At what age can you give yogurt to a child?

What are the benefits of yogurt?

This dairy product is a source of protein that the child’s body easily digests;
yogurt contains a lot of calcium, which is important for the formation of the skeletal system and strengthening teeth;
this lactic acid product contains many vitamins A, B, and it also contains phosphorus, calcium, and chlorine.
yogurt contains a large amount of microelements and beneficial vitamins, which are so important for the full development and growth of the child;
This product contains probiotics, which have a positive effect on the immune system and digestive system.
after taking antibiotics, it is useful to introduce yogurt into your daily diet, as it perfectly restores the intestinal microflora;
if you eat yogurt every day, the body produces interferon, and this helps to increase the protective functions of the immune system;
Yogurts made for children are either liquid, which you can drink, or thick; pectin is added to these products, this allows you to make your baby’s complementary foods more varied and healthy.

The benefits of yogurt

So, the benefits of yogurt for the body have been proven for a long time, and they are as follows:

rich in calcium, potassium, vitamins B and A;
perfectly digestible, many times better than whole milk;
contains a sufficient amount of protein;
improves digestion, normalizes intestinal microflora and stool;
Helps the body absorb essential micronutrients;
useful for many disorders and diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
improves hematopoiesis;
helps avoid bone diseases;
reduces the risk of hypertension and intestinal cancer;
has a beneficial effect on the condition of hair, nails and skin.

In addition, regular consumption of yogurt promotes the production of cells that prevent viruses from multiplying. That is, immunity naturally increases. As you can see, the product is really very healthy, and therefore definitely necessary in the children's diet.

When can yogurt be dangerous?

It is worth knowing that this lactic acid product itself cannot harm the child, but since it is a perishable product, there is a great danger that you can feed your baby spoiled or expired yogurt. Therefore, before giving it to your child as food, you should always carefully check the date of manufacture of this product and its expiration date.

It is important to know!

It is also worth paying attention to the fact that in our stores there is now a very large number of a wide variety of fermented milk products. In this abundance, it is easy to get confused and accidentally make the wrong choice by buying yogurt, which is absolutely not intended for consumption by children. Be extremely careful not to make mistakes that could have a detrimental effect on your child’s health.

Are children allergic to yogurt?

Please note that your child can be allergic to yogurt only in two cases:

if the fermented milk product contains fruits and berries that the baby cannot tolerate;
if your baby is allergic to cow's milk, or rather to cow's milk protein.

It is important to know that in these cases, giving yogurt to a child is strictly contraindicated!

How to choose the right treat for your child

There is a wide range of fermented milk products on the supermarket shelves. In order to choose high-quality and healthy yogurt for your child, you need to remember a few rules:

A high-quality dessert should consist exclusively of milk and sourdough. Flavorings, stabilizers, dyes and other chemical additives are not allowed.
For children under 2 years old, you should not buy products with fruit and berry fillings, as they can provoke an allergic reaction. It is best to combine a pure dessert with homemade fruit or berry puree.
Children under 2 years of age can be given foods whose fat content does not exceed 3.2%. Such desserts can upset digestion, so they are only allowed for older children.
Pediatricians recommend giving such widely advertised products as Rastishka, Miracle, Activia, Actimel to a child only after reaching 3 years of age.
Fermented milk yoghurts for children under one year of age are produced under the trademarks Agusha, Tema, and Medvezhonok. They can be given to the baby from 8-9 months.
Carefully study the expiration date of the fermented milk product - a natural delicacy cannot be stored for longer than 6-7 days. A longer shelf life indicates the presence of preservatives and other chemical additives in the composition.
If there is o on the product label, the manufacturer must indicate information about the concentration of microorganisms in its composition.

Low-fat yoghurts are not used for children's diets. They are considered dietary food and can only be consumed on the recommendation of a doctor.

At what age are children introduced to complementary foods with yogurt?

At what age can children be given yogurt?

Pediatricians give the following answer: for babies who are artificially fed, yogurt can be given from 8 months, and for babies who are breastfed, this product should be introduced into complementary foods from 9 months.

How to properly introduce it into a child’s diet

Your baby's first introduction to yogurt would be best done during morning breakfast; offer him just one spoon of the new dairy product.

This must be done so that you have the opportunity to assess your child’s condition during the day. whether he had an allergic reaction to yogurt.

