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Which yoghurt?

Q: Which yoghurt is suitable for my baby who is now 8 months?

A: Yoghurts made from whole milk (3 to 4% fat) are best. Babies and infants need fat as a concentrated source of energy for rapid growth. (Breast milk is a high-fat diet: around 50% of calories provided by breast milk comes from fat.) Do not give baby reduced-fat or very low-fat yoghurts (less than 1% fat). Avoid 'Diet' yoghurts with artificial sweetener added. And do not give baby yoghurt containing nuts, hard fruit or berries with hard seeds. Home-made yoghurt (using commercially available yoghurt mix) is fine but again, don't choose a low-fat mix. Remember the 'gold standard' for infant feeding is breast milk which contains on average 4.3 grams of fat per 100ml. So a packet yoghurt mix containing 4 grams of fat per 100ml when made up is just fine for your baby. To sweeten yoghurt add fruit such as mashed banana or pureed cooked apricot, peach, or pear.