Help young bones grow strong with 2-3 serves every day of low-fat milk, cheese or yoghurt.
What’s the evidence?
What are dairy foods?
How much dairy food do children need?
What is a serve of dairy food?
What else do we get from dairy foods?
What if my child is lactose intolerant?
What if my child is allergic to cow’s milk?
What is a serve of non-dairy alternatives?
Calcium is necessary to assist in healthy bone development. Calcium is present in foods such as bony fish and calcium fortified soy products. However dairy foods are our major source of calcium. Children need two to three serves of dairy foods every day to meet recommended calcium needs.
Have reduced-fat milk at breakfast time: either in a glass or added to cereal.
Include tubs of reduced-fat yoghurt in lunch boxes.
Provide cubes of reduced-fat cheese in a container for recess.
Add reduced-fat cheese to sandwiches.
Spoon reduced-fat yoghurt or custard over fruit.
Grill reduced-fat cheese on toast for afternoon tea.
Make a smoothie by blending reduced-fat milk, fruit and/or yoghurt.
Melt some reduced-fat cheese over steamed vegetables.
Add reduced-fat milk to soups.
What’s the evidence?*
Only 20 per cent of Australian children have three or more serves of dairy each day. Adolescent girls have the lowest intake; almost half (44 per cent) of this group reported having less than one serve a day!
Getting enough calcium is important for growing bones to reach their full strength during childhood and adolescence. This helps to reduce the risk of osteoporosis later in life. People with osteoporosis have low bone-density and can break or fracture bones easily.
What are dairy foods?
Dairy foods that are good for everyday†:
reduced-fat milk
reduced-fat yoghurt
reduced-fat cheese.
For variety, the following dairy foods can sometimes be eaten in small quantities. These foods need to be limited because they often have less calcium and more added sugar:
reduced-fat custard
reduced-fat ice cream
reduced-fat dairy desserts and whips.
How much dairy food do children need?
Children need two to three serves of reduced-fat dairy foods everyday†.
What is a serve of dairy food?
1 cup of milk (250 ml)
1 tub yoghurt (200 g)
2 slices of cheese (40 g)
1 cup custard (250 ml).
What else do we get from dairy foods?
Dairy foods are a valuable source of protein. They also contain some saturated fat, which is why reduced-fat products are recommended for children aged over two years. Skim milk products are also suitable for children aged over five years.
† It is recommended that children under two years of age drink full-cream/whole milk.
Milk type Fat content Total fat in 1 cup (250 ml)
full-cream/whole milk 4 per cent 10 g
reduced-fat 1-2 per cent 3.5 g
Skim less than 1 per cent Less than 1 g
The calcium in milk is similar, regardless of whether it is:
full-cream, reduced-fat or skim milk
fresh milk, long life (UHT) milk and milk made from dried milk powder.
What if my child is lactose intolerant?
Lactose-free products are widely available to meet the needs of people with properly diagnosed lactose intolerance. The calcium content is equal to regular milk, making lactose-free products the best choice for people who are lactose intolerant, rather than non-dairy alternatives. Additional information can be obtained from a dietitian or doctor.
What if my child is allergic to cow’s milk?
A child with a properly diagnosed allergy to cow’s milk still needs calcium, so dairy foods need to be replaced with non-dairy sources of calcium. The body cannot absorb the calcium from these foods as well as it can from dairy foods. For this reason, completely eliminating dairy foods is only recommended for children with a diagnosed allergy to cow’s milk and they should seek advice from a dietitian or doctor.
What is a serve of non-dairy alternatives?
1 cup calcium-fortified soy milk (250 ml) (Not all soy milks have added calcium)
½ cup bony fish (sardines or salmon)
1 cup of calcium fortified breakfast cereal.
