Dairy is rich in several essential nutrients that can help you keep healthy. With fast-growing bodies, bones, and brains, children can benefit from eating and drinking dairy foods and beverages as a regular part of their diet.
But how much dairy do children need each day? And what can happen if they don’t or can’t have dairy?
Keep reading to learn about which essential nutrients this food group provides, dairy recommendations for kids, and how to ensure your child meets their needs — with or without dairy.
Nutrition Needs for Growing Children
A nutritious diet is important for everyone, regardless of age. But it’s critical for children, whose brains and bodies grow and develop quickly from infancy through adolescence. A healthy diet supplies essential nutrients to support strong bodies and healthy brains.
Eating healthy foods can lower your child’s risk of obesity and high cholesterol when they get older. Healthy diets may also help kids perform better in school, sports, and social activities.
All children need a variety of nutritious whole foods each day, including these and other options:
- Dairy foods and beverages, such as milk and yogurt, or nondairy equivalents.
- Fresh or frozen fruits and vegetables.
- Legumes (beans), including lentils, chickpeas, and black, kidney, and pinto beans.
- Nuts, nut butter, and seeds, such as peanuts, almonds, and sunflower, pumpkin, or chia seeds.
- Proteins like eggs, tofu, chicken, turkey, fish, and lean meats.
- Whole grains like oats, brown rice, quinoa, and whole wheat products.
Each food group contributes a unique blend of nutrients, including carbohydrates, fat, protein, vitamins, and minerals. Eating from all of the food groups helps ensure kids get their necessary nutrients.
Nutrients in Dairy Foods
Dairy is a key component of a healthy diet for children for many reasons. It provides significant amounts of protein, which is crucial for growing bodies. Dairy is famous for its calcium, which is essential for building healthy bones and teeth. It also provides building blocks for early brain development.
In addition, dairy provides essential and other nutrients for children’s growth, development, and health. These include:
- Minerals — Like selenium and zinc, which support immune health.
- Vitamin A — For healthy vision, skin, and immune health.
- Vitamin B12 — For healthy red blood cells and nerve function.
- Vitamin D — To help the body absorb calcium for strong bones and teeth.
Kids get the most health benefits from these dairy foods:
- Cheese, including cottage cheese.
- Kefir (a yogurt-like milk beverage).
- Milk.
- Yogurt.
Ice cream, frozen yogurt, and desserts like custard and pudding are also dairy foods. But these are often high in sugar, making them less nutritious. Including several servings of healthier dairy foods and beverages daily is the best way for kids to get maximum nutrients.
Can Babies Have Dairy?
Yogurt, cheese, and dairy cooked in foods is safe to offer children before the age of 1. However, infants can’t digest the protein and fat in milk, so you shouldn’t give a child milk to drink before they’re 1 year old.
How Much Dairy Should a Child Eat a Day?
Doctors advise giving your child whole milk from ages 1 to 2. Whole milk provides the extra fat their brains need to develop. After age 2, kids can have low-fat or skim milk.
The amount of milk and/or dairy kids need a day depends on their age:
- 1- to 2-year-olds — Two servings of whole or full-fat dairy.
- 2- to 8-year-olds — Two to two-and-a-half servings of dairy.
- 9- to 18-year-olds — Three servings of dairy.
These foods and beverages count as one serving of dairy:
- 1 cup (8 ounces) of regular milk or calcium-fortified soy milk.
- 1 cup (8 ounces) of regular yogurt or calcium-fortified soy yogurt.
- ⅓ cup of shredded cheese.
- 1 cup of cottage cheese (or two 1/2 cup servings).
- 1 1/2 ounces of natural cheese (like cheddar, Swiss, or mozzarella).
Remember, children’s appetites often vary. Some days, they may eat or drink less dairy; on other days, they may get more. What’s important is that dairy foods (or dairy substitutes) are a regular part of their diet.
You can help your child meet their dairy goals by offering milk with meals and yogurt or cheese as a snack.
Who Shouldn’t Eat Dairy?
Even though milk and other dairy foods offer health benefits, they’re not a good choice for all children. For example, kids with lactose intolerance can experience bloating, cramps, or diarrhea from dairy foods.
Children with a milk protein allergy should avoid dairy or foods made with milk. For kids with this allergy, consuming dairy foods can cause:
- Growth problems.
- Hives or skin rashes.
- Nausea or vomiting.
- Tingling or swelling of the mouth, lips, or tongue.
- Trouble breathing.
Call your doctor if your child has symptoms after drinking milk or eating dairy foods. They can test for a milk protein allergy and tell you if your child must avoid dairy.
Some families may choose to avoid dairy foods for dietary preferences, like a vegan diet. Regardless of the reason, if your child avoids dairy, it’s important to provide other foods (and sometimes supplements) to fill the void.
Healthy Nondairy Substitutes for Kids
Skipping dairy may leave nutritional gaps that affect a child’s growth and development. Finding a single replacement for milk or dairy foods can prove difficult. But adding a variety of the following foods to your child’s diet can help close any nutrition gaps:
- Calcium-fortified juice — This can supply calcium, though juice doesn’t provide protein and may not contain vitamin D.
- Calcium- and vitamin D-fortified soy or other plant milk — Fortified soy milk is a close substitute for regular milk, but other plant milks are low in protein.
- Fortified soy or other plant yogurt — Check the labels on these products because their nutrition content varies.
- Sardines, salmon, or other tinned (canned) fish with bones — These are high in protein, calcium, and vitamins B12 and D.
- Tofu made with calcium sulfate — This provides protein, calcium, and significantly more iron than milk. However, it’s low in vitamin D.
If your child avoids dairy for a health condition or other reasons, work with a Registered Dietitian. They can help you plan meals and snacks to ensure your child gets the right nutrients from other foods or supplements.