Introducing Yogurt to Baby

Yogurt can be a nutritious addition to your baby's diet. Yogurt is usually introduced around 7-8 months, unless your doctor recommends a different age. It is important to give your baby pasteurized whole milk yogurt to allow maximum nutrition. Yogurt is full of protein and healthy fats needed for growth and development.

I recommend using whole milk plain yogurt and adding in your own homemade fruits. By making your own add-ins you can control the added sugar. Here are a few combinations that are favorable among babies:

Yogurt mixed with applesauce, puree of pears, mangoes, peaches and bananas.
You can also add in vegetables like avocado, carrots, sweet potatoes or pumpkin.
Add in baby cereal to make it a complete meal.
Try adding in a little cinnamon to applesauce or sweet potatoes for a new flavor combination.

Layla's favorite: yogurt with mango puree

If you don't want to make your own fruit and vegetable purees there are a lot of different baby yogurts on the market.

A question I had was "why is it okay to feed your baby cow's milk yogurt and cheese at 6 months, but not okay to give them cow's milk in a bottle until 1 year?"

With a little research I discovered the reason is because introducing small amounts of yogurt and cheese does not replace breastfeeding or formula feeding which give the full nutrition your baby need the first year of their life. Most doctors do not want you to introduce cow's milk in a bottle until 12 months to reduce the chances of parents replacing breast milk or formula.

Yogurt can be a nutritious addition to your baby's diet. Yogurt is usually introduced around 7-8 months, unless your doctor recommends a different age. It is important to give your baby pasteurized whole milk yogurt to allow maximum nutrition. Yogurt is full of protein and healthy fats needed for growth and development.

I recommend using whole milk plain yogurt and adding in your own homemade fruits. By making your own add-ins you can control the added sugar. Here are a few combinations that are favorable among babies:

Yogurt mixed with applesauce, puree of pears, mangoes, peaches and bananas.
You can also add in vegetables like avocado, carrots, sweet potatoes or pumpkin.
Add in baby cereal to make it a complete meal.
Try adding in a little cinnamon to applesauce or sweet potatoes for a new flavor combination.

Layla's favorite: yogurt with mango puree

If you don't want to make your own fruit and vegetable purees there are a lot of different baby yogurts on the market.

A question I had was "why is it okay to feed your baby cow's milk yogurt and cheese at 6 months, but not okay to give them cow's milk in a bottle until 1 year?"

With a little research I discovered the reason is because introducing small amounts of yogurt and cheese does not replace breastfeeding or formula feeding which give the full nutrition your baby need the first year of their life. Most doctors do not want you to introduce cow's milk in a bottle until 12 months to reduce the chances of parents replacing breast milk or formula.