If there is no allergy, then in the future the lactic acid product can be given to the baby during the afternoon snack, along with fruit complementary foods. This is usually the fourth feeding of the day. Yogurt also goes well with cottage cheese and cookies.

Yogurt with live bacteria that is not marked “for children” is allowed to be given to a child only after 2 years.

For young children, what is the recommended serving of yogurt?

The daily amount of yogurt in a baby’s diet should not exceed half the norm of all fermented milk complementary foods that the child receives.

80-100 ml of yogurt is given to children under 1 year old, and for children from 1 to 3 years old the portion is increased to 200 ml.

When to introduce your child to yogurt

Previously, it was recommended to include fermented milk products in a child’s diet for up to six months. Modern experts advise to wait and introduce yogurt into complementary foods no earlier than 6 months, and until that time, breast milk or formula is enough for the baby. The product can be offered to a baby for the first time at 8 months. You should start getting acquainted with ½ teaspoon, gradually increasing the volume of the product to 100 ml per day.

Children's yoghurts are characterized by low acidity and low fat content, and it is better to purchase them in specialized departments or in a dairy kitchen.

If you prepare the dish at home, it will take little time if the starter is at hand, and the benefits for children under one year old will be undeniable. There is no need to add berries and fruits to the first feeding, even if the baby is familiar with them. It makes more sense to give the product as an independent option and observe the baby’s reaction.

Pediatricians recommend including live yogurt in the diet for allergies and skin rashes to normalize the intestinal microflora. After all, the baby’s well-being depends on her condition.

How to make homemade yogurt

Making yogurt at home is not at all difficult, as it might seem at first glance. To prepare a natural fermented milk product at home we will need:

special leaven. It is worth noting that you can purchase yogurt starter at any pharmacy;
we will also need fresh boiled milk;
utensils for cooking. It is advisable to sterilize the dishes.

Making yogurt in a yogurt maker

This is one of the easiest ways to prepare this natural and delicious lactic acid product.

Cool the boiled milk to a temperature of 38-40 degrees and add the starter to the milk. Please note that if the temperature is more than 40 degrees, in this case the bacteria will not be able to multiply and therefore the yogurt simply will not work.
After adding the starter to the milk, mix everything well and pour the milk into sterile containers. Then we put the jars of fermented milk in the yogurt maker.
And now the yogurt maker will get to work. After all, it constantly maintains the required temperature at which bacteria actively multiply.

The main advantage of a yogurt maker is that it can maintain the required temperature for a long time, which is necessary for the starter microorganisms to work.

In a Yogurt maker, the process of preparing the product takes about 8-10 hours. Agree, this is very convenient, because you can leave the fermented milk overnight, and in the morning you will have fresh yogurt waiting for you to eat. It can be stored in the refrigerator for no more than 4-5 days.

It is best to give homemade yogurt to your child in the first 2 days after preparing it. The longer this lactic acid product is stored, the less beneficial bacteria remains in it.

Homemade yogurt in a slow cooker

You can prepare yogurt in a regular slow cooker if it has a keep warm function.

Boil 2 liters of milk, then cool it to the required temperature of 38-40 degrees.
Add the starter to the prepared milk, mix well and pour the milk into the multicooker.
We set the yogurt mode in the multicooker to the desired mode. The preparation time for fermented milk product is 8-10 hours.

When the yogurt is ready, pour it into glass jars and put it in the refrigerator for storage. You can eat it 2-3 hours after cooking.

How to make homemade yogurt in a thermos

If you don’t have a yogurt maker or a multicooker, then we will use a regular thermos to prepare yogurt.

Boil the milk and cool it slightly to 40 degrees, then add the starter and mix well.
To clean the thermos from pathogenic bacteria, give it boiling water, and then pour the prepared milk into it.
Let's close the thermos, wrap it in a towel and put it in a warm place, in a sunny place in summer, and closer to the radiator in winter.
After 5-7 hours, fresh yogurt in a thermos will be ready. Now we pour the lactic acid product into sterile jars or cups.
After this, we store the prepared yogurt in the refrigerator. A cold environment prevents further fermentation of milk because the growth of bacteria stops in it.

You can add pieces of your favorite fruit, a little syrup or jam to the prepared yogurt according to your wishes and taste.

