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Singapore Family Travel Blog

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    • Orchard Rendezvous Hotel: City Hotel with Spacious Family Rooms (Plus Bunk Bed!)

      December 4, 2018

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      August 3, 2018

      Hotel Jen Tanglin Singapore: An Amazing Staycation You Won’t Resist

      April 12, 2018

      Family Staycation Ideas in Singapore: Best All-Inclusive Staycation

      April 5, 2018

      Staycation at YOTEL Singapore, Asia’s First YOTEL

      November 14, 2017

  • Thailand
    • Kanchanaburi Day Trip to River Kwai and Death Railway with Trazy 1-Day Tour

      August 22, 2018

      Chocolate Ville: A European Style Dining Park You Shouldn’t Miss in Bangkok

      August 12, 2018

      Pullman Bangkok King Power – Easy Access to Shopping, Dining and BTS

      July 15, 2018

      Maeklong Railway Market: The Famous “Umbrella” Market in Thailand

      July 7, 2018

      Damnoen Saduak Floating Market Tour from Trazy: A Unique Thai Experience

      July 3, 2018

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    • One Day in Otaru: Otaru Aquarium, Otaru Canal, Music Box Museum

      January 31, 2019

      Hoshino Resorts TOMAMU: Our Most Memorable Winter Vacation

      January 18, 2019

      Sapporo with Kids: 10 Must-Visit Attractions in Sapporo, Hokkaido

      January 13, 2019

      Ibis Styles Sapporo Hotel Review: Great Stay with Spacious Rooms

      January 6, 2019

      [Trip Report] Hokkaido Dec’18 10D9N Winter DIY Itinerary

      December 29, 2018

  • Korea
    • Korea Day 8 & 9: War Memorial of Korea, Children’s Grand Park & Mapo Market

      November 15, 2016

      Korea Day 7: Lotte World Seoul

      October 23, 2016

      Korea Day 6 (Part 2): Namdaemun Market & Myeong-dong

      October 20, 2016

      Korea Day 6 (Part 1): Nami Island – Namiseom

      September 24, 2016

      Korea Day 5 (Noon): Mount Sorak National Park & Hanwha Waterpia Hotspring Resort

      September 20, 2016

  • Malaysia
    • 4D3N Ipoh Suggested Itinerary for Families

      November 16, 2018

      The Top KOMTAR Penang – Largest Indoor Theme Park in Penang

      October 14, 2018

      Sand & Sandals Desaru Resort and Spa: Family-Friendly Resort in Desaru

      December 6, 2017

      LEGOLAND Malaysia Halloween Brick-or-Treat 2017

      October 18, 2017

      Somerset Medini Iskandar Puteri: Serviced Apartment near LEGOLAND

      October 12, 2017

  • Taiwan
    • Taiwan Day 7 & 8 – New Taipei City

      May 11, 2016

      Taiwan Day 6 – Cing Jing to Taipei

      May 8, 2016

      Taiwan Day 5 – Taichung to Cing Jing

      April 30, 2016

      Taiwan Day 4 – Taichung City Tour

      January 4, 2016

      Taiwan Free and Easy Itinerary – June 2015 Summer Vacation (8D7N)

      December 10, 2015

  • Hong Kong
    • Hong Kong Disneyland – Recommendations & Travel Tips

      September 28, 2012

      Hong Kong Disneyland – Attractions & Hotel: Part 2

      September 24, 2012

      Hong Kong Disneyland: Attractions and Food Part 1

      September 19, 2012

      Hong Kong Disneyland – Here We Go!

      August 23, 2012

      Hong Kong – Part 5: Ocean Park

      April 29, 2011

  • Indonesia
    • Share Your Bintan Memories & Stand a Chance to Win a 3D2N Stay

      January 24, 2019

      Montigo Resorts, Nongsa: A Magical Haven of Food and Fun in Batam

      January 2, 2018

      Montigo Resorts, Nongsa: A Luxurious Beachfront Resort with Private Pool

      December 19, 2017

      Radisson Golf and Convention Center Batam 3D2N Fun Getaway

      November 25, 2017

      Bintan Mangrove Discovery Tour by Bintan Resorts

      December 31, 2016

  • Australia
    • Fun Things We Did in Gold Coast

      September 29, 2013

      Tangalooma Island Resort – Food & Travel Tips

      September 21, 2013

      Activities at Tangalooma Island Resort

      September 18, 2013

      Tangalooma Island Resort – Getting Here and Accommodation

      September 16, 2013

  • Philippines
    • Las Casas Filipinas de Acuzar: Time Travel to 200 Years in the Past

      September 25, 2018

      Puning Hot Spring and Sand Spa: A Hidden Gem in Angeles City

      September 15, 2018

      5 Days in Clark, Subic and Bataan – Itinerary for First Timers

      September 9, 2018

  • Cruise
    • Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas Virtual Tour & Review

      April 28, 2017

      Royal Caribbean Mariner of the Seas Review

      April 23, 2017

      Cruising Away to Thailand and Vietnam on Royal Caribbean!

      March 10, 2017

      SuperStar Virgo Phuket–Langkawi Cruise: Part 3 and Last

      September 6, 2012

      SuperStar Virgo Phuket–Langkawi Cruise:Part 2

      September 1, 2012

Food & Health

Questions about Milk

June 17, 2010June 17, 20105

A mother posted a question in the forum recently. She was asking what the recommended milk intake is for a toddler. I was thinking something like 500ml, but I wasn’t sure. So, I googled for the answer and here are my findings:

What is the ideal milk intake?

