Should I Give My Baby Growing Up Milk?

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  Should I Give My Baby Growing Up Milk?
Toddlers and children aged between one and three years of age, are getting to a busy and exciting stage in their life, because this is when they begin to explore life independently. At this time, they learn different eating behaviours and also develop their skills, attitudes and knowledge relating to food.

During this stage of life, it is crucial for you to teach you child healthy eating habits. A healthy diet will provide the necessary energy and nutrients for proper growth and development. Also, it helps children in developing a sense of taste as well as the enjoyment and acceptance of different foods.

However, if your baby is under a year old, you are not to feed her growing-up milk because it is marketed as being suitable only for toddlers aged between one and three years old.

Growing-up milk has minerals, vitamins and prebiotics added to it. Also, it contains higher levels of iron than other baby formula milks. It is specially formulated to help in meeting the nutrient needs of toddlers by offering a well balanced diet for young children. Unlike cow's milk which is high in protein and low in vitamins and minerals, growing up milk has a lower level of protein and sodium which provides a more balanced nutrition. It also nurture the specific needs of a toddler with enriched content like vitamin C and D, iron and zinc. Because of the above nutritional reasons, you may want to feed it to your baby once hee is a year old. Though, at this age your baby should be getting all that is needed from solid food and breastmilk or infant formula milk combined.

Also, note that growing up milk should not replace the need for your child to consume a variety of foods daily, such as carbohydrates like rice and potatoes, proteins like meat, fish and poultry as well as vegetables, fruits and dairy products like cheese, milk and yogurt.

To some though, it is no better than cow's milk. And of course, if you and your toddler are content to continue breastfeeding, that is fine, too.

At times, your one year old baby can have cow's milk as a drink because by then, your baby will be gaining a large part of his nourishment from different solid foods. As long as your baby is having a variety of food, he should be getting all the minerals and vitamins he needs.

Also, if your child is having vitamin drops and is eating well, the amount of  growing-up milk can be reduced.

Above all, a balanced diet and lots of water together with physical activity, is important for the healthy growth and development of children. Though, growing up milk is an acceptable and easier solution to fill the nutritional gaps in a toddler's diet.

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