Ways to Encourage Your Kid to Have Milk

Milk is said to be an essential part of a well-balanced diet, this means having a glass of milk every day is a must for kids. Find out the interesting ways you can adopt to encourage your kids to have milk.Every parent’s main concern regarding their child in the early years regarding their health is that they get enough and well-rounded nutrition as well as stay away from potential sources of illness such as catching a cold or eating from outside and upsetting their stomach. But the latter, that is their immunity, is also strongly dependent on their diet. It is very important for kids to have a varied and fulfilling diet, to ensure different sources of vitamins, minerals and proteins they need for healthy growth is something their body has. Parents are the ones in charge of their diet, even if there will be times children will request for something specific every once in a while. Hence, the responsibility of adequate nutrition for their children rests on parents, which is why they are always battling with their kids - to get them to eat things their children may not particularly like but is necessary for their well-being. A big source of protein and calcium in their diet, is, of course - milk. No parent needs to be re-introduced to the benefits of milk. Every Indian child knows milk is good for them even if they don’t always know exactly why.Whether parents themselves like milk or not, and whether they made a fuss about drinking milk and created trouble for their parents when they were kids or not, the fact remains that now they are tasked with making their children drink milk. It is an unavoidable task because a glass of milk is basically a glass of goodness for their kid’s health.Are you worried about your child not drinking enough milk? Well, it is natural for you to be concerned about your child refusing the main source of calcium and other necessary minerals that shall ensure proper growth and development.Milk offers the major source of vital nutrients, energy and protein that your little one requires during their growing years. But worry not, you have come across some help. The given below tips may or may not work on your child, but atleast you will have a starting point! Read on to find ways you can nudge your child towards the wholesomeness of milk.Some tips to Encourage Your Child to Have Milk-Do not worry if you think your child is not taking the required amount of milk every day. It can be alarming for parents to see their children refusing milk, as it is very important for them in terms of their health, but there are always ways to ensure the nutrition of milk for them. Here are some tips that might encourage your children to drink more milk.Do not offer milk in large amounts. There are two reasons for this. One is that many children may feel nauseous if they gulp down large quantities of milk, and it is also not good for their digestive systems to have that large of a quantity of milk at once because milk is a protein that takes time to break down. The second reason is that a large glass of milk is placed in front of kids, and you ask them to finish it might overwhelm them even if they are okay or like milk. It will just get harder for kids who don’t like milk. It is better to offer them milk in small portions all through the day. Small servings may encourage them to finish up fast so they can go back to doing what they were doing before.You are a role model for your child. Children model a majority of their behaviour after their parents. They are still understanding the world around them and how to interact with it, and they take cues from their most trusted source - their parents. This holds true in this case, of what to eat and drink and what food to consume, as well. You can set a good example for your children by drinking milk in front of them. You can even make it an activity you do together. And it will be a benefit for you as well! Your body will thank you for the extra dose of protein and calcium.You can also encourage them to get themselves a glass of milk. It is a part of making them independent and responsible. Let them pour themselves a glass of milk unless it has just been heated and is in a hot utensil. But the activity of pouring a glass of milk for themselves will make them feel like it is their decision to drink milk and they will be less aversive towards it.Plain milk might be too uninteresting for your children, or they may not like the taste of plain milk. To make it more interesting, you can add different flavouring agents to it. Saffron adds a wonderful colour and flavour, cinnamon is a good topping, vanilla essence makes it smell like their favourite cakes, rose essence adds colour and fragrance, dry fruit powder, or strawberry squash etc. shall make them more interested in the drink. Not just these, but there are a variety of powders in the market that add flavour to milk, but also enhance the nutritional value of a glass of milk too. There are also many unique products in the market that add to the flavour of milk and are also very fascinating for young children, for example, straws that have beads of flavour in the middle and when a child drinks through that straw, that beads add flavour to the milk.To make it more interesting, you can offer milk and other health drinks in attractive glasses or mugs. A good way to make it fun for them would be to take them shopping for a mug they like and make it their special mug. If the milk is served in a mug they have chosen, and is only theirs, they will feel that the milk is a special drink for them and are likely to enjoy the milk as much as