Milk and Milk Products for Children

Milk and milk products are important sources of calcium.

The essentials in brief:

• Three portions a day: e.g. a glass of milk, a little yoghurt and a slice of cheese.
• Milk and dairy products are good sources of calcium and protein.
• Products such as strawberry milk or fruit yoghurt often contain too much sugar.

Milk and milk products are important sources of calcium. Adequate intake of calcium is important for the growth of bones and teeth and prevents bone diseases in old age.

A portion is a glass of milk or a cup of yoghurt, quark, soured milk or buttermilk. Since milk and dairy products also contain fat in addition to the important calcium and high-quality protein, you should reach for the lower-fat products with 1.5 percent fat in the refrigerated section.

If children prefer whole milk, fat must be saved in other meals. Skimmed milk and yoghurt with only 0.3 percent fat or less are not recommended. The strong skimming not only removes the fat, but also a large part of the valuable ingredients.

Dairy products especially for children – does it make sense?

The way along the refrigerated counter seems endless, so huge is the range of yoghurt, mixed milk drinks, quark, pudding, etc. In particular, the selection of products specially tailored to children is almost unmanageable.

You make a good choice with products without any additives, i.e. milk, natural yoghurt, quark or sour milk. You can spice it up at home without much effort with some fruit, fruit puree or herbs.

Finished fruit yoghurts or mixed milk drinks often contain a lot of sugar, other additives and usually only have a very small amount of fruit.

If the child refuses milk, homemade cocoa can be an alternative. Watch out for the sugar content. Instant powders often contain a lot of sugar. A teaspoon of instant cocoa can contain up to four grams of sugar. This corresponds to 1.5 sugar cubes. It is better to mix your own cocoa from milk (with 1.5 percent fat) and pure cocoa and less sugar. Incidentally, because of their high nutritional value, milk and cocoa are not considered drinks. They do not replace a real thirst quencher at mealtimes.

Of course, cheese is also a dairy product and is also a good source of calcium. When choosing, you should choose varieties with a fat content of max. 45 percent fat. A portion of cheese is a slice the size of your child’s palm.

Although cream also belongs to the dairy products, it is assigned to the extras at the top of the pyramid due to its high fat content. That means you only use them every now and then.

Caution with raw milk: Raw milk that has not been heated is unsuitable for children, as it can contain foodborne pathogens. Be sure to boil beforehand!