How much milk for 2 year old?

[Baloonphobia]

Hi, my 2 yo dd is constantly asking for milk. She loves it. Is it ok to allow this ad lib or should we restrict it? She's an amazing eater, a bit too good if anything. She's not overweight but is pretty solid. The only other drink she gets is water.

She probably is thirsty and milk while healthy is not as ideal as water for quenching thirst. I would keep a close eye on her weight and food intake and start replacing some of her milk with water if either seem to be becoming a problem.

We offer the water but she just asks for 'more milk'.

Keep the water on the table, and don’t give her the milk. You could choose to bring out the milk only at specific times. If she’s thirsty she will drink the water eventually.

I would say max 1 pint per day. They only need around 300mls

It would never occur to me to limit milk. My 2 and almost 4 yr old have a large breaker when they get up, often more with breakfast (as well as on cereal) 2 yo has another large breaker at bedtime, 3 yr old has a small amount (only because we're trying not to wet the bed though, he'd drink a full breaker if I let him)

We tend to have milk am, pm, and lunch. Water other times, or weak squash.

My DD is 20 months. I do actively limit her milk or she’d drink nothing else. She would drink it over food though. She gets a cup with breakfast, half a cup before nap and then a cup before bed. I’m not ridiculously strict with it, but overall keep an eye on it.

My 4 year old DS I have never limited it and just give him whenever he asks, but then he didn’t have the same obsession with it

Kids don’t need milk at all, but if she loves it moderation is best and encourage the water (do you drink it yourself?). At school my kids are only allowed to drink water and therefore drink loads of it at home too.

I drink a fair amount of milk, love it. She does need to drink water though.

It's about 300mls a day otherwise I think it starts filling them up so they're getting less nutrients from other types of food. Mine gets enough from cereal at breakfast with a half cup of milk. Often has yoghurt or cheese later in the day so I don't allow any other milk. Like most toddlers, she'd drink it all day if I let her but I find she eats her meals much better if she's had no milk and restricted snacks. She'd happily live off milk and snacks otherwise!

I think the NHS recommendation for under 5s is 500ml a day. So anything up to that (taking into account other sources of dairy). I wouldn't serve it with meals though as the calcium blocks iron absorption. At that age, mine had 1-2 250 ml cups a day.

NHS says 300mls from age 1

Sorry, it's 350mls it advises:

Try to give your child at least 350ml (12oz) of milk a day, or 2 servings of foods made from milk, such as cheese, yoghurt or fromage frais.

Semi-skimmed milk can be introduced from the age of 2, provided your child is a good eater and growing well for their age.

I think we'll introduce the semi skimmed. DH drinks a ridiculous amount of tea so she sees the milk being brought out of the fridge for that. We also have a bottle fed newborn so loads of bottles of 'milk' around.