they enjoy the cup. Sometimes kids are prohibited from glassware, understandably so. You can make an exception for milk and let them drink milk from a glass cup, or better a glass that does not have a handle so they grip it between their hands. Of course, you will have to be more careful and make them drink the milk on the table and choose a heavy glass that won’t easily break, but it will also encourage them to drink milk as they will get to drink it in the ‘adult’ cups.Rather than encouraging them to take milk every day, you can prepare different dishes like smoothies, puddings and soups made with milk. The idea is to try and incorporate milk into their diet somehow, regardless of which form it is in. So dishes with milk also count as their daily necessary milk intake. Dishes like kheer would be a good break from just milk and have the added benefit of the goodness of dry fruits as well. But ensure that these are reserved for special occasions and not too frequently, as these dishes are high in sugar.If your child is not keen on milk you can include other dairy products like yoghurt, cheese, cottage cheese, butter, ghee etc. in their diet. These dairy products have a host of health benefits for your child as well. Yoghurt makes for a very nice smoothie base, and even in itself is great to serve as a side with parathas, or curries that have spice. Yoghurt is good for keeping their stomach cool. Cheese is one dairy product you won’t have to nudge them towards, a majority of children absolutely love cheese. Butter, too, is loved by children. Cottage cheese is another great way to add dairy to your child’s diet, as they will love the softness of paneer, and there are tonnes of recipes with paneer, be it in curries or in frankies or even pizza. Ghee is something that is automatically incorporated into every desi child’s diet. While these dairy products are good, milk is a very fresh and concentrated source of many nutrients, so try to encourage them for that.A parent must not give up on trying to make their children drink milk, as children who refuse to take this healthy drink are reported to suffer from low bone mineral density. In several instances, they have also developed osteoporosis in their later lives. Osteoporosis is a bone disease that makes bones weak and brittle, which needlessly can create many health complications for your children. Research findings suggest that around 25% of children who did not take sufficient milk suffered from bone fractures by the age of 8.Apart from this, milk also is known to keep down body fat and help maintain healthy body weight. Obesity has turned out to be a major concern for kids these days. You can avoid such conditions by offering them milk every day.A Quick Glance at the Nutrients Milk Offers Your Kid -Milk is a storehouse of different nutrients that your kid requires in their formative years.Here we shall take a look at why kids should be encouraged to drink it:Calcium:Milk is one of the primary sources of calcium for your children. Your child requires this for developing their bones and teeth. Children are very active at their age, and do a lot of running around, climbing etc.. and often there will be times they may bump against a wall or fall. Their bones need to be strong to keep up with their activity.Vitamin D:Vitamin D contained in milk helps prevent type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, cancer of different types and multiple sclerosis. Lack of vitamin D may also make your child lethargic and less active. They will also get tired quickly, and they need to be active at the growing age they are in their age, for healthy development.Protein:Your child at this age requires a sufficient amount of protein for healthy growth. Along with many other foods, milk, too, is known to be a good source of protein. Protein is also necessary for the good growth of the new muscles and bones that their body is still trying to grow, and give them strength. It is important for your children to be strong as children often get very rough physically in play.You can thus encourage your child to take around 2 glasses of milk every day. Consumption in greater amounts at once, like one glass in the morning and one in the evening, may interfere with their intake of solids at mealtimes. So it will be better if you give little little quantities throughout the day. Along with milk, they must also get a healthy balance of legumes, fish, vegetables and fruits. If you find them hungry in between meals, you may offer them milk in small amounts. Milkshakes or foods prepared with milk can be some healthy snacking options you can try if they don’t like the taste of plain milk. Milkshakes with fruits will make a good snack as they have the goodness of both, milk and fruits.Dealing with Lactose Intolerance in KidsWhile you may use the strategies mentioned above to persuade them to drink milk and consume dairy products, it is equally important for you to keep a note if they are lactose intolerant. If you find milk does not suit them, you will be causing more harm than good by forcing them to drink it, as it can cause many digestive issues. Consult your paediatrician if you see your child with indigestion or an upset stomach when they consume dairy products or experience flatulence, or throw up after consuming milk. There are many plant-based alternatives to cow milk, and a selection of alternatives to dairy products, like tofu instead of paneer, or nut-based butter etc…Why do kids hate drinking milk? Which are the interesting ways to encourage children to have milk? What are the options available for lactose intolerant kids? Discuss here