From what age can you replace the evening bottle with yogurt?

What are Baby’s milk needs up to around 3 years old?

From birth to 6 months, a baby needs only breast or infant milk for nourishment. Complete the milk! Indeed, it is the only element of its diet and it covers all its needs. It is between 4 and 6 months that Baby begins food diversification and that his meals evolve. “From 6 months and up to 3 years, we try to aim for 500 ml of milk per day, over 24 hours, in addition to solid food. If we breastfeed Baby, we continue breastfeeding on demand. We try to maintain the supply of the bottle of milk as long as possible, especially in the morning and in the evening. Infant milks provide babies with what is necessary for their growth. Over the years, Baby will not drink the same milk:

-Up to 6 months, baby’s bottle is made up of first-age milk.

-Up to 12 months, we will give him 2nd age milk (follow-on milk).

-From 12 months to 3 years, growth milk is recommended. Baby can also drink cow’s milk (provided he is not allergic to cow’s milk protein, it is better to follow the recommendations of your pediatrician), preferably whole because it contains more fat essential for the development of the child especially of his brain.

From what age can you replace the evening bottle with yogurt?

“There is no standard recommended age, even if it is often when we start to give him the evening purée that we can try to give him a yogurt, so around 9 months old. But as long as the baby accepts her bottle of milk in the evening, it is better to keep it. Indeed, milk contains the necessary contributions to the baby in iron, calcium, fat and in sufficient quantity. In addition, the evening bottle of milk is also a moment of reunion with his parent. Baby gets on his knees, receives a hug… There is a whole emotional dimension around the last bottle before bedtime, which comes into play for the toddler”, explains Emmanuelle Rigeade, childcare nurse, parental and perinatal consultant that can be found on May (the application that accompanies pregnant women and parents in their daily life with their children). But as your baby grows up, he will ask to come and take his meals at the same time as the family, he will express the desire to eat with a spoon, and may therefore also get tired of the bottle himself. “Dairy is a good way to share with toddlers the first moments at the table, with their parents. At dessert time and if the times match, Baby can come and join them to take his yogurt, for example. To start, we can offer Baby dairy products at lunchtime or at snack time and later, in the evening. In terms of choice, it is recommended to give him plain, unflavored and unsweetened yoghurts”, continues Emmanuelle Rigeade.

How much yogurt should I give my child instead of the evening bottle?

A portion of dairy corresponds to 120 ml of milk, which is equivalent to a pot of yoghurt. “This quantity is indicative, it helps us to get an idea of ​​the portion to give to our baby. However, it is essential not to focus only on it. If the pot of yogurt is 125 ml, you can give him these extra 5 ml of yogurt. Introducing baby to flavors is not just a question of “grammage”, eating should remain a pleasure. We should never force a child to finish his milk, we let Baby make his taste discoveries at his own pace”, specifies the childcare nurse.

What other dairy product should I give my child to replace the evening bottle?

We can very well replace the classic yogurt with 120 ml of petit-suisse or fromage blanc or even 30 g of cheese, such as pasteurized Camembert (we do not give Camembert made from raw milk to a child before 3 years old) or 30g of Comté, for example. As for yogurts, we choose sugar-free and unflavoured petit-suisse and plain fromage blanc.