When To Introduce Dairy Products To Babies

When Can My Baby Start Eating Yogurt, Milk And Cheese?

When raising a little one, you may face seemingly endless questions – but we’re here to help.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) worked together with the National Dairy Council to develop a baby feeding guide to help parents understand when they can introduce foods to their children and how. It’s a good reminder that every baby is unique and some may need more, or less, time before they develop their “taste” for specific foods.

When it comes to beverages, the recommendations are just as clear. Based on guidelines from leading peditric organziations, the best approach for children aged 1 year and older is to stick to cow's milk and water. Here's a closer look at the breakdown. 

• Under 6 months: Only breast milk and/or formula is recommended
• 6-12 months: Starting solids but continuing some breast milk and formula. Introduce 1 cup of water during meals
• 12-24 months: 2 to 3 cups of whole cow's milk per day. 1-4 cups of drinking water per day
• 2-3 years: 2 cups of low-fat or skim cow's milk per day. 1-4 cups of drinking water per day
• 4-5 years: 2.5 cups of low-fat or skim cow's milk per day. 1-4 cups of drinking water per day

Here's a more detailed look at some information and tips it shares when come to milk, cheese and yogurt:

0-6 Months: Breast Milk Only

Exclusive breast milk is recommended as your baby’s sole source of nutrition for the first six months of life. For infants not breastfed, iron-fortified infant formulas are appropriate substitutes. Food allergies, including dairy milk allergy, are rare and typically develop in the first two years after birth and decline through childhood. Pediatric and health organizations recommend introducing potentially allergenic foods, including dairy foods, after the first six months. Work with your pediatrician or a qualified healthcare provider to determine when and how much food you should introduce to your baby for healthy growth, including brain development.

6-12 Months: Yogurt and Cheese

It is recommended that breastmilk remains a primary source of nutrition for your baby’s diet until one year of age. However, when your baby is developmentally ready, you can start to gradually introduce complementary foods that are semi-solid or semi-liquid. Fortified infant cereal is often recommended; however, according to the AAP, single-ingredient foods can be from any food group, as long as the baby is developmentally ready. Some readiness cues include:

• Being able to sit up
• Having good head control
• Opening his/her mouth for a spoon
• Being able to move food to the back of the mouth to swallow

The first foods offered should provide iron and zinc such as fortified infant cereals and pureed meats. Initially, these complementary foods are offered in small amounts in addition to breastmilk and gradually increase in variety and amount. At this point, you can try to introduce your baby to whole milk yogurt and cottage cheese (the recommended serving size for an 8- to 12-month-old child is about 1/4 to 1/2 cup). It may take time to gain acceptance of a new food, so don’t worry if it takes several attempts before the child accepts it.

Around 9 months old, children may be ready to start trying finger foods such as a half-ounce serving of cheese. How will you know? Some key signs include: 

• Oral skills to handle non-liquid foods
• Interest in food by bringing foods to the mouth
• Ability to grasp objects

12 Months: Whole Milk

After your baby’s first birthday, you can start to serve pasteurized plain, whole milk. As part of a healthy diet for 1- to 2-year olds, the 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) recommends 1 2/3- to 2-cup equivalents of diary foods (whole milk, yogurt, cheese) depending on daily calorie needs.  According to experts, most toddlers need the extra calories from the fat found in milk. It is also the numner 1 food source for energy, protein, calcium, vitamin D, potassium, vitamin A, magnesium and zinc for this age group. 

You can download our full report, "Science Summary: Dairy Foods Help Nourish Infants and Toddlers," to lean more. 

Be sure to check out the baby feeding guide for the full story on all types of foods you can feed your baby, and visit the American Academy of Pediatrics’ blog at HealthyChildren.org for more tips!

Common Factors That Influence the Introduction of Dairy Products to Young Children

Understanding how children develop milk consumption habits can provide insight into when and how to introduce dairy to infants and babies. During the session “Want Milk: Exploring Students Milk Preference and Perceptions,” researchers from the Institute of Child Nutrition at the University of Southern Mississippi presented data on what factors influence milk consumption in young children.

Researchers found that elementary and middle school children believed milk is important and recognized milk helps build strong bones, teeth and allows for optimal growth.  However, only half of 3rd-5th grade students and 57 percent of 7th grade students believed they drink enough milk. Interestingly 78 percent of the school nutrition staff believed that their students drank adequate amounts of milk.

So, while children are aware of the potential benefits that dairy foods can provide, this knowledge is not translated into action. Factors identified by the researchers that appeared to influence the children’s milk consumption included:

• Packaging: Paper cartons can be difficult to open, the taste of paper cartons was described as unpleasant, and middle school children reported the cartons to be too small in size.
• Texture: Chocolate milk is perceived as being thicker while white milk is considered “watered down.” More than 50 percent of the children preferred chocolate milk.
• Age group-specific marketing: 60 percent of elementary school children said that social media posters influence their milk purchases while middle schoolers said that advertisements are too childish.
• Temperature at serving: Students indicated that warm or room-temperature milk is unpalatable and discourages consumption.

For toddlers with confirmed dairy milk allergy, lactose intolerance or parental preference to avoid dairy foods, the only acceptable plant-based alternative to dairy milk is an unsweetened fortified soy beverage. Other plant-based beverages lack or fall short of key nutrients found in dairy milk and have been linked to nutrient deficiencies and metabolic imbalances.

You can download our full report, “Science Summary: Dairy Foods Help Nourish Infants and Toddlers,” to learn more.