According to the guidelines stated in Dumex website, a toddler (1-3 years old) needs a minimum of 350ml of milk but not exceeding 600ml so that they don’t fill up too much.

The Health Promotion Board recommends that children between 3 to 6 years old consume 500ml of milk each day. Milk is a great source of important nutrients essential for keeping our toddlers healthy and most importantly calcium for strong bones and teeth.

So, I’m right. It’s 500ml!

But not too much!

Excessive cow’s milk can cause an imbalance in two ways. Firstly, it is high in energy (calories). Secondly, it contains a lot of calcium. This energy-dense milk can fill a little tummy quickly. As a result, they might turn away from meals and thereby causing them to become deficient in other nutrients. Too much calcium can also interfere with iron absorption, which in turn has been link to fussy eating. Finally, too much milk can increase the risk of tooth decay due to milk sugars. (Information depicted from Huggies website)

Argh! This is so tricky. When Little Edison refuses to take his meal, we usually supplement him with milk so that he won’t go hungry. But when he drinks more milk, he becomes full and his next meal may be affected again. It’s a chicken-and-egg situation.

Anyway, the above information really shed new light on Little Edison’s fussy eating behavior. Perhaps, he has been overfilling with milk or he is low in iron due to too much calcium.

What is the RDI of Calcium anyway?

The recommended daily allowance (RDI) of calcium for children between 1–3 years is 400-500mg. When I take a look at Pediasure that Little Edison is taking, one feed of 225ml has 212mg of calcium. So, just two feeds (450ml) provide 424mg of calcium. Obviously, with three feeds, it will exceed the RDI. Not forgetting other calcium-rich food that he is taking, such as cheese and yoghurt, I realized that he has over-reached his calcium needs.

Let’s do a change now!

I’m going to reduce Pediasure to two feeds per day and supplement with one feed of fresh milk. I’ll do the math again now.

  • With three feeds of Pediasure, he gets 636mg of Calcium and 2775kcal of energy! The recommended daily allowance is only 1550kcal. No wonder Little Edison has so much energy and never gets tired.
  • With two feeds of Pediasure and one feed of Meiji fresh milk, he gets 636mg of Calcium and 2024kcal. Meiji fresh milk has the same amount of calcium as Pediasure but much lesser in calories. Obviously, this option is much better.

I hope my analysis is correct!

What’s the difference between low-fat, fat-free and full-cream milk? I’m confused.

Low-fat milk (which contain just 1% milk) should not be given to children under 2 years old. Fat-free milk and skim milk (0.1% fat) aren’t suitable for children under the age of 5. These types of milk are products for adults who are concerned about their fat intake. They don’t contain the right amount of protein or healthy fats that our children need.

Full-cream milk is whole milk – milk that has had its cream blended in and homogenized, not milk that has been separated from its cream and sold as low-fat, skim or reduced fat. Whole milk is about 3.5% milk fat. This is the right one for Little Edison!

Useful Information

I strongly recommend that you download the booklet “Birth to Eighteen Years: Dietary Tips for Your Child’s Wellbeing” from the Health Promotion Board’s website. It provides many useful tips on how to help our child approach a healthy and balanced approach to food. There is also a recommended dietary guideline for children from different age groups.

Let’s download it and have a good read today! And that’s the end of my super long post today.

 

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jc

hi, thanks for sharing this useful information. My gal is 2.5 yrs now and since she hit 2, we received the go ahead from the PD to give her low fat milk. She’s not a fussy eater and takes a balanced diet, not all the time but at least most of the time. You mentioned that low fat is not suitable for under 5? Coz that’s quite contrary to what I’ve googled before, that kids MAY switch to low fat after 2. I believe that is based on the understanding that the kid is not a fussy eater and is… Read more »

Reply
8 years ago
Emily

Hi JC,
Thanks for your note. I apologize for the confusion. I’ve re-phrased my sentences to make them clearer. After 2 years old, its OK to take low-fat milk, but not fat-free or skim milk.

I rarely read about nutritional information and checking on RDI. It’s my first attempt to drill into such details. Hopefully, this post can beneficial to other concerned parents.

I really do appreciate your feedback. 🙂

Reply
8 years ago
micollh

gees.. im confused now..my missy 32 month old going to 33 month old.. is taking 3 feeds of Gain IQ daily. morning, aftrnoon and night. each time 240ml. so how much calsium she has consumed ? too much ? she eats her rice(vege/fish/meat/soup) daily and she eats her fruits daily. is that mean her calsium intake is too much ? she too has loads of energy ..

Reply
8 years ago
Emily

Hi Mico,
You can check the nutritional information at the back of the can. If your Missy is taking her solid well, there is no need to worry about her milk intake. =) This post is mainly for fussy eaters who are not taking much solid, like my boy. I reckon he is taking too much milk, and that’s the reason he is not taking solid well.

Reply
8 years ago
jc

hi Emily, don’t worry about it. we are all here to learn and share. Keep blogging! 🙂

Reply
8 years ago

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This is a Family Travel Blog that provides inspiration and travel tips to help you plan for the best family vacation. Find out more about family-friendly hotels, kids activities, theme parks and FUN things to do as a family while on holiday. We believe that the best memories are created when families travel together. This blog also features home & decor tips, product reviews, food & health, as well as our personal stories.
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