From Formula to Whole Milk

Archived Q&A and Reviews

Organic whole milk vs. Regular whole milk

1998

I would appreciate any advice regarding the pros and cons of organic whole milk vs. regular ol' whole milk. I have a 13-month old son who has been on formula up until now, but my wife and I would like to start him on regular milk. Anybody have some experience in this area? Thanks, Gary

Hi. Here is how we made the transition from formula to whole milk. My daughter didn't like the milk at first, maybe because it wasn't sweet. We didn't insist. We waited until she was thirsty/hungry, and offered the milk. At first she would try it and immediately hand it back to us with a stern look on her face, and so we'd give her the formula. After a couple of tries, one time she must have been extra-thirsty, because she sucked a bunch of milk down before handing it back, and then took less formula afterwards. That way gradually it got to the point where she just accepted the milk and didn't demand the formula at all. Now we get the stern look when we hand her the water. Sybil

My son also didn't like the taste and heavy consistency of whole milk when we were trying to transition him, so we mixed it with enriched rice milk which is sweet and much more watery and he loved it. Still does, 3 years later. Raissa

Whole Milk with Lactaid

Nov 2001

Hello, We have been incorporating milk into my 16-months-old son's diet as a replacement for soy formula. His stomach did not seem to tolerate regular whole milk very well, so I have been buying Lactaid whole milk. He seems to tolerate it well, but the fact that the fresh date is a good month longer than regular milk concerns me (preservatives??). Does anyone have experience with Lactaid or another lactose-free cow's milk? Thanks.

One of my sons is quite lactose intolerant, and I am also. We have used Lactaid milk for years. You may also purchase regular milk and use Lactaid drops to treat the milk. As to the expiration date on Lactaid milk - yes it has a longer shelf life, but very importantly, that refers only to an unopened carton. Once you open the carton, the milk is good for a week after the day you've opened it. Be careful about that - it will go bad just as quickly as other milk once opened and exposed. As I understand it, Lactaid milk is reconstituted milk.

My boys are now 12 and 10 and they have never consumed milk as a regular part of their diet. They use it only now on the occasional bowl of cereal. They got, and still get all the nutrients they need from other foods and a daily vitamin. They both stayed on formulas a little longer than other babies and very slowly moved onto solids nearer to 2 years old. They are wonderfully healthy and have gorgeous teeth and strong bones. Best of luck to you. Debby

I believe the freshness date is longer because the milk is ultra-pasteurized; I'm not sure if that means it is pasteurized at a higher temperature or for a longer amount of time. The other option you could try would be to add the lactaid drops to whatever milk you want to buy; only downside is the milk with the lactase enzyme added needs to sit for 24 hours before you use it.