milks. All for different things. We eventually got the whole family off dairy. It's just not as good for you as they say and there are many alternatives.

Hi, M.. 2 words for you: TRY SOY. Silk makes this stuff they market specifically to kids who don't like milk. It's called Very Vanilla and it tastes like melted vanilla ice cream. Yum-yum! My kids tried it once when the store didn't have regular Silk and it took a LONG time to get them to go back to regular. I still get a carton every now and then to give them as a treat, since I try to limit their sweets. Hope this helps. Good luck!

My oldest daughter still does not like milk. She really didn't like the chocolate or strawberry, but she does like to drink milk if we put coffee in it.

Hi M.,

I 2 year old isn't crazy about milk or cheese although he will eat yogurt. One thing my dr. recommended was creme cheese. Alone on bagels but also she suggested melting it on pasta or something else my boy likes to eat where he won't notice it.

I also noticed my 2 year old will drink milk when he is in his stroller or we are in the car so I always bring the biggest sippy I have when we are on the move.

Good luck

if u are giving her other types of dairy, i don't think u should worry about how much dairy she is getting. just make sure that she is getting all of the other dairy foods that she does like. u can also make sure that she is getting calcium and vitamins from fruits and vegetables, as well as a good daily children's vitamin.

It's not the dairy that she needs, it's calcium. Like others suggested, she will get what she needs by consuming dark leafy greens (kale, collards, broccoli, etc.), almonds, and calcium-fortified orange juice. If she is eating yogurt and cheese, that is plenty of calcium, but healthier choices like those listed above would be ideal. You may give a calcium supplement if you don't think that's enough. Perhaps she'd like soymilk better than cow's milk.

M.,
Don't worry about it. That is so old school that we have to have milk. You can try soy or rice or almond milk. Try mixing them half reg. milk half rice or soy milk. If she likes cheese and yougurt, that is great. Did you know that we are the only species who drinks another mamals milk ??? Pretty strange, wouldn't you think?? If she is a good eater with fruits and veggies, she is getting plenty of calcium.
Best of luck.
N. - Nutrition Naturally
www.jp4ahealthieryou.com

M.,
I suspect the main reason you want your two year old to drink milk is for the calcium and the vitamin D. My son isn't fond of milk either so we give him fortified orange juice a couple times a day and then later a chewy calcium vitamin for kids. Only so much calcium can be absorbed at one time so don't give the vitamin and the o.j. at the same time. There are other snacks that are fortified with calcium and even some vegetables have calcium.

Hi M.,
I have a 3 year old son and I've never given him milk--there are better sources of calcium and Vitamin D (which doesn't occur in milk naturally anyway--it's added in). I give my son a fruit smoothie every morning (orange juice, water, frozen strawberries and frozen pineapple) and I also add fresh baby spinach leaves--I know this may sound weird, but it doesn't really change the taste at all (although it does change the color, so I pour it into a a colored, not clear, cup with a lid and straw). Spinach is a good source of calcium and your daily dose of Vitamin D can be absorbed simply through exposure to the sun about 15 minutes a day.
Hope this helps!
Good luck to you!
B.

Why push it? In most parts of the world, people do not drink cow's milk and are, in fact, lactose intolerant. The dairy industry in this country is big business and we have been convinced that we need to drink milk for our entire lives. Not so in many parts of the world. And here is the best part -- you can get all the calcium and nutirents you need from vegetable sources! Green leafy vegetables are a great source of calcium and the calcium in these foods are more easily absorbed by the body (cow's milk has vitimin D added for this purpose).

Milk is overrated. She's fine with the cheese and yogurt. If you'd like to get more calcium, etc into her, try buying chocolate almond milk or chocolate rice milk. They come fortified with all the same nutrients as milk.

M.:

look on line for sources of calcium... she does not need to drink milk. if she is refusing it it probably means it does not sit well in her system.

P., RLC, IBCLC
Breastfeeding and Parenting Solutions

Of course, she can get dairy vitamins from cheese and yogurt and make sure she's taking a multi-vitamin. Kids who are allergic to milk still get their vitamins and don't suffer horribly. If you really want her to drink milk, start with a way-watered down version, almost all water, then slowly over days, move up the milk ratio. This may trick her into liking the milk flavor.

Good luck!

She really doesn't need to drink milk. What about soy or rice milk? If it's calcium you are worried about, it can be found in lots of other foods, such as someone else mentioned below.

Dairy really isn't very healthy in the first place. I wish I never started my child on milk at all. She drinks way too much milk and I really do not trust the dairy industry. She drinks organic but I still would rather her drink soy or rice milk.

My nearly 4 year old is/was just the same. First of all, kids need less milk than you think and there's even some thoughts that dairy is not so great for us. But, I felt like she should get some, so I just made sure she ate some cheese, yogurt, yogurt smoothies, etc. every day. I also buy calcium fortified orange juice and she loves that. Dark, leafy greens have calcium and so do beans. If your child won't eat them, you can sneak them in things. Jerry Seinfeld's wife wrote a cookbook about how to do this and so did some other woman - can't remember the name, but if you ask at the bookstore about sneaking healthy food into kids' meals they'll probably know. So, between the OJ, cheese stix snacks, cheese on her spaghetti, yogurt with fruit, yogurt pops, etc., etc. I think she gets plenty. I also give her a calcium supplement. They taste great and she has no problem having one a day. Also, when she was 3 I started a "rule": she had to drink a small glass of milk 1 time a day. It can be with any meal or snack so she feels like she has some choice/control, but she has to do it. So she does. Good luck - I think there are lots of options and your 2 year old will be just fine!

