How to get l/o to drink milk

[TonyaW]

I want my son to get some extra calories, so I offer him raw goat milk between meals and he won't usually drink it unless I put chocolate syrup in it. I don't want him to be dependent on it being sweetened, so I wondered if anyone had ideas. I do make him smoothies which he will drink sometimes. Has anyone heard of Dandy Blend? Would that be appropriate for a toddler? Would you put stevia in your toddlers milk?

[tempestjewel]

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[quietserena]

Can you put molasses in it? The color is about the same and it is sweet... and the bonus of extra minerals is worth it IMO.

I get the stuff that's one step up from blackstrap in sweetness so not really sweet at all.

Both DandyBlend and stevia make me a little nervous and I can't quite explain why. I know they're just extracts but still...

[TonyaW]

Originally Posted by quietserena

Can you put molasses in it? The color is about the same and it is sweet... and the bonus of extra minerals is worth it IMO.

I get the stuff that's one step up from blackstrap in sweetness so not really sweet at all.

I have tried the blackstrap but not the one step removed molasses. Maybe I will try that.

What do you think about just agave nectar? I don't know exactly how it reacts in the body but it is supposedly low glycemic.

[Attached Mama]

Our 2, almost 3 yr old doesn't like milk plain. Here's how she drinks it...

Smoothie with a raw egg, banana, scoop of honey and grated nutmeg on top. Sometimes a bit of cream thrown in too. Also variations of this with berries.

Slightly warmed with a bit of honey and cinnamon.

I don't worry about her getting a bit of raw honey most days. Espec when combined with the fat and protein.

[Tofu the Geek]

Your son is about 17 months? If you're breastfeeding, I'd skip the goat's milk and replace it with human milk.

[guestmama9924]

I can only say that as a child who was fed raw goat milk, I still have that weird goat udder taste in my mouth that I can't get rid of!

[quietserena]

Originally Posted by TonyaW

I have tried the blackstrap but not the one step removed molasses. Maybe I will try that.

What do you think about just agave nectar? I don't know exactly how it reacts in the body but it is supposedly low glycemic.

I just get the Brer Rabbit stuff from the grocery store, not any really fancy molasses.

I think out of all the 'alternative' sweeteners, molasses has the highest mineral content. It's the only one that's listed as a good source of iron. If I sweeten anything for DD, I try to use molasses for that reason. I have used agave but I don't know much about it beyond that it comes from a cactus.

Someone before this made a good point - if you're still nursing, I wouldn't stress about the goat's milk. I didn't realize how young your LO was. DD still won't really eat cheese or drink milk though she likes to try it. I'm guessing that mama milk is way better than those.

[TonyaW]

My son is still nursing but will usually only nurse down to sleep with an occasional sip here and there. He is small and I really want him to put on some weight because most of the food he gets ends up on the floor. Anyway, I won't stress the milk too much, but I sure wish I could get him to put on more weight. He is so small, but he is healthy!

[artemis33]

It is a challenge here too, but DD will drink it slightly warmed with a little raw honey. I usually add a little extra cream to hers as well

I tried blackstrap and although I liked it, she did not.

[RootBeerFloat]

I am really not trying to be offensive here; I think there's something to be said for listening to a childs' instincts and not pushing something that doesn't appeal to him. My mom fed me milk this way because I wouldn't drink it, and I've discovered years later (and with many chronic health issues) that I'm actually allergic to it. If this were my child, I'd be looking for another way to add some calories.

[velcromom]

You know, I tend to agree with that - intolerance-induced discomfort can be something a toddler sure couldn't express well. It can be hard to see from the outside.

My own kids are intolerant to milk, and what I found having a baby who was born small and barely registered on the growth charts for the first two years, was to look at the child not the scale, and that milk of another species isn't necessary in the human diet.

I gave ds avocados, almond butter, coconut milk, when I was trying to get extra calories into him. You can make really yummy popsicles with those three ingredients pureed with banana & maybe some real vanilla. (now that it's getting hot, my mind is on cold stuff, lol)

Almond butter is great on toast or use it as a dip for just about anything - fruit, pancakes, etc. You can also use it as the fat in any recipe for muffins, cakes, things like that.

Coconut milk is high in good fat and makes the most amazing ice cream. You can also make yogurt out of it.

My kids will eat plain avocado but it can be added to anything - baked goods, cooked cereals (my ds loved his green oatmeal & green muffins, lol).

hth