The child needs 2 to 5 cups of milk daily, and this depends on several factors, including age, height, and whether the child is allergic to milk or not.
But most children refuse to drink milk and the mother cannot convince them to do so.
In this article, we will help you in non-traditional ways to help your child drink milk as desired by providing the most important tips.
Top tips to encourage your child to drink milk:
Use baby cups:
Serve milk in colorful, graphic cups that entice your child to drink.
Divide the amount of milk:
The child may be disturbed by eating a large amount of milk at once and feel bored about it, so it is preferable to give him the necessary amount divided throughout the day so that he does not feel it.
You can add flavors to the milk such as vanilla, strawberry or chocolate.
Add milk to your child’s oatmeal or cereal every morning to provide him with a balanced breakfast.
Child participation in drinking milk:
Children, by nature, tend to follow the example of those who are older than them, especially their parents, so the child can participate in eating a little milk to encourage him to do so.
The possibility of making a delicious smoothie using your child’s favorite fruit with milk, such as banana juice with milk or strawberry with milk.
Use dairy products:
Where dairy products can also make up for the lack of milk in the diet or the inability to eat it by the child.
Prepare foods from milk:
Such as making pasta with white sauce or pasta with bechamel, and this will stimulate your child to eat milk indirectly.
Benefits of drinking milk
Milk and dairy products generally contain a lot of nutrients. These substances include calcium, phosphorous, zinc, magnesium, and protein, as well as vitamins such as vitamin A, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, vitamin D, and vitamin K.
Calcium is responsible for building healthy bones and teeth, as well as maintaining bones and preventing osteoporosis with age.
As for protein, it is a source of energy and helps build and maintain muscle tissue.
And potassium maintains the level of blood pressure. Phosphorous strengthens bones and gives energy to the human body.
Vitamin D helps maintain the bones and the body in general along with calcium.
Vitamin B12 maintains red blood cells and nerve tissue.
Vitamin A maintains the immune system as well as eyesight and skin.
Prevents diabetes and obesity:
Milk helps the child’s body to enhance its performance in digesting and consuming sugars more efficiently, thus preventing diabetes or obesity.
Milk is beneficial in promoting heart health: Milk promotes cardiovascular health in children because it provides mineral elements that help expand blood vessels and improve blood flow through them to all organs of the body, the most important of which are magnesium and potassium, in addition to the calcium in milk supports the work of blood cells and improves blood clotting.
**Warning: If it turns out that your child is allergic to cow’s milk, avoid foods such as cheese, ice cream, yogurt, margarine, butter, and chocolate that contain milk.
You can replace animal milk with vegetable milk, such as almond milk, oats, and coconut, and they have many benefits as well and contain many useful nutrients.