My oldest son was like that as well. What helped me to get him to drink milk was to play a game with him. The game that we played was who can drink milk the fastest (I used 4 oz cups/glasses. My son loves to bet me when we play games so that made it easy for me to get him to drink milk. Also, what helped was when I put him in preschool and he saw that other children drinking milk, so he wanted to drink milk. Children loves to get little stickers for doing a good job, so try to give her a gold star or something to that nature when she finish her milk. That might help

My son was the same way and I used to buy the calcium added orange juice which has 35% calcium per glass. After a couple years, he got tired of oj and will now drink milk (with some reluctance).

That's great! Milk is acidic and an inflammatory. Try almond milk. It's very tasty and much better for the immune system. You should contact Dr. Tony at ###-###-####. He's given our family WONDERFUL nutrition tips and wellness care.

My daughter was the exact same way. I did not breast feed though. I gave her Yo J. It had the calcium and vitamins she needed. You can find it in the juice section of the grocery store. I found it at Jewel and Dominicks. I don't think not liking milk is a big deal as long as the child can get the vitamins in another form.

C. T.

M.,

Do not fret. After calves are weened from their mom's they never drink MILK again. The same goes for all other animals.Milk consumption for our children is pushed down our throats to support the dairy association. The human growth hormone, antibiotics, pesticides and other things the cows are given is passed into the milk. I have three children. The oldest boy is 17 and has never drank milk. He does like yogurt and cheese though. The 14 yr.old and 6 year old don't either They all prefer to eat their cereal dry. I use organic rice milk when baking or cooking.(plain not vanilla). My 6 year old drinks chocolate rice milk. My husband uses rice milk in his cereal. They are all growing perfectly fine. There are so many other good sources for calcium-like nuts and green leafy vegetables.Do some research for yourself and I think you'll be convinced.
M.

There's been a lot of research lately that says milk is not good for people past the age of two. We are the only mammals in the world that give our offspring milk after infancy.

Maybe your child has an allergy to milk. Kids instinctively know when something doesn’t agree with them. Does her breath have a strong odor a day or two after consuming a lot of dairy products? My daughter was born with GERD and dairy seems to be an issue. I don’t allow her to have milk, but occasionally cheese or ice cream and only seldom treat her for GERD. I buy orange juice with calcium and really see no other need for dairy. Pay attention to her breath and ask her about her tummy, not about heartburn, a day or two after she consumes dairy. You may learn something new.

Don't worry-looks like she's got a lot of other dairy options. Neither of my kids drink milk, the only dairy my youngest will touch is ice cream. Looks like you are doing fine.

My son used to drink milk with dinner. I recently noticed the cup has been pretty full lately. I switched to vanilla soy milk (kind of sweet). He loves it. It has calcium. What kind of cup are you using? Maybe try a different cup or one with a straw.

All I will say is that I was and still is the very same way. My mom tells me the minute I stopped drinking out of a baby bottle was the minute I stopped drinking milk, no matter what flavor it was. I still don't like milk and won't drink it, but I will add it to coffee or when I do eat cereal, I'll have a little but not too much. I love all other dairy and have never had a problem with other dairy. I've grown up to be 5'9", strong teeth (never needed braces), long natural nails and shoulder length hair...so my point is as long as your daughter gets her calcium from other sources and maintain a pretty nutritious diet otherwise, then she or you won't miss the milk!!! Plus its full of saturated fats (skim is the best though) and you can get the same amount of calcium in the fortified orange juices!

First of all are you giving her whole milk? It is so filled with fat that some children just do not like the taste of it. My son has always said it is like drinking cream. He has always drank skim milk and since he likes cheese, yogurt, cottage cheese, etc. his doctor has always said he is getting enough fat. Children do not need a lot of extra fat.

Another thing you can try is soy milk. Soy formula is closest to breast milk so she may like soy milk.
Another choice is goats milk. Goats milk is already pasteurized and children have less chance of an allergic reaction. You know she is not allergic to milk if she is eating other milk products.

You can always get the vitamins from fruits and vegetables. Do some research on the internet and ask you doctor for some suggestions of good books.
As long as she in not allergic or lactose intolerant there is ways to cook with milk and she will never know. Example: Does she like pudding? Make mashed potatoes with real butter and milk (not substitutes), Put butter on her sandwiches, if making soup try making a cream soup and so on.

Do make sure she gets her daily vitamin. Our son likes the Ester-C (Raspberry), it comes in a little packet and you mix it with water and it turns into flavored water (or as our son says it is like a spritzer.)

Wish I could have been more help..

S.

Milk is actually not very healthy for you anyway. She could get the calcium in other foods. Cheddar cheese has the most calcium of the cheeses. Yogurt has a lot too. Or you could buy soy milk. We buy 8th Continent brand and love it...it tastes like melted ice cream.

I agree with with Rachel C B

Here is a list of other calcium food groups your daughter can have in replace of milk. Kale, Mustard green, Cabbage, Seaweed
Water crest, Tofu, Raw nuts-Almond, Brazil nut, Fortified grains, Collard green, Chick peas, Kelp, Soy bean, Sesame seeds, Red beans, Broccoli.

Vitamin D- Direct sun exposure on your skin for like 15 mins. a day.

There is also soy milk

Remember when one door closes another door opens. : )

If she's eating cheese, yogurt, and sour cream she is getting her dairy. Speak with your pediatrician directly, but in my experience your calcium doesn't have to come from milk solely ... yogurt and cheese are great dairy sources. My son is allergic to milk ... He drinks soy milk and I use it for cooking. We make sure he has a balanced diet and he take vitamins ... he's healthy as a horse!!!

My 7 year old son never liked milk and still refuses to drink it. He does drink strawberry flavored milk occasionally. I don't think you should worry too much, as long as she likes yogurt and cheese, she should be getting enough dairy and protien.