16 month old refusing to drink milk

[Cato9lives]

Hi there, hoping someone can help...
My 16 month old has decided over the past couple of weeks that she no longer likes to drink milk. She takes a sip and then backs away when she realises what it is! She will have it with cereal but she's getting nowhere near the recommended minimum 12oz per day. I know that dairy products like cheese and yogurt can count towards her daily amount, but the only yogurt I can find with added calcium and vitamin d is petit filous which has the equivalent of a teaspoon of sugar in every tiny pot! Does anyone have any recommendations of a calcium / vit d supplements suitable for under 2s? Or any food products that are fortified without containing a cr*p load of refined sugar? I don't mind her having natural sugars but generally try to avoid anything with added sugar.
Any advice would be much appreciated 🙏 x

Some children just outgrow milk; its normal...my ds did the same around 2 years old and up to now he'll not have a drop of milk. its only ever added to his weetabix in the morning. Try the "Well baby" vitamin.

Hi ISayItLikeItIs, thanks for your reply. I understand that kids outgrow milk eventually. The reason I post this question is because the NHS and other health guidelines recommended that babies under 2 yrs old have at least 12oz of milk per day. My daughter is only 16 months. There must be many parent who's babies can't have animal milk so I'm just wondering what the alternatives are.

No advice I’m afraid but I’m having the same problem so watching with interest. My DD won’t even have milk on cereal and won’t eat yoghurt so we’re doing the best we can with dry cereal (some have added calcium), cheese and pancakes.

The Wellbaby vitamins I’ve found don’t contain calcium until you get to age 4+

Parmiggiano Reggiano, the real stuff, not the British-made parmesan has the highest calcium content of all cheeses. You can add it to pasta, risottos, soups, or even have pieces of it as it is.
Several beans have good amounts of calcium and they are so healthy on so many levels it is great to include them in kids' diet.
If she is not allergic to nuts, almonds are a great source. Chocking hazard at there age, so use them in cooking. You can crumble almonds in a food processor with fresh herbs, sweet paprika and use the crumble mixture to coat chicken or tofu and bake them in the oven. With tofu, double benefit, because it is already rich in calcium.
Then of course, you have your leafy greens. Spinach is NOT a good source, as the body can't absorb it because of the oxalates. Kale is great but unless exposed from young age, many kids will reject it. Kale chips in the oven are on the other hand quite successful.
Small fish such as anchovies are rich in calcium because you eat the bones as well. You can chop and melt the anchovies in a small pan, before adding passata and then some low sodium tuna to make a pasta sauce.

Calcium is present in far more foods than just milk. iHerb has a good selection of children's calcium supplements if you want to check them.

Don't fret give them; Yoghurt, cheese, Kefir etc

Wow! Thank you Matcha Tea for such a comprehensive reply. There are definitely suggestions there that I can work with. Particularly parmesan, beans and almonds! Brilliant

Of all beans, soy has the most and is also so delicious. Edamame are great for small kids and the mum as well! You can find them in the freezer section of the supermarket.
Then the white beans family, from cannellini to Spagna beans. Baked beans are too high in sugar and salt and the low sugar ones have artificial sweetener , opt for salt free sugar free beans and rinse them well.
Chia seeds are quite high in calcium as well and chia puddings are dead easy to do. A ton of recipe online and when you prepare it with almond milk, double bonus on calcium front. Use homemade apple sauce to sweeten it, or some dates. Triple calcium as dates are rich in calcium as well. If you soak dates in a bit of boiling water for 30 min and then been the mix into a syrupy liquid it is perfect for chia pudding.
Don't give her un-soaked chia seeds. They must soak all night.

Calcium is actually present in so many whole foods, it will add up. And in whole foods the other minerals will be present in variable amounts, so you get the potassium, magnesium, manganese, ... and they all work together.

My DC never liked cow's milk as babies/toddlers. I breastfed them until they were just under 24 months, but by 16/18 months they weren't breastfeeding very much, just before sleeping really, and I obviously have no idea how much they were taking.

12oz is just over half a pint isn't it? Milk on cereal, cheese sauce, parsley sauce, and other sources of calcium as mentioned above should easily cover it.

You don't need to buy yoghurts with added vitamins. Just buy good quality full fat natural yoghurt (like Yeo Valley) and add a some fruit/honey if you want to. My DC always liked plain yoghurt as a side/dip with savoury food like curries, rice, pittas etc. too.

Are you letting DD drink milk from her own cup rather than offering a bottle? A new special cup might help, and a pinch of cinnamon in warm milk at bedtime can be appealing. You could also try plant milks and see if she prefers them to cow's milk.

Anyway. In brief, as long as she's eating reasonably well, getting enough fluids and thriving I really wouldn't worry. If you really want her to have milk, just continue to offer a small amount in a nice 'big girl' cup a couple of times a day and she might go back to it.

None of mine ever liked cows' milk. I breastfed them til somewhere between a year and 18 months and after that they drank mostly water. They had either yogurt or oat milk on cereal.

The NHS guideline is presumably just there because milk is perceived as being the easiest way to give children calcium? My mother was scandalised that I didn't make my children drink cow's milk, there was a lot brainwashing in the past that children wouldn't survive without it! Actually, they do. If they like it fine, if they don't, no stress.

Calcium is present in far more foods than just milk. iHerb has a good selection of children's calcium supplements if you want to check them.

This. Lots of children have dairy intolerance too, check what their parents do.

maybe this is helpful?
www.brauer.com.au/health-library/5-easy-dairy-free-ways-to-support-your-childs-calcium-intake/

Alpro do soy and oat toddler milks that are fortified, you can find them in the uht milk section of larger supermarkets.
This was recommended by a dietitian for my dairy free grandson as a suitable dairy milk replacement