Such different yoghurts

The children's product differs from the adult product in its beneficial composition and a large number of active bifidobacteria. If an adult can eat a yogurt maker or yogurt starter without harm to health, then for children under one year old such complementary foods are dangerous due to the appearance of allergies.

Dyes, preservatives and long shelf life do not contribute to the survival of beneficial microorganisms, so only natural yogurt, which contains a starter of live bacteria, is recommended for infants.

The store-bought version assumes a sales and consumption period of 14 to 30 days, but it is important for mothers to remember that the less time has passed from the production of the product to its appearance on the table, the more beneficial it is for children.

Probiotic microorganisms are able to survive under certain humidity and temperature conditions. Therefore, it is preferable to prepare yoghurts for the child at home so that there is no risk of poisoning. Even with careful consideration of the production date and expiration date, one cannot be sure of the correct transportation and storage. Before giving yogurt to your baby, you need to try the product yourself - and if you have the slightest doubt, refuse to use it.

Children's fermented milk products contain:

calcium
protein
iodine
zinc
magnesium
iron
beneficial bifidobacteria that populate the child’s intestinal microflora

Children under one year of age are not allergic to yogurt, especially if you prepare it at home. It is useful for its valuable qualities:

Bifidobacteria, which the starter contains, secrete special enzymes that promote protein breakdown
The product improves the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract of a child up to one year old
Fermented milk complementary foods help normalize intestinal function and saturate the child’s body with calcium.
Improves immunity due to good functioning of the gastrointestinal tract and the state of microflora

Sourdough purchased at a pharmacy contains the maximum number of microorganisms and is stored under appropriate conditions.

The newborn's intestines are populated with beneficial bacteria, which he receives from his mother's milk. In ideal balance, beneficial microflora prevails over bad ones, and the bacteria contained in yogurt are considered “relatives” of humans. For this reason, pediatricians advise preparing homemade complementary foods with a minimum shelf life. You can independently control all stages of “production” without fear for the health of your children.

Homemade yogurt recipes for children under one year old

It’s good if your baby likes the taste of milk yogurt without various additives. However, some children enjoy eating fermented milk products only if they add some fruit or tasty additives.

What natural ingredients are suitable as an additive to homemade yogurt for baby food?

peach or peach puree;
applesauce or apple;
pear;
pumpkin;
cottage cheese;
bananas;
cookie.

Note!

When you add various fresh fruits to yogurt, you need to eat it right away, but jarred puree from the store can be added in advance.

Fruit salads with yogurt

Yogurt is an excellent dressing for various fruit salads. It is better to give kids salads made from seasonal fruits, so we will divide these salads into those prepared in summer and winter.

This delicacy can be offered to children over 1 year old. Now we will take a closer look at the recipes for some fruit salads with yogurt.

To make your fruit salad delicious, add fresh seasonal fruits to your taste and remove those that you don’t have on hand from the list.

Preparing a summer salad

Ingredients:

one pear;
one small apple;
plums - 3 pieces;
grapes - a small handful;
melon - 1 slice;

Preparation:

Wash the fruits well and remove the skin and seeds.
Cut the fruit pulp into small cubes and season the salad with natural yogurt.
If necessary, sweeten the dish by adding a small amount of honey.

Winter fruit salad

Ingredients for cooking:

mandarin;
persimmon;
kiwi;
apple;
banana.

Preparing the salad:

Remove the skin and seeds from the fruit, and then cut the pulp into small cubes.
We lay out the fruits in layers, filling each layer with yogurt.
If desired, you can sprinkle each layer with a little sugar.

Note!

It is best to give your child such a salad as soon as you prepare it, so that the fruits included in the dish do not lose their beneficial properties.

To interest your child and improve his appetite, you can try to design a new dish for him in the form of some funny animal, house or car.

Products for children: children's yoghurts

Yogurt is a fermented milk product with a high content of low-fat substances, which is obtained by fermenting milk with Bulgarian bacillus and thermophilic streptococcus (in other words, the basis of yogurt is starter culture). The benefit of yogurt is that Bulgarian bacillus is a type of microorganism that has high biological activity that accelerates the death of pathogenic pathogens and bacteria, thereby being a natural antibiotic.

How are yoghurts good for children?

