How Much Milk Should a Toddler Drink? Balancing Hydration and Appetite at 20 Months
What your toddler drinks can start to impact how much they eat.
Milk is still an important source of nutrients like calcium and fat, but too much of it, especially close to meals- can reduce appetite for solids. It’s easy for toddlers to fill up on milk and then seem uninterested in food.
The goal at this stage is balance.
Offer:
- Water regularly throughout the day, especially with meals
- Milk at set times, rather than on demand
This helps your toddler come to the table ready to eat, rather than already full.
You may also notice your toddler becoming more independent with drinking- preferring cups or straws and wanting to manage it themselves. This is a great opportunity to support oral development and coordination, while building healthy habits.
Hydration is still important, particularly for active toddlers, but it shouldn’t replace nutrient intake from food.
Too much milk at meals can also include a large dose of calcium, which can offset the benefits of iron. This is because calcium and iron fight for absorption through the same methods, so only one can prevail- and one nutrient isn’t absorbed properly.
Aim to limit snacks and mid meals to nutrition powerhouses, which offer the protein, fats and veggies that meals do- so that mealtimes are less stressful. Leftovers or loaded sandwiches with their regular faves can hit the spot!
If you’re feeling inspired, batch prepare some veggie frittatas for their lunchbox, spinach mini muffins, veggie loaded mini pizzas, or pasta bake with Le Puree’s 7 veggie sauce. Load up lunchboxes with beef and liver meatballs, spinach and chicken meatballs or salmon cakes for that ongoing taste exposure!
