Understanding different milks for children in long day care

Milk is an important part of nutrition for children. It plays a big role in helping children grow and stay strong. But with so many milk options available, how do you know which milk type is right for your menu? 

The Menu planning guidelines for long day care helps services like yours make nutritious choices when planning menus. 

Cow’s milk is the best milk choice for most children over 12 months.  

Milk provides essential nutrients such as: 

• Calcium – for strong bones and teeth 
• Protein – for growth 

Some children can’t have cow’s milk because of: 

• Allergies  
• Cultural reasons  
• Family preferences

In these cases, we want to make sure that children are still getting the protein and calcium that they need. A great way to do this is to choose calcium-fortified options. This means that the calcium has been added to the milk because it doesn’t naturally contain much calcium. 

• Calcium-fortified soy milk is the closest nutritionally to cow’s milk as it has similar amount of protein.  
• Check labels for ‘calcium-fortified’ and ‘unsweetened’. Sweetened milk is not needed for children’s growth and development. 

Oat, rice and almond milks are often low in protein and energy and may not have enough calcium unless fortified. Only use these options for children who are allergic to cow’s milk and soy. Remember to check the label to see if it is calcium-fortified. There needs to be at least 100mg of added calcium per 100ml to meet the Menu planning guidelines for long day care.

Serving the right milk helps children grow well and keeps their bones healthy. It also helps you meet the Menu planning guidelines for long day care. For more help, visit the Healthy Eating Advisory Service website for menu planning tools and recipes. 

Menu planning guidelines

How to plan a menu