Yogurts are excellent sources of protein with high biological value.
Yogurts contain calcium, which is necessary for the formation and strengthening of bones, as well as for teeth growth, and vitamin B2, which has a beneficial effect on the growth of a child’s body.
By consuming yogurt, the body receives probiotics - substances that stimulate immune processes and ensure normal digestion in both children and adults.

Composition of children's yoghurts:

milk,
starter (consisting of thermophilic streptococcus and Bulgarian bacillus),
depending on the manufacturer, various fillers are added (fresh berries and fruits, not cake),
Often, yoghurts for children are additionally enriched with vitamins B and C, as well as microelements - iron, zinc, iodine.

It is important to note that children's yoghurts cannot contain synthetic dyes, flavors, biologically active additives and toxic elements. Yogurts for children are usually produced without the use of thickeners, so this product usually has a liquid consistency and is called drinking yogurt. If a thickener is still used, then it is safe pectin or starch.

When to give your baby baby yoghurts? Today, pediatricians believe that up to 6 months, a child should receive only breast milk or an adapted formula. As the child grows older, he can drink yoghurts and increase the amount of daily consumption. What kind of yoghurts and in what quantities can children:

Specialized children's yoghurts can be introduced into the diet of babies over 8 months in a volume of 100 ml per day.
Yogurts that are not intended for baby food, but “live” (which are obtained by heating milk to 80 degrees, thereby preserving beneficial microorganisms in the product, without dyes and preservatives), can be given to a child starting from 1.5-2 years in a volume of up to 150 ml per day.
For children over 2 years old, the amount of yogurt can be increased to 150-200 ml.

Please note that experts do not recommend using large volumes of yoghurt in baby food. This is due to the fact that the total volume of fermented milk products, which in addition to yogurt also includes cottage cheese, kefir, fermented baked milk, etc., should be no more than 50% of the total volume of the “milk part of the child’s diet.” Children can be switched to “adult” yogurt at the age of 2 years (some experts recommend raising this bar to 3 years).

Children's yoghurts. Rules for a successful purchase

The product should be called "yogurt". If you see products with the names “yogurt”, “bioghurt”, “yogurt product”, etc., then you should understand that they do not have beneficial microflora and only have nutritional value.
Try to choose yogurts without additives. Natural fruits can be stored in yogurt only if special chemical stabilizers and preservatives are added to it. It’s better to buy yogurt without additives and mix it in a blender with fruits or berries before using it at home and give it to your child immediately.
For a child under 2 years old, choose yoghurts with a fat content of up to 2.5%, for a child over 2 years old - up to 5%.
If the yogurt packaging has the prefix bio- in its name, then it must contain information about the concentration of microorganisms at the end of the shelf life. There must be at least 107 CFU (colony-forming units) per 1 g of product.
If the packaging indicates that the product can be stored at room temperature, it means that it does not contain living beneficial microorganisms or biocultures.

Andrey Abakhov, pediatrician: “Yogurt is a very important product in a child’s diet, especially live yogurt. When purchasing baby yogurt, keep in mind the key differences between regular (pasteurized) and organic yogurt. Live yoghurts, which contain the necessary microorganisms and beneficial bacteria, are important for the proper functioning of the baby’s stomach and intestines. The shelf life of such products is from 10 to 20 days (on average 14-15 days). And in pasteurized yoghurts after heat treatment there are no “live” bacteria left; accordingly, they have fewer beneficial properties than in live yoghurts, but the shelf life is longer: for some manufacturers it can reach up to 30 days. If you don't trust store-bought products, you can make homemade yogurt. But they can be stored for a maximum of 3 days at a temperature of +4-6°C, just like the “live” yoghurts that sometimes appear on supermarket shelves (however, it is almost impossible to find products of this quality on sale).”

Example from a store shelf Composition of children's yoghurt "TEMA Children's green apple", 210 g:

normalized milk,
natural fruit filler “green apple” (fructose syrup, fruit - apple, apple puree from concentrate),
water,
thickeners (pectins, guar gum (preservative)),
acidity regulators (sodium citrates, calcium citrates, citric acid),
flavoring natural dye (extracts of natural carotenes),
skim milk powder,
mineral premix (calcium, zinc, copper, manganese),
vitamin premix (A, D3, E, B6)
yoghurt starter.

