How to include milk in children’s diets

With little ones being so used to drinking milk, it’s easy to stick to an established routine and continue giving toddlers milk in mornings and evenings. But the challenge is to know how much milk to give and how suitable it is to keep serving large cups of milk.

Last week, I was excited to learn more about appropriate amounts when speaking to nutritionist Victoria Wells at Emma Cannon Fertility Rooms, and today I’m thrilled to be sharing advice from renowned acupuncturist Emma Cannon, who looks at nutrition from a Chinese medicine perspective. Here are top tips from Emma on how to include milk in children’s diets:

From a Chinese medicine point of view, some people tolerate milk better than others and if you have a child that produces a lot of mucus then reducing milk is a good idea
If you are using milk use full fat organic; the fat content is really important to help digestion
Milk is less Dampening (i.e produces less mucus ) if you combine it with digestive supporting spices such as cardamom and cinnamon
Eating an apple with cheese helps support the digestion
Don’t mix meat and milk for children, as milk will neutralise the stomach and meat needs an acid environment. The result is Dampness and Food Stagnation in Chinese medicine
Dairy has had a bad press, but it can be deeply nourishing. Dairy products from sheep and goats might be more easily tolerated
From a Chinese medicine perspective, soya is not considered to be well-tolerated by many children especially those with Cold constitutions, as it is Cold in energy, which makes it hard on digestion in Chinese medicine terms. Combining soya with warming spices will help offset its Cold nature and make it more digestible
With all food it really depends on who is eating it, and it is always best to observe your child and see