Which Yogurt Is Best For Babies?

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Are you here because you’re wondering which yogurt is best for babies or toddlers?

Yogurt is such an easy food for babies when they start solids or baby-led weaning.

I started feeding my twin babies yogurt when they were around 6 months old.  Always check with your pediatrician about the best time to start feeding your baby yogurt.  Typically babies around 6 months can start eating yogurt.

Yogurt is good for babies because it has protein, has fat (which babies need in their diet), is filling, has probiotics, contains calcium and other nutrients, and is a quick and easy food with no prep! 

I love feeding yogurt as a snack for my toddlers and gave it to them as mini-meals and snacks when they were babies.  

While yogurt can be a messy food, it’s easy and quick to feed to babies and toddlers. – one reason I truly love it!

Related: Healthy Baby and Toddler Yogurt and Fruit Popsicles

What is the best yogurt to give babies?

It’s best to give babies and toddlers whole milk yogurt.  Whole milk yogurt has the fat babies need to support their brain development. Low-fat yogurt is made with skim milk, therefore doesn’t have the fat that whole milk contains.

There are so many yogurts available now in grocery stores, that finding whole milk yogurt is pretty easy and cost-efficient.

For babies, I would give plain whole milk yogurt, without added sugar. 

Yogurt can tend to have a lot of added sugar.  I always check the back of the nutrition label before I buy yogurt to see if it has any added sugars. 

With my toddlers I try to buy plain whole milk yogurt, however once in a while, we will buy flavored whole milk yogurt.

Which brand of Yogurt Should I Buy?

With so many brands of yogurt to choose from, there are a few I have found that don’t have added sugar and that my toddlers enjoy.  

I try to buy grass-fed organic whole milk yogurt when I can for my toddlers.  However, we also just buy non-organic sometimes, too.  Sometimes I splurge and buy goat milk yogurt (which is slightly lower in lactose than cow’s milk yogurt), although they don’t seem to notice a difference in how it tastes.

Then there’s Greek yogurt which is made by straining out the extra whey in regular yogurt.  It is higher in protein but thick and tangier than regular yogurt.  My twins don’t care for Greek yogurt as much as regular yogurt because of the thickness and tanginess.  It also may be harder for babies to eat thicker yogurt.

Buy what you can afford and you have access to!  

Some of the best yogurts for babies and toddlers

Whole Foods Organic Yogurt

 

Brown Cow Whole Milk Yogurt

Maple Hill Yogurt

Nancy’s Yogurt

Some yogurt comes in squeeze pouches and tubes and those are great to pack for lunches or take on the go for toddlers.  Usually, those yogurt pouches or tubes have some added sugar, so be aware of that when giving to your baby.

When we are at home I let my twins eat yogurt with a spoon or their hands. When they first starting eating yogurt at around 6 months old, I helped feed them a little.

I buy larger containers of yogurt instead of individual cups.  The big yogurt tubs are more cost-efficient and I can scoop it in their bowls. It’s good for babies to practice with utensils, even though it does get messy! 

If your baby loves smearing yogurt around as mine do, this baby and toddler sensory yogurt activity would be perfect to try!

If you want to give your baby some flavored yogurt, you can add foods in to give it flavor or sweeten it a bit.

Related: 3 Ingredient Healthy Pancakes for Toddlers and Baby Led Weaning

Some easy mix-ins to add to yogurt for babies or toddlers

-Mashed banana

-Diced and steamed apples

-Diced mango (dice very small for babies)

-Cinnamon

-Pure maple syrup (for toddlers)

-Mashed avocado

-Diced strawberries or mashed berries

-Sprinkle with ground flax seeds (I use less than 1/8 teaspoon)

-Occasionally I sprinkle the yogurt with a powdered probiotic for added probiotics.  Probiotics are good for gut health.

*Never give honey to babies under 1 year old.

If your baby or toddler doesn’t eat dairy there are other yogurt alternatives such as coconut milk yogurt, soy yogurt, almond milk yogurt, cashew yogurt and so on.  Make sure to buy plain so it doesn’t have the added sugar and check with your pediatrician before giving these varieties to your baby.

My older son ate coconut milk yogurt when he was a toddler and loved it.

Yogurt is good for a quick and easy snack or breakfast idea for babies, toddlers, and kids!  

Related: Toddler Breakfast Ideas