Comment: Normalized milk is milk that has undergone heat treatment, during which a number of beneficial properties of the product are still preserved. In addition, it should be noted that this yogurt is enriched with vitamins and minerals, which is also a plus. Buyers may be confused by the preservatives in the composition: guar gum, sodium citrate, calcium citrate, citric acid. They are not considered harmful and, with moderate consumption of products containing them, in principle, cannot cause a negative effect on the child’s body. But if you are still scrupulous in this matter, then try to choose yoghurts with a justifiably short list of ingredients.

What healthy additives can be added to yogurt?

Nuts. They are rich in fats, vitamins and microelements, which are useful and so necessary for the growing child’s body. Nuts help make yogurt richer and tastier. Walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, cashews will be a tasty and healthy addition.

Dried fruits. Dried apricots and raisins are very useful in themselves. And if you add them to yogurt, it will only increase its beneficial properties and also acquire a pleasant sweetish note. In addition, kids are always interested in catching dried fruits from a jar of yogurt, and a regular breakfast turns into a kind of game.

Muesli. They will make the yogurt more filling and change its taste to a richer one. In a lactic acid product, the flakes become melting and soft, which children really like.

Vanilla. She has a wonderful aroma that will delight many. If you add just a little vanilla to ready-made yogurt, it will be very appetizing and incredibly aromatic. The most important thing is not to overdo it with vanilla, otherwise the dairy product may be slightly disappointing.

Cooking at home

To prepare a fermented milk dessert you will need a special starter with live bacteria and milk. All utensils used must be thoroughly sterilized. You can prepare a delicious dessert for your baby in different ways: using a yogurt maker, a slow cooker, or a regular thermos. From the resulting dessert you can prepare healthy fruit salads.

Homemade yoghurts are good because parents do not have to think about whether such a product can be given to a small child, because it does not contain dyes, emulsifiers, stabilizers and other chemicals.

Yogurt maker

The recipe for how to prepare a healthy product is described below:

Bring the milk to a boil and cool to 38-40 C˚.
Add the starter to the container with milk according to the instructions on the package, mix thoroughly.
Pour the resulting mixture into cups and place them in the bowl of the appliance. Based on how many glasses the yogurt maker can hold, you need to calculate in advance the amount of milk to be prepared. This device maintains a stable temperature regime necessary for the active growth of bacteria.

In 8-10 hours, the delicious dessert will be ready. It is stored in the refrigerator for no more than 4-5 days, although the period when you can give the prepared product to your baby is no more than two days from the date of preparation. This is explained by the fact that on days 3 and 4 the number of beneficial bacteria is significantly reduced.

Multicooker

If the multicooker is equipped with a special heat maintenance mode, then it is used to prepare a tasty and healthy fermented milk product. The cooking process is the same as in a yogurt maker. Using a multicooker, you can prepare drinking yogurt for your baby; as a rule, the little one drinks it willingly.

Recipe for making yogurt in a slow cooker:

Let the milk simmer, turning on the heating mode, for about five hours.

Then pour out a small portion of the milk, cool and mix with good quality yoghurt purchased at the store. Mix the mixture thoroughly with a mixer.
Pour the mixture back into the multicooker and turn on the warm function for 8 hours. Then cool in the refrigerator and beat the finished mixture again with a mixer.

Fruit salad with yogurt: recipe for children

Yogurt is an excellent dressing for fruit salads. For young children, it is better to prepare them from seasonal fruits. It is necessary to take into account that a toddler can be given yogurt with fruit only after a year, if the product contains ingredients that the baby has not previously consumed.

A summer salad is prepared from homemade or store-bought children's fermented milk dessert with the addition of banana, peach, melon, pumpkin, plum, pear or apple. It is possible to prepare from several types of fruits at once. You can also add cottage cheese, baby cookies, and a little honey to the product. Fruits must be mixed with fermented milk dressing immediately before feeding.

Fruit purees are often used to prepare winter salads, and you can mix them with yogurt 1-2 hours before feeding.

The recipe for preparing the salad is simple: just wash the fruits thoroughly, peel them and seeds, chop them finely and mix with fermented milk dressing. If desired, the fruit can be chopped in a blender and the finished product can be sweetened with a small amount of honey.

What kind of starter can I use?

