None Under One: Honey Versus Dairy

Part Three of my “No Honey Under One” three-part series. If you missed the previous two posts in this series, you can find them here and here. In Part One, we reviewed why this rule is even a rule. In Part Two, we discussed kid- and baby-friendly foods that are more likely to contain honey than other kid-friendly foods. In this post, we’ll compare the “No Honey Under One” rule to seemingly similar guidance regarding no dairy under one.

There are many things to keep track of once you have a baby: doctor appointments, how often you’re feeding baby and via what method, how frequently they’ve needed diaper changes, which milestones are coming next and how to set baby up for success…The list could go on and on.

One of the top things on this list involves remembering which foods are safe for baby and which aren’t. The “safe baby food list” seems to change frequently as well, with updated recommendations as new research is carried out. And there are even some foods that are “safe” for one philosophy and aren’t “safe” for the opposite camp. It can be confusing! (Honey is firmly on the “don’t feed baby” list in almost every camp). 

With all of this information swirling around, it’s also typical to be uncertain about what constitutes an actual hard and fast rule verse simple guidelines or suggestions. As I’ve worked with various clients, I’ve found this to be true about dairy products. There seems to be a general avoidance of feeding any and all dairy to babies under a year old. Parents worry that dairy is somehow like honey, in the sense that it can potentially hurt their baby in some vague, unknown way. My goal today is to clear up the dairy confusion and explain why it’s different from the kind of rule surrounding “No Honey Under One”.

Clarifying the No Dairy under One “Rule” (Which Isn’t a Rule):

The “No Honey Under One” rule is based on research showing a greater percentage of children under the age of one contracting botulism after consuming honey than over the age of one. There are strong recommendations in place against feeding infants honey to help protect children from this horrible experience of botulism. The guidance surrounding dairy under the age of one is much less stark. It pertains to what kind of milk you provide your infant as their main source of nutrition. And that’s it. It doesn’t prohibit the consumption of dairy in general, or even milk specifically, under the age of one. It simply states that dairy milk should not be given in place of breastmilk or formula. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) highly recommends that the only nutrition an infant receives from birth to 4-6 months of age is breastmilk or infant formula. After 4-6 months, families can begin to introduce other sources of nutrition into their child’s diet. These nutrition sources can include dairy products but, once again, the infant’s main source of nutrition should be breastmilk or formula up to roughly their first birthday.

Why Exclusively Formula or Breastmilk?

Simply put: cow’s milk (or goat or camel or coconut or almond or whatever other substitutions your family makes for dairy) just won’t give babies the optimum nutrition they need for physical growth and brain development. What will? Breastmilk and/or infant formula. In fact, Healthy Children, a website run by the AAP, states that “[b]reast milk or formula will provide practically every nutrient a baby needs for the first year of life” (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2020). How amazing is that?! Breastmilk and formula are tailor made with the nutrients baby needs to thrive. Dairy just doesn’t cut it.

But Dairy Allergies are Common! Shouldn’t We Avoid Dairy just like Honey?

It should be noted that dairy does pose a risk to some children. The protein enzymes in dairy can cause a very common childhood allergic reaction. It affects up to 7% of the infant population. (For more information see What Should I do if I think my Baby is Allergic or Intolerant to Cows Milk from the UK’s National Health Service). This is a very legitimate concern. However, most experts believe this shouldn’t be a concern that keeps you from feeding your baby dairy products. It would only be a concern if there is a strong family history of dairy protein allergies or your child starts showing signs of an allergic reaction.

Furthermore, this caution is vastly different from the warning surrounding honey for infants and the risk for botulism. The dairy protein allergy is not a blanket concern for every child under the age of one, like the botulism concern is. Every infant under the age of one is at risk for developing botulism due to every infant’s immature gut defenses. The same can not be said for the dairy protein allergy. It does not affect every child in the same way that botulism (via honey) does.

Additionally, research is now showing that it’s better for your child to give them dairy products at an earlier age. It’s showing that earlier exposure to common allergens (like dairy) can lessen the likelihood of the later development of allergies to those foods. That’s why doctors are now recommending giving foods like peanut butter, eggs, and coconut to babies starting at roughly 6 months of age. (More on that in a future post!)

As a note, dairy protein allergies are not the same thing as lactose intolerance, which isn’t a true allergic reaction. Lactose intolerance involves the body’s difficulty digesting the sugars in milk and other dairy products, producing mostly bowel related discomfort. This can affect any age group. In contrast, dairy protein allergy is most common under the age of 5. It produces an actual immune system response, in which the body reacts to the proteins as a foreign substance that needs to be removed. “When a baby is allergic to milk, it means that his or her immune system, which normally fights infections, overreacts to proteins in cow’s milk. Every time the child has milk, the body thinks these proteins are harmful invaders and works hard to fight them. This causes an allergic reaction in which the body releases chemicals like histamine” (Kids Health, 2018).

