When should my child switch to nonfat milk?

A good time to make the switch is about the age of 2. By the age of 2, children are usually on all table foods which hopefully provides them with adequate calories. If your child struggles to keep weight on and is considered underweight, they may need to stay on whole milk as part of a balanced diet. As with anything, moderation is key since milk does contain a fairly high amount of saturated fat. 

It was previously recommended that all 1- to 2-year-olds receive whole milk. Experts felt that extra fat was needed for brain development and growth at that age. More recently, because of the increase in childhood obesity and the high-fat diet that many toddlers eat, 2% milk was also deemed fine for this age group.

Check with your pediatrician, but for most toddlers, I often stick with whole milk at least until 18 months and then, depending on how they are growing and what else they are eating, switch to 2% milk by 2 years of age. As part of a low-fat, balanced diet, after 2 years of age, most kids (and parents as well) should make their way to nonfat milk. Nonfat milk has the exact same calcium and nutrients as 1%, 2%, and whole milk, but with each percent there is just extra fat (think of pats of butter) stirred in.