If you want to prepare healthy yogurt for your baby, then you should not use ready-made yogurt from the store as a starter. Various fillers and microflora of a store-bought product can give a very unpredictable result during the preparation process.

This is important to know!

You only need to buy a special starter that contains all the bacteria necessary for making yogurt. It is best to purchase sourdough starter at a pharmacy or specialty store.

Pay attention to the expiration date of the starter and the date of its manufacture. Make sure it has been stored in the refrigerator.

If you are preparing yogurt for a child under one year old, then you should always use only new starter.

There are different starter cultures, and other fermented milk products are prepared from them - these are vitalact, bifivit, and streptosan. These products contain completely different bacteria. Sometimes it is advisable to pamper your baby with fermented milk products made from these starters so that there is variety in the child’s diet.

The best yoghurts for a child under one year old

The main difference between baby yogurt is its beneficial composition and active bifidobacteria in optimal quantities. There should be no preservatives or dyes in its composition, so the shelf life of yogurt for a child up to a year is about two weeks, and the more recent the date of manufacture, the better.

For babies starting from eight months, the following yoghurts are available in stores:

Drinking yogurt "Agusha" with the addition of apple and lemon balm, fat content 2.7%.
Apricot-banana “Tema” (2.8%).
“Tema” with the addition of apple (2.8%).
“Medvezhonok” with lactulose (3.2%).
“Agusha” with raspberries (2.7%).
“Agusha” has a viscous consistency with prunes (2.6%).
“Agusha” with raspberry and strawberry flavors, viscous (2.7%).
“Tema” with banana and strawberry flavors (2.8%).
"Tema" - bio-yogurt with raspberry and rosehip flavors (2.8%).
"Rastishka" (apple-pear).

For children
It is not always possible to find a product that meets all conditions in the store, so homemade yoghurts are still recommended for infants.

Choosing good yogurt for your child in the store

First you need to look at the label - the fermented milk product should be labeled with the word “yogurt”.

Note!

Carefully read the composition of the product; yogurt intended for a child should be made only from milk and starter culture. If you find preservatives, flavorings and various thickeners in its composition, then immediately refuse to purchase.

You can buy yoghurts that contain pieces of fruit, but remember that they must be given with caution. Well, such products may cause an allergic reaction in a child. It would be better to add a little fruit puree to regular yogurt without additives, which you have already given to your child and to which the baby is not allergic.

For a very young child, in the first year of his life, it would be best to choose classic yogurt or semi-fat milk yogurt with a fat content of up to 3.2 g.

For a child aged 2 to 5 years, milk-cream, cream-milk and classic yogurts are good.

Low-fat yoghurts are yoghurts that have reduced fat content; they are products that should not be chosen for children. These products are used only as directed by a physician.

Be sure to check the shelf life and expiration dates. This value is valid within 5 to 7 days. Remember that yoghurts that are stored much longer contain preservatives. It is not recommended to buy a product that can be stored without refrigeration.

Yoghurts, which are produced by many well-known manufacturers today, such as Rastishka, Immunele, Erman, Miracle and others, are not products intended for baby food. They have a fairly long shelf life, and they contain various flavorings and dyes that are identical to natural ones. These yoghurts are allowed to be given to children from the age of three, all this is indicated on the product packaging.

If yoghurts are positioned as natural bioproducts, then the labels must indicate data on the concentration of microorganisms. Usually, by the end of shelf life, the content of microorganisms in them should be at least 107 CFU.

Agusha

Under the Agusha brand, two types of yogurt are produced for babies under 1 year of age:

viscous ones that need to be eaten with a spoon;
drinkable, which can be drunk from a bottle or cup.

These yoghurts are recommended to introduce complementary foods to babies from 8 months. The Agusha brand is distinguished by a fairly wide range and selection of children's yoghurts.

The shelf life of this brand is 14 days.

Subject

Bioyogurts of the Tema brand are recommended for baby food from 8 months.

Yoghurts are of this brand only for drinking. Their composition: whole milk, skimmed and powdered milk, juice, fruit puree, sugar, thickener - corn starch, a. Carrot juice is also a natural coloring agent; concentrated lemon juice acts as an acidity regulator.

Bioyogurt "Tema" contains: 2.8% fat, 3.2% protein, sugar 5.8%, calorie content 84 kcal.

