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Yogurt and your Baby - When Can Your Baby Have Yogurt?
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When Can Baby Eat Yogurt and Cheese? Why are Yogurt and Cheese Safe Before Baby is 1 Year Old?
Why is it ok to give my baby Yogurt (and Cheese) before she is 1 year old? Is there something special about the dairy aspect of yogurt and cheese?
Yogurt and cheese are a bit special when it comes to these 2 foods being dairy products.
While there is no great magical mystery in Yogurt or Cheese, the most common reasons for yogurt and cheese being ok for baby prior to age 1 year old are:
- Unlike Whole Cow Milk beverage, your baby is not at risk of formula/breast milk being replaced by Yogurt or Cheese.
- The medical community worries that if Whole Cow milk is introduced to an infant prior to 1 year old, that parents would stop formula and/or breastfeeding and use Milk as the replacement. This would possibly be dangerous to your baby's health! They, however, neglect to specify the difference between baby drinking milk and eating yogurt and/or cheese.
- Lactose is broken down with the culturing of the yogurt or cheese and milk proteins are either semi-removed or limited. The culturing makes yogurt and cheese easier to digest. Many people with lactose intolerance often are be able to eat cheese and/or yogurt without trouble. The same is often true for some people with a milk protein (either to the casein or the whey) allergy.
So why do doctors say "No Dairy Until After 1 Year" if Yogurt and Cheese are Ok?
As we note above, the medical community fears that many people would stop formula/breastfeeding and start their kids on whole cow milk earlier than 1 year old - unless they were told not to. Many pediatricians do not explain that yogurt and cheese are ok for your baby from 8 months old and on.
When Can My Baby Start to Eat Yogurt?
Most pediatricians recommend starting your infant on Yogurt around 7-8 months of age. Some pediatricians also recommend yogurt as a great first food (from 6 months+). Selecting a Whole Milk Yogurt is the most beneficial to your infant as babies need fats in their diets for proper growth.
Visit our Blog post about Why We Recommend Plain Whole Milk Yogurt |
You can buy Plain Whole Milk Yogurt made by such companies as Stonyfield Farm, Cascade Fresh and Brown Cow. You can also Make Your Own Homemade Yogurt. Stonyfield Farm makes the YoBaby brand that many parents know and love. However, using a large container of Plain Whole Milk yogurt will save you money (and save on added sugar) and give you the flexibility of adding your own flavorings to baby's yogurt.
As regards yogurts marketed for for infants (between the ages of 8 months and 12 months old), the YoBaby brand does contain natural organic sugars. The sugar content is less than in a brand such as Dannimals and it is natural and not refined or chemically processed sugar. There are no additives such as starches, fructose syrup, gelatin etc in the Stonyfield YoBaby brand either. You may be surprised to learn that all yogurts, even the Plain yogurts, will contain sugar. Sugar (lactose) occurs naturally in dairy products. This "dairy" sugar is not an additive and we feel that is an important distinction to make.
 Yogurt is a great source of protein! Because of it's culturing process, the protein is easily digested! |
How Should I Serve my Baby Yogurt?
As long as baby has had the fruits/veggies that you wish to mix in with the Yogurt, you are unlimited in what you use. Some of our favorites are:
- Yogurt with applesauce and a dash of cinnamon
- Yogurt and Blueberries
- Yogurt with peaches and bananas together (and separate)
- Yogurt with Wheat Germ and no other addition
- Yogurt and mashed avocado
- Yogurt blended with any fruit and water to create a baby-smoothie (using water makes for a thin mix that may slide through a Sippy Cup with ease)
- Yogurt mixed with veggies - sounds yucky to grown-ups but many babies love yogurt mixed with a veggie!
Headlines from our Baby Food Blog
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Read More on Yogurt at
What is the age to introduce yogurt to baby? Learn why introducing yogurt to your baby really does not jive with the "No Dairy Until 1 Year" rule.
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Useful articles and charts to help you with the fun and folly of introducing baby to solid foods.
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