During dietary diversification, theintroduction of dairy products often raises questions! What foods do they correspond to exactly? Can they be theequivalent of milk as we often read? From when should they be offered to baby and what quantities should be given? Which dairy products are recommended and which should be limited or avoided? As you can see, this article has many more answers to your questions!
What is the point?
Dairy products include yoghurt, fromage blanc, petit suisse and faisselle. A portion is usually 125g of yoghurt, 100g of fromage frais, 60g of Petit Suisse or 100g of faisselle. I would point out thatone petit-suisse, in its plain and whole milk version, is enough because it is higher in calories and protein. In the same quantities as a yoghurt (about 125g), it would gradually weaken baby's kidneys!
Theadvantage of consuming dairy products in our diet, whether for your child or for us adults, is that they provide protein , but especially fatty acids and calcium :
- Proteins are involved in the renewal of muscular tissues, phanera (hair, nails, hair), the bone matrix, the skin, etc.
- Fatty acids are involved in brain development and the maturation of the nervous system.
- Calcium is a mineral that is used for baby's growth, particularly forbuilding bones and teeth. It is not produced by the body, so it is essential to provide it through the diet.
Dairy products also allow theintroduction of new tastes and textures. They should be introduced at the time of dietary diversification, at around 6 months, as a dessert at lunch or snack time for example.
Regarding the quantity to be introduced, 3 milk intakes are sufficient to provide the 500mg of calcium required per day for children from 7/8 months to 3 years.
Small tips
A little advice from the diet if your baby is sulking about milk (breast or infant): as a first step, you can change the container, perhaps because your baby is letting you know that he is growing and that his diet is changing. You can also offer plain full-cream milk (or even homemade milk made from liquid infant milk or growing-up milk and lactic ferments).
Be careful, whole milk or infant formula are equivalent in calcium but do not provide iron, are less rich in essential fatty acids and contain more protein than milk (maternal or infant, which should therefore always be preferred). In addition, remember to offer water more regularly because milk, a liquid element, hydrates your child much more than dairy products.Â
Iron plays a role in the development of the brain as well as in the composition of red blood cells and in particular allows the transport of oxygen to all parts of the body.
Unfortunately, today's baby milks in the nursery section are no longer made from infant milk (i.e. lower in protein, with essential fatty acids and fortified with iron). They are now made from whole cow's milk and are often sweetened, which is not recommended for young children.
I therefore recommend that you choose classic dairy products from the fresh produce section of the shop, i.e. whole milk dairy products without added sugar or colouring. On the food packaging, the ideal composition of a dairy suitable for children is as follows: whole milk and lactic ferments with possibly milk powder.
Les spĂ©cialitĂ©s laitiĂšres type Perle de laitĂ, FjordĂ ou yaourt Ă la grecque sont plus grasses et peuvent donc ĂȘtre proposĂ©es Ă bĂ©bĂ©. De plus, les yaourts brassĂ©s ou veloutĂ©s sont gĂ©nĂ©ralement bien apprĂ©ciĂ©s. Il est aussi tout Ă fait possible de varier les laitages avec ceux au lait de brebis ou de chĂšvre. Pour adoucir et ajouter naturellement un goĂ»t sucrĂ© aux laitages, vous pouvez mettre de la compote sans sucre ajoutĂ© dedans !
Small recipe
Finally, if you have the time, you can make your own dairy products! I'm sharing with you a recipe for yoghurt with infant milk : you'll need a litre of liquid infant milk (2nd age or growth) and a sachet of lactic ferments to make 8 yoghurts, that's all! Mix everything together and divide the mixture between the pots in a yoghurt maker. It's that easy! You can also make homemade desserts with infant milk as an alternative to dairy products: porridge, semolina with milk, rice pudding, yoghurt with citrus fruit, etc.
As you will have understood, breast or infant milk remains thebasic element in the diet of the under-3s for its controlled supply of proteins, its presence of essential fatty acids, its source of calcium and the addition of iron in infant formulas. Dairy products are there to help discover new tastes and textures and to diversify the dietary repertoire of our dear little ones...
Dietician - Nutritionist specialising in paediatrics
2 Comments. Write a new one
Bonjour, est il possible de realiser cette recette avec du lait en poudre ?
Bonjour, oui avec du lait reconstituĂ© câest possible