How to Start Your 1-Year-Old on Cow's Milk

After age 1, children need 2 to 3 cups of milk a day (or the equivalent in cheese or yogurt) to meet their calcium needs. As long as they don't have an allergy to milk products, they're ready to make cow's milk their drink of choice. Here's what you should know about making the change.

Things You'll Need

• Baby/infant Training Cups
• Baby Formulas
• Organic Whole Milks
• Soy Milk

Instructions

1. Select whole cow's milk until baby is at least 2. One-year-olds need the extra fat for growth and the development of their brains and nervous systems.

2. Choose certified organic milk whenever possible. Nonorganic milk may contain residues of pesticides, antibiotics and added bovine growth hormone (rBGH).

3. Make a mixture that's 1/2 cow's milk and 1/2 breast milk or formula at first, to ease the transition. Once baby gets used to that, try a ratio of 3/4 cow's milk to 1/4 breast milk or formula. Then move on to straight cow's milk.

4. Serve cow's milk to a breast-fed baby in a cup (sippy cup) and bypass the bottle entirely.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't be in a hurry to give up breast-feeding even if you introduce cow's milk. Breast milk is the best milk for a 1-year-old, too.

• If you introduce soy milk instead of cow's milk, make sure it's fortified with calcium and vitamins A and D. Look for brands with at least 10 percent of the daily value for vitamin A, 25 percent of the daily value for vitamin D and 30 percent of the daily value for calcium per cup.

• Wait until baby is at least a year old before making cow's milk his main beverage. Otherwise, he may be at risk for anemia.

• Fortified rice milk is not usually a good substitute for cow's milk or fortified soy milk - it's too low in protein.