Despite the fact that my little baby girl is now a toddler running all over the place, dancing, singing, and certainly building up a never-ending appetite, she still asks for her milk. We are (not-so-easily) transitioning from bottles to sippy cups and want to ensure that she doesn't affect her natural oral development (as per the dentists' request!). This process can be ever so confusing -- at least we know that what's inside her bottle is clean, fresh and always organic.
According to the EWG's Clean Fifteen and Dirty Dozen, there are many ways to look at which produce to buy: conventional vs organic. But when it comes to dairy, there is no question in my mind that growing children need only the best quality fats, carbs and proteins to assimilate into their rapidly changing and developing bodies.
It is easy to forget how common it is to find growth hormones, antibiotics and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in the common foods we eat, especially in some of our favorite dairy products like ice cream, cheese, and of course, milk. We take this rule pretty seriously in our home, and not to say that we don't ever splurge (which we certainly do!), we really do take the time to value the food that comes into our bodies so that we can thrive instead of trigger any underlying inflammation that may linger (and who knows what else..). Organic dairy. Period. Grass-fed, local whenever possible.
This week, the American Academy of Pediatrics changed its recommendation that weaned babies be fed whole milk until they're 2 years old.
Instead, after weaning, kids at risk of being overweight -- or whose families have a history of obesity, high cholesterol or heart disease -- should be drinking reduced-fat 2% milk between 12 months and 2 years of age.
This is a big change: dietary fats are important and critical for early brain development, as such, whole milk was considered essential for weaned babies up to age 2 years. But recent studies have found that kids given reduced-fat milk developed normally. What's the missing link?
Healthy fats. Medium chain fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids. These must flood the system to overpower the presence of the inflammatory omega 6 oils and trans fats in much of the food we eat, especially when dining out of the house.
After their second birthday, all kids should be switched to low-fat 1% milk, says AAP, but not just any milk in my opinion. Considering the delicate nature and intricate web of hormones that help us thrive and grow, we don't want excess external hormones from cows to be directly fed to our children on a daily basis. Switch it up with organic goat's milk, sheep's milk, and non-dairy alternatives such as coconut, almond, hemp, oat. You can easy whip these up at home or purchase from the store -- but please avoid those containing the carcinogenic ingredient: carrageenan.
There are some great articles you can check out to learn more, one from the American Family Physician, and also from Baby WebMD.