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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

What milk do you give your children?

182 replies

MrsPreston11 · 13/04/2018 12:05

Just seen on another thread.

Mine had full fat until a few months ago and I swapped to semi skimmed so I wasn't buying 2 milks. And I've been informed by oldest (6) its semi at school.

Should I still be giving them full fat? They're both 50%-ish height and weight, can be taller and slimmer when in growth spurts.

OP posts:
vcrees6 · 13/04/2018 12:20

Full fat and organic. Children need nutrient dense food to grow (so fat and protein). It helps them reach satiety quicker so they don’t overeat.

UrgentScurryfunge · 13/04/2018 12:21

Oat milk due to a history of allergies and intolerance to cows milk. We use other dairy such as butter and cheese.

If there wasn't an issue, we would use full fat. It's only 4% so a low fat product anyway. There are benefits for metabolising other nutrients and I prefer to use foods in their original form. We are all of healthy weight and the DCs have a very lean look.

Xmasbaby11 · 13/04/2018 12:21

Full fat for my dc 4 and 6. They do drink it as well as have it on cereal. I thought it was better for them than semi but the 6yo is putting on weight so maybe I should switch to semi.

bottleofredplease · 13/04/2018 12:22

You really think we are meant to drink the milk from the udders of cows?? I don't. Breast of human for humans. Udder Of cow for calves. Would you drink dogs milk? Or horses milk? Hmmm

firstworldproblems2018 · 13/04/2018 12:23

DD is almost 9, DS is 5.

DD drinks milk as a drink most days and very occasionally on cereal. DS won’t drink milk as a drink but has it on cereal most days. We buy semi skimmed and skimmed, and they have whatever’s there, usually semi skimmed but sometimes give them skimmed especially if DD has had a couple of glasses already in a day.

Both are healthy weight.

idontevengohere · 13/04/2018 12:26

They're 5,3 and 2 and they all have semi-skimmed.

I wouldn't drink it at all or have it in the house if it wasn't for not being able to find an alternative that I like in tea. I don't think it's good for me or the kids, and it's certainly not good for the cows. But then I guess I'd have to be veggie to say that without being a hypocrite.

They like Oatly when I've tried it but I don't like it in my tea.

DairyisClosed · 13/04/2018 12:29

No one should be having semiskimmed milk. Ideally one should drink goats or sheep's milk because they are more nutritious and gentler on the stomach. If one cannot palate them then full fat milk is acceptable. Semiskimmed milk lacks nutrients because a lot of the fat soluble nutrients are skimmed off with the cream.

dementedpixie · 13/04/2018 12:30

Semi skimmed here although we aren't big milk drinkers so a small amount lasts a long time

Windy1234 · 13/04/2018 12:30

Just piping in to say the dairy industry is not a terribly cruel industry, dairy farmer here. And the British welfare standards are so high, there is no hormones or anything else added to any milk, farmers get their milk rigorously tested each time it is picked up and there can be no impurities,dirt, medication etc in it. Milk is very beneficial for children.

DairyisClosed · 13/04/2018 12:31

@bottleoffred most (not all mind you) humans have evolved to consume dairy.

sendthecoffee · 13/04/2018 12:31

Mine are 6, 5 and 3. They all drink full fat milk. I buy skim for me but my oh drinks full fat as well.

FindoGask · 13/04/2018 12:31

Full fat for all of us. I don't see the point of semi-skimmed milk, unless you prefer the taste, which we don't.

PistFump · 13/04/2018 12:32

We buy both ds and I have blue and dh prefers green. Ds is very very slim, I am very very large and heavily pregnant.

idontevengohere · 13/04/2018 12:33

Why do you not think it is cruel @Windy1234?

ThanksForAllTheFish · 13/04/2018 12:33

DD is 8 and now has semi skimmed milk at her own request. I used to buy full fat for her but the ‘healthy eating’ classes at School have told her it’s bad and she should have semi skinned milk and low fat yoghurts. If we only have full fat milk in then she refuses milk altogether.

I do worry as she is very slight, her weight is around the 7th centile (not checked in a while as I don’t like to weigh her too often) and she eats very, very little as it is. She often asks me if she looks fat and stares at her self in the mirror whilst prodding her (completely flat and muscular) tummy. I worry the schools obsession with healthy eating and low fat foods is pushing her towards an unhealthy relationship with food and her body. I currently have to take in / stitch the waist band of all her clothes (ie: leggings in age 7-8 are a good 2/3 inches too wide).

I’m actually considering buying full fat milk again and switching over the blue top for an old green one to trick her into drinking full fat milk again. I already do all sorts of things to try to make sure she eats enough calories but it’s hard when she physically eats so little.

idontevengohere · 13/04/2018 12:35

I couldn't bear full fat milk as a child, I thought it was disgusting (and still do) which is part of the reason we buy semi, we just buy one milk for all of us and as some people live without drinking cow's milk at all I'm sure it's fine.

Windy1234 · 13/04/2018 12:35

Because I experience it every day. Our cows are the happiest cows you could imagine, they get looked after impeccably and also live nice full lives. Happy cows don’t produce milk, plus our farm is organic even better Smile

idontevengohere · 13/04/2018 12:36

That's lovely Windy, though with all due respect yours isn't the only farm to exist.

Idontdowindows · 13/04/2018 12:37

Semi, but we're a family of milk drinkers and even now it's not unusual for several litres a day to disappear.

Thishatisnotmine · 13/04/2018 12:37

Full fat organic for all of us including 3 year old and dd2 who will be one in a couple of weeks.

If we lived somewhere where I could get milk from very local dairy cows I would but in the middle of Birmingham I get the best I can. Drinking milk is a personal preference but sourcing a local product has got to be better in my mind than almond or soy milk processed and shipped from all over the world. But we are fortunate not to have allergies.

I am currently drinking a cup of coffee made by a colleague with skimmed milk. What's the point!? It is just a slighlty lighter shade of black coffee!

ColdTattyWaitingForSummer · 13/04/2018 12:38

I drink skimmed in coffee and soy on cereal (prefer the taste, plus doesn't set off my ibs). Teen ds has semi skimmed (hates the taste of my skimmed!) ds(11) will use whatever is in the fridge, I did buy him full fat as a toddler when I stopped bf, but the hv told me to switch to semi as he was on the heavier side.

Heatherbell1978 · 13/04/2018 12:39

1 and 3 year old both have full fat and I buy semi-skimmed for us as well although if I had to have one I'd just buy full fat for us all.

BayLeaves · 13/04/2018 12:42

You really think we are meant to drink the milk from the udders of cows??

What does “meant to eat” even mean? Surely we aren’t “meant” to eat anything. Humans just discover foods and if they’re not poisonous we eat them.

onemorecakeplease · 13/04/2018 12:43

Semi skimmed they don’t like the full fat one so haven’t had it since they were little

8 and 5 now

Slievenamon · 13/04/2018 12:44

I don't think cows milk is good for people. It is for baby cows. It is made to make them grow rapidly. Only the countries with obesity problems drink milk

Thats bollocks though, isn't it?