Should I give dd (aged 2) full fat or skim milk?

[ozchick]

Hi, I seem to remember reading that once children are 2 they can happily drink skimmed or semi-skim milk. But I also seem to remember reading somewhere else that a lot of the vitamins in milk are fat soluable and found in greater abundance in full fat milk. So does anyone know what is the recommended practice. My dd is now 2 and pretty chubby and round - ie gorgeous! - so doesn't necessarily need the extra fat if not giving her super-dooper vitamins. She has milk at breakfast time and at bedtime.
Cheers.

You can give semi-skimmed at two, not fully skimmed, that's from 5. If you drink semi-skimmed, so moving her to that would be easier, then move her ...

DS2 was is rather cuddly (!) and was on semi-skimmed from 2yo. As long as they're getting a healthy and varied diet you don't need to worry about nutrional content of milk.

oo, i'm still giving dd who is 3 full fat, of which she has at least a pint a day....should i switch?

They need fat to grow and develop. I would keep her on full fat milk.

It's also a good idea to buy organic milk as it has a far superior nutritional content - especially in terms of omega 3.

we have semi-skimmed but the DS's all have full fat, they are 8, 6, 3 (ds4 is too little for it yet).

organic milk taste 10 x nicer too.

Full fat milk is still low fat at less than 5%. I just think it's healthier for growing bodies.

Dh and I drink skimmed milk and we love it but it is very very watery. I would keep my dc on full fat until they were 5 I think.

i don't think it much matters, really. would go with whats easier. milk is very overrated, nutrition-wise.

i must admit that both mine have generally had whatever is in the house.

What do you mean "milk is very , nutrition-wise"? It's full of good stuff!!!

whoops - missed out 'overrated'!

oh

you want the links?

in a nutshell, its designed to help baby cows grow very very fast. baby cows do not have significant brain growth after birth, wheras I think around 40% of human brain growth occurs post-birth. Different types of fat are needed for young humans to that found in milk.

It has vitamins but not that much really, nothing if a kid is getting a varied healthy diet.

I love milk but don't see it as in any way a health food.

(in cow's milk obv. The main problem is over the saturatedness of the fats in cow's milk. but even so, its not great.)

I moved ds1 to semi-skimmed at 2, but then moved him back to full fat at 3 as he was dropping down the weight charts. It seemed to do the trick, but my dcs are great lovers of milk. Ds1 will still drink over a pint a day at 6.

I know a dairy farmer who thinks that organic milk is a load of, erm, rubbish to put it politely. Says it is very difficult to prove and that nutritionally no different. But then he is a big strapping lad brought up on milk straight from the cow's udder (from very well looked after and beautiful cows!)

Well he may think it's rubbish, but have a look at this:
why organic milk

And I know that milk is produced for baby cows - but it doesn't mean to say that there isn't good stuff in it for baby or grown up humans.

And, with respect fillyjonk, lots of people don't have good enough diets - drinking milk is a good way to help!!!

My DSs went onto semi-skimmed aged 2 but they tend on the chunky side. They do have other full fat dairy every day in addition though.

and we dont have organic anything unless it is reduced or on special because we can't afford the extra cost at the moment.

ok well i don't agree with you biwi but don't have time to link.

agree milk tastes nice but its not great stuff

Agree with fillyjonk that milk isn't essential at all once weaned, though it does have some useful elements of course, which can also be got from other foods. And some children can't or won't drink it anyway. Therefore logically I see no reason why they can't have skimmed or semi-skimmed... though obviously if you were trying to get extra calories into a lightweight child and it was a major part of their diet you'd choose differently.

Some people (not the enlightened cognoscenti of Mumsnet of course) misunderstand the milk thing - my dear Mum was one (bless her) and used to worry obsessively that mine refused milk completely - she was brought up in the war years when the importance of milk was drummed into parents, and it probably did have a vital role to play then with fewer foodstuffs available. From listening to my Mum you'd think that cow's milk is designed by Nature for children and vice versa and they can't possibly survive without it!

I really dont understand the problem people have with accepting that milk is a good source of nutrition for children. It has protein, very little fat (even in full fat milk) and is a useful source of vitamins-not to mention calcium.
So what is the problem?
And when you have a child with a limited diet, as with my DS5 who has Aspergers, it really is a lifesaver.

My dd is gorgeously chunkly too and becasue of weight problems I had as a child I do not want to add to hers.
She is on organic skimmed (age 2)and is more than thriving.She gets plenty of other dairy in the form of cheese and yoghurts so do not feel she is deprived in any way or suffering for it.

Gosh thanks everyone, I'm not sure we've reached much of a concensus (classic mumsnet ) but all good info. I think I will keep her on full fat but not get to worried if there is only semi-skimmed in the house. I do agree that organic is MUCH nicer.