Natural Birth and Baby Care.com

Is Homogenized Milk Good for My 1 Year Old?

by Shelly
(Surrey)

I have my 1 year old have been giving her skim milk Im really worried she is not gaining weight but the doctor is saying she is healthy. Is homogenized milk good for her, as I want to start with that?

Answer:

Hi Shelly,

Homogenized milk is milk that has had the fat particles broken up so the cream will not rise in the milk. It instead sits uniformly through the milk. Non-homogenized milk is often called "creamline" milk and you can see the layer of cream on top. There's nothing wrong with it, you just shake the milk jug to mix the cream back in before you pour.

Officially homogenized milk is supposed to be safe for us. Personally I do not serve homogenized milk to my family because I prefer to serve foods in their natural state.

However, I would serve homogenized, full-fat milk over skim milk to any child (and honestly, to any adult). Our brains are made of fat, and the current low-fat craze is starving them. Children do not thrive and cannot learn when they are being fed a low-fat diet because it's completely unnatural.

Obesity, diabetes, malnutrition, and other problems are caused by our modern diets heavy in sugars and carbohydrates (mostly grains). Carbohydrates all turn to sugar in the body. Children need fat and protein to grown and thrive.

I personally believe that milk is a good beverage for children that tolerate it. I would try to seek out a "creamline" or unhomogenized whole milk from a local dairy. You can often find high-quality milk locally from a smaller dairy. Best of all is raw milk, but even pasteurized (also called vat-pasteurized or low-temperature pasteurized... stay away from ulra-pasteurized milk) that is creamline is very nourishing.

Otherwise, I would give her the best full-fat homogenized milk you can find, or full-fat cheeses, yogurt, or cottage cheeses. She needs fats and proteins to grow and thrive, and full-fat dairy is an excellent source.