Beneficial features

Everyone knows that yogurt belongs to the group of fermented milk products. In order to make yogurt, Bulgarian bacillus and thermophilic streptococcus are added to fresh milk to ferment it.

Its benefit lies in the fact that it destroys bacteria and harmful microorganisms living in the intestines.
Thus, yogurt acts as an antibiotic. By the way: Unlike milk, the body absorbs only 32% of it, yogurt is absorbed by 91%.
Choose

Deadlines

The fewer preservatives a product contains, the shorter its shelf life. So for live yogurt the shelf life is only 7 days, this is the product that is best for toddlers. There are also options that say they contain live bacteria, but their shelf life is 20 days.

Of course, thanks to modern cooking technologies, it is possible to increase the shelf life, but still there are significantly fewer living beneficial bacteria in such a product. All other fermented milk products, which simply have exorbitant terms, do not provide any benefit, and they are even harmful for the child’s body.

Name

If the package says yoghurt product, or some other word like yoghurt, biogurt, then this product is far from yoghurt. Such products do not contain anything valuable; they have a different preparation technology and a complete absence of living bacteria.

A real fermented milk product has only one name: “Yoghurt”.

For the baby doll

Natural fruits are stored very little, which means that a priori they cannot be included in the composition. If there are additives based on natural juices, berries, fruits, then there is a preservative that helps prolong their life. Do we really want to give preservatives to toddlers?

Of course not, which means we choose yogurt without additives. As for fat content, children under 2 years old should choose no higher than 2.5%. After 2, up to 5%.

Package

A self-respecting manufacturer never hides anything from his consumer, because he values his honest name. Therefore, in addition to the name, the packaging must indicate:

Term
Company details
Composition (in descending order, the first is always written as what is greater)
Sourdough method
Recommended age on children's products

How to choose

Today, there are many types and brands of yogurt available in stores. Keep in mind that only the right one will benefit.

What to pay attention to:

Compound . The product must be fermented with lactic acid bacteria and must not contain gelatin and artificial additives (various dyes, thickeners, starch, emulsifiers, etc.).
Presence of sugar . Good yogurt shouldn't have it. According to the first 2 points, fruit yoghurts and various industrially produced desserts are completely unhealthy for children. Just because there are few lactic acid bacteria there, and there is an abundance of sugar and additives. The best option is to take regular natural yogurt and serve it with fresh seasonal fruit.
Best before date . An important factor for any product, especially dairy. As a rule, the shorter this period, the more natural ingredients in the composition. Neither children nor adults should eat expired yogurt - there is a high risk of poisoning.
Storage conditions . Yogurt should be stored at a stable temperature in the refrigerator. At room temperature or sudden changes, it quickly deteriorates.
The presence of probiotics in the composition is an excellent aid to the digestive system.

Benefits and possible harm

To begin with, we will look at the positive qualities of yogurt and why it is valuable for a child’s body.

Since this product is the result of a fermentation process, the composition of yogurt is represented by beneficial bacteria. Entering the child’s body, this product affects the increase in beneficial microorganisms in the intestines, which begin to prevail over pathogenic ones, which is an excellent prevention of dysbiosis.
Yogurt helps normalize the digestion process. A child who consumes this product in moderation will have a good appetite and will not experience constipation or flatulence.
The predominance of beneficial microflora in the body affects the overall strengthening of the immune system. Experts recommend feeding your child yogurt especially during periods of exacerbation of viral infections and in the off-season, when the immune system is slightly weakened.
The content of protein compounds and calcium helps prevent the development of rickets, strengthen the bone skeleton and teeth.
Yogurt also contains various microelements and vitamins that have a beneficial effect on the growing body.
If the baby is prone to diseases of the digestive system, then he is recommended to eat yogurt to prevent the development of ulcers and gastritis. The content of lactic acid in it affects the normalization of acidity levels in the stomach.

But it is important to know that yogurt can also harm the child.

Early introduction into the diet will lead to a malfunction of the digestive system.
This product has a short shelf life, which means it increases the likelihood that your baby will be given expired yogurt. And this will lead to undesirable consequences.
A toddler may develop an allergic reaction if he does not tolerate lactose, a milk protein.
If, as a first introduction, you offer your baby not a classic option, but a product with added fruit, the baby’s body may also react negatively to such complementary foods.