Milk is the normal secretion of milking animals obtained from one or more milkings without either addition to it or extraction from it intended for consumption as liquid milk or for further processing (CODEX STAN 206-1999). At the young mammals, including human infants, milk is the first food that can be digested (Varnam & Sutherland, 1994). As is generally known, breast milk is the best choice for babies. While the formula is an alternative for infants who cannot be breastfed before reaching the age of 1 year.
By the time the child reaches the age of 1 year, milk consumption generally decreases. The following year, the consumption of vegetables in general also declined, but the consumption of carbohydrate source and other sweet foods increases. Changes in consumption patterns affect the nutrient content of these foods consumed by children. Compared with the consumption of food in infancy (under the age of 1 year), toddlers showed a decrease in nutrient consumption of calcium, phosphorus, vitamin B6, iron and vitamin A. While the consumption of substances other essential nutrients are relatively stable (Mahan and Stump, 2004).
In general, milk is good for children and adolescents because it plays an important role as a source of essential nutrients needed for growth and development. Milk is a source of calcium, vitamin D and protein. Cow’s milk is the most widely consumed out of all commercially available milk. Here are the types of cow’s milk based on the fat content:
1. Whole milk or Full cream milk
Based on the SNI, the definition of whole milk is a liquid derived from healthy and clean cow udders are, which acquired properly, the natural content is not reduced or added anything and has not received any treatment. The fat content of at least 3%, total solids without fat protein at least 8% and a minimum of 2.7%. Whole milk is a good source of protein, vitamin D, B6, B12, Calcium and phosphorus and has a delicious taste. But the drawback, this type of milk contains calories and fat that are high compared to other types of milk.
2. Reduced-fat milk (reduced fat milk)
This type of milk contains less fat than whole milk (about 2%). As well as whole milk, reduced-fat milk is also a source of protein, vitamin D, B6, B12, calcium and phosphorus. It’s also still quite tasty but calorie and fat slightly lower than the whole milk.
3. Low-fat milk
This type of milk fat content is lower than the previous two types of milk, which is only about 1%. Because the fat content is lower, it feels lighter and calories are lower. However, low-fat milk is still a good source of protein, vitamin D, B6, B12, calcium and phosphorus.
4. Fat-free milk or Skimmed milk
The fat content of skimmed milk is usually not more than 0.2%. Because fat-free, so the calories are lower than other types of milk, but it still a good source of protein, vitamin B6, calcium and phosphorus.
Nutrient content of cow’s milk varies depending on the type of dairy cows, feed, and environmental factors such as climate and lactation time. The following table can be used as general overview of macro nutrient content of various types of milk described above:
|
TYPES OF MILK |
Nutrient content per 100 g |
|||
|
Calorie (kcal) |
Fat (%) |
Carbohydrate (%) |
Protein (%) |
|
| Whole Milk |
60 |
3.25 |
5 |
3 |
| Reduced Fat Milk |
50 |
2 |
5 |
3 |
| Low Fat Milk |
42 |
1 |
5 |
3 |
| Skimmed Milk |
35 |
0 |
5 |
3 |
Children, especially toddlers aged 2 years and under require calories from fat for growth and brain development, therefore whole milk is the right choice for toddlers over 1 year who had not breast-fed or formula again. Other advantages of whole milk compared to low-fat milk is considered more delicious by most people that are likely to be preferred by children.
Whole milk is also more suitable for children that are often difficult to eat or picky eater that often underweight because they do not get enough calories from the daily diet. But on the other hand, the daily consumption of milk of this kind of children also needs to be restricted because of excessive milk consumption can make them feel full, so they become less interested in eating other nutritious foods that are needed for their growth and development.
Problems that may arise from whole milk are its high fat content and it may increase the risk of obesity later in life. In the report “Lipid Screening and Cardiovascular Health in Childhood,” published by the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics) in 2008, less milk fat may be more suitable recommended for children aged 1 to 2 years if they are already overweight, or genetically have family members who are overweight or have high cholesterol levels in the blood.
What should be done? According to the AAP recommendation, if the child is not breastfed, the milk should be replaced with whole milk when he has reached 12 months, then be switched to low-fat milk when she has reached 2 years. Low-fat milk consumption transition early will help start healthy habits for the future so that later in adolescence or adulthood, the child will prefer low-fat milk than milk rich in fat.
Changing the type of milk the children will be easier to do when they were still younger compared to when they were older, because the older children already recognize the taste and would be more difficult to switch to low-fat milk. However, although the transition is done on younger children, should be done gradually, from whole milk to reduced fat milk or low-fat milk.
In addition to the types of milk that has been described above, the products made from milk such as yoghurt and cheese are also good for children. According to Apriadji (2012), yoghurt and cheese even safe enough for the infants under the age of 1 year as complementary foods because the milk protein that could cause allergies has been fermented by lactic acid bacteria making it easier to be digested by infants. If you want to give them yogurt, you should select a plain yogurt without added sugar, flavors, artificial sweeteners and other food additives. As for the cheese, choose one that has been pasteurized (such as cheddar cheese, not the raw cheese) and a low-salt cheese (low sodium content). All the information can be obtained by carefully reading and comparing the composition and nutrition tables that written on the label of those products.
References:
AAP Clinical Report on Lipid Screening on Children. Am Fam Physician. 2009 Apr 15;79(8):703-705
Apriadji, W. H. 2012. Makanan Bayi Sehat Alami Cetakan I. Jakarta: Pustaka Bunda.
CODEX STAN 206-1999. Codex General Standard for the Use of Dairy Terms in Codex Alimentarius. 2011. Milk & Milk Products. 2nd edition. WHO, FAO of UN.
Mahan, K. & Stump, S.E. 2004. Krause’s Food, Nutrition & Diet Therapy. 11th Edition. USA: Elsevier.
STANDAR SUSU SEGAR SNI nomor 01-3141- 1998.
Stephen R. Daniels, MD, PhD, Frank R. Greer, MD, and the Committee on Nutrition. 2008. Lipid Screening and Cardiovascular Health in Childhood. Pediatrics.
Varnam, A. H. & J. P. Sutherland. 1994. Milk and Milk Products Technology, Chemistry and Microbiology. Champman and Hall, London.
Zulkarnain, M. R. 2015. Full Cream or Low Fat, Susu Mana yang Paling Cocok untuk Si Kecil? Food for Kids Indonesia, June 2015 edition (p.16-21).