Q&A: Brand-Switching Concerns

Question:

Is it bad to keep changing the brand of a two-year-old child’s milk?

Answer:

It’s ok to change your brand of milk, but we don’t really know your reasons for changing. Is it the taste, the cost, the convenience, or the nutritional value of the milk? Nowadays, choosing milk for our children has become a complicated thing because of the constant bombardment of ads claiming that one milk is superior to other brands.

When babies reach two, mother’s milk is no longer the best for them because by this time the child should be eating regular foods. This moment is also the time that milk manufacturers seize. We checked out the ads: These is growing-up milk with bifidus, milk for children with normal gastrointestinal tract (GIT), milk for those with impaired GIT, milk with complete nutrition, follow-on milk, and so on.

It can be overwhelming for mothers when it used to be simple — take two to three glasses of milk every day and eat a balanced diet, and that’s it. But if you need help with special milk for a child who has a special need, seek the advice of your pediatrician. One milk ad reminds us: The use of milk supplements must be upon the advice of your health professional. The improper preparation of milk supplements may be dangerous to your child’s health.

Here are different types of milk released by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology.

Fresh Milk

Directly sourced from cows, carabaos and goats. The milk fat content is not reduced. Unless it is pasteurized (sterilized), it is best to boil fresh milk before consumption.

Whole Milk / Full Cream Milk

Similar to fresh milk except that it is pasteurized and homogenized. It is available in evaporated or powdered form to prolong shelf life.

Recombined Milk

Skim milk powder reconstituted to the normal fat content.

Reconstituted Milk

Processed milk to which water is added to restore its original water content.

Evaporated Milk

Milk where 60% of the water has been removed. It is used more for culinary purposes such as the preparation of desserts. It must be diluted before it is drunk.

Filled Milk

Milk in which butterfat has been removed and replaced with vegetable oil.

Sweetened Condensed Milk

A highly evaporated milk to which sugar has been added. It is made up of 40% water, 40% sugar and 20% milk. Its high sugar content gives it a long shelf life even without refrigeration. Not recommended for infants, and better used for baking and desserts preparation.

Skim / Nonfat Milk

Milk without the milk fat but with most of the other essential nutrients intact. it is useful for those who want to limit their intake of energy, fat and cholesterol.