Examples of How to Incorporate Dairy into an Infant’s Diet

As stated earlier, around 4-6 months of age, children can begin to branch out from solely a (non-dairy) milk-based diet. You can gradually introduce solid food into their diet. Dairy isn’t recommended to be among a child’s very first solid foods but after exposure to some non-breastmilk or -formula foods (grains, fruits, vegetables), it can safely be introduced while monitoring for any signs of allergic reaction.

Dairy is such a versatile and forgiving food for incorporating into your new eater’s diet. It’s also a very good food group for adding calcium and fat to your baby’s diet. There are two nutrients your baby needs as they lengthen and strengthen bones, grow teeth, and further develop their brain.

Here are a few ideas and considerations on how to add dairy to their diet:

I personally love using dairy in both smoothies and baked goods. I often add Greek yogurt to my kids’ smoothies to contribute both protein and thickness. And, if I’m feeling really indulgent, some ice cream will make its way in for a more shake/less smoothie kinda treat. 😉 Baked goods also lend themselves well to dairy product additions. For one thing, butter is just heavenly both in and on fresh baked yumminess. And I make lots of “bedtime snack” and “baby” muffins that generally call for yogurt or milk in the recipe, sometimes even cottage cheese. It’s also not uncommon to find hard cheeses, such as cheddar, in some loaf breads.

Sauces and soups are another food group I use lots of dairy in and find easy to feed my babies. Cream, sour cream, milk, cheese and butter are all common ingredients in sauces and in some soups. Throw in some pureed vegetables and some flavorful seasonings and you have a solid dairy-laced offering for your little one. And yes, I sometimes give my baby just the sauce from whatever meal I’ve made for the rest of the family if the other components aren’t baby-friendly.

All of these foods (smoothies, soups, sauces, muffins) are easy to feed to infants due to their softness or their smooth textures or the fact that they are a liquid/puree. They can also be full of new flavors as well as fiber, vitamins, and minerals, based on what other ingredients you throw in.

Yogurt is also a super easy dairy product to feed straight to baby with very little preparation needed. It’s smooth and easy for baby to swallow and it’s high in fats and calcium. Just make sure that you’re not feeding your baby yogurt products that are marketed for young children. They are generally stuffed to the brim with added sugars. For your infant, stick with whole milk yogurt, either traditional or Greek-style, flavored or unflavored (just not honey-flavored!). Whole yogurt is harder to find but it does exist. And it’s better for meeting your infant’s nutritional needs than low-fat or fat-free yogurt. This post by Baby Foode does a wonderful job of explaining more about yogurt for infants. They also provide additional ideas for serving yogurt. (Disclaimer: I loved some of their ideas so much that I used some of them in my above posted info graph! Good stuff!)

Simple milk, served in a cup or bottle, is also allowed for babies under the age of one. You just need to use moderation and remember that milk in a cup for your baby serves a different purpose than milk in a cup for your toddler. For your toddler, the goal of milk in a cup is to add calcium, calories, hydration, and healthy fats. The goal of milk in a cup for infants is for exploration and familiarization. You don’t want to fill your infant to the brim with milk as a meal substitute. Nor do you want to replace breastmilk or formula in their diet (as previously stated). However, small portions as a compliment to the rest of the meal is totally fine. And remember, whole milk is best for infants and toddlers unless otherwise directed by your pediatrician.

Cheese is another easy to serve and prepare food that can help those brand-new teeth be stronger and healthier to boot! Malina Malkani, of Healthy Mom Healthy Kids, has a great post (below) discussing which cheeses are best for our newest little eaters and why. I’ll let you read her own words below for more on the topic.

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A post shared by Malina Malkani, Dietitian (@healthy.mom.healthy.kids)

Read more about Malina’s work at her website Malina Malkani. She is a registered and certified dietician nutritionist who focuses on helping parents navigate picking eating and baby-led weaning. She teaches from her own lived experiences as a mother of three girls who had a variety of feeding, nutrition and growth concerns when they were younger and as a former career performer who felt the industry’s push to have a specific, thin, body type. She has books, a blog, recipes, a lovely Instagram account with a wealth of easy to digest information and a private practice that allows her to work one-on-one with mothers, infants, and children. Check her out!

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I hope as you’ve read through this post that you’ve been able to clear up what the no dairy under one guidance really entails, how it differs from the “No Honey Under One” rule, and that you’re no longer leery of serving dairy to your under-one baby. Unlike honey, dairy is safe to feed your baby. Honey is never recommended for infants, in any form, cooked or otherwise. Dairy, however, can be safely introduced to your infant at roughly 6 months of age. Just be sure to monitor for rashes and other signs of allergic reactions. And remember to continue with the breastmilk or infant formula as their main source of nutrition.

Hello! I’m Briana!