Buttermilk
- First taste
- 6 months
- Choking risk
- low
- Common allergen
- yes
- Iron
- low
Milk allergen · in food now, as a drink at 12 mo
Contains allergens
Each new allergen is offered on its own and watched for two hours. Our allergen introduction guide is available in Turkish for now.
When can babies eat buttermilk?
Buttermilk can go into your baby's food when your baby is about 6 months old and ready for solids. Wait until 12 months to give it as a drink. Choose pasteurized buttermilk to lower the risk of foodborne illness.
Traditional buttermilk is the liquid left after cream is churned into butter. This liquid ferments on its own, thickens slightly and turns mildly sour. It is used both as a drink and as an ingredient. Store-bought buttermilk today is skim milk set with bacterial cultures, a method close to making yogurt.
Not the same as Turkish ayran
Buttermilk is skim milk left from butter making or cultured with bacteria. The ayran drunk in Turkey is salted, diluted yogurt. Do not swap one for the other.
How do you prepare buttermilk for babies?
Uses in meals
Pasteurized buttermilk goes into pancakes, cakes and porridge. It is used in meat marinades. Stir it into mashed vegetables or an herb and spice dip.
Wait until 12 months to give it as a drink. Before 12 months, buttermilk or any cow's milk is not given as a drink. Breast milk or formula is nutritionally complete, and a drink should not replace it.
Raw dairy
No age makes raw dairy risk-free, buttermilk included. Raw milk can carry disease-causing bacteria and other contaminants, and symptoms are worse in babies. Pasteurization lowers this risk. Pasteurized milk is the choice that many medical groups back.
Preparation by age
The same food is served differently at each age. What matters is how your baby sits, grasps and chews, more than the calendar.
6 months
6 months · How to use in foodmash
Add pasteurized buttermilk to pancakes, baked goods or porridge. Use it in a meat marinade, stir it into mashed vegetables or blend it with minced herbs and spices for a dip. For the first time, add a small amount to food and watch your baby after the first bite. When 5 to 10 minutes pass with no reaction, give the rest at your baby's normal pace. Do not give it as a drink.
12 months
12 months · How to serve in food and in an open cupmash
You can use buttermilk in meals and also as a drink. As a drink, serve a small amount in an open cup. Being a bit thicker, it runs slower than water or milk, so there is a bit less spilling while your child learns to drink from a cup.
Is buttermilk a choking hazard for babies?
Choking risk: low
Low risk because it is a liquid. Prepare it for your baby's age and stay with them during meals.
Buttermilk is a liquid, so it is a low-risk food. Any food can still cause choking. Prepare it for your baby's age and stay with them during meals.
Is buttermilk a common allergen?
Buttermilk is made from cow's milk. Milk is a common allergen and causes about one in five childhood food allergies in the US. Sheep, goat and buffalo milk products can cause similar reactions.
Milk allergy often fades. Most children with cow's milk allergy outgrow it by age 6. Many babies with mild symptoms can reintroduce milk around their first birthday with a doctor's guidance. Dairy can also cause FPIES, a delayed allergy. Repeated vomiting and diarrhea start suddenly a few hours after eating. Untreated, fluid loss can be serious. FPIES that starts early usually fades by 3 to 5 years.
Lactose intolerance is a different condition and is rare in babies. Buttermilk has less lactose than milk, so some people tolerate it better. Those very sensitive to lactose may still not tolerate it.
If you suspect a milk allergy, ask an allergist before serving buttermilk. Where the risk is low, starting at home is possible. Offer a small amount alone for the first few meals. If there is no reaction, increase gradually.
Key nutrients
Frequently asked questions about buttermilk
Is buttermilk the same as Turkish ayran?
No. Buttermilk is cultured skim milk. Turkish ayran is salted, diluted yogurt. The information here is for buttermilk.
When can a baby drink buttermilk?
As a drink from 12 months, in small amounts in an open cup. In food it can be used from 6 months.
Can I give raw buttermilk?
No age makes raw dairy risk-free. Choose pasteurized buttermilk.
Sources for this page
- COMMITTEE ON INFECTIOUS DISEASES, COMMITTEE ON NUTRITION, Brady MT, Byington CL, Davies HD, Edwards KM, et al. (2014). Consumption of Raw or Unpasteurized Milk and Milk Products by Pregnant Women and Children. American Academy of Pediatrics, Pediatrics 133(1). doi:10.1542/peds.2013-3502
- Warren CM, Jhaveri S, Warrier MR, Smith B, Gupta RS. (2013). The epidemiology of milk allergy in US children. Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. doi:10.1016/j.anai.2013.02.016
- El-Agamy EI. (2007). El-Agamy EI. The challenge of cow milk protein allergy. Small Ruminant Research. doi:10.1016/j.smallrumres.2006.09.016
- Nowak-Węgrzyn A. (2015). Nowak-Wegrzyn A. Food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome and allergic proctocolitis. Allergy and Asthma Proceedings. doi:10.2500/aap.2015.36.3811
- Pietrzak-Fiećko R, Kamelska-Sadowska AM. (2020). The Comparison of Nutritional Value of Human Milk with Other Mammals’ Milk. Nutrients. doi:10.3390/nu12051404
- Delplanque B, Gibson R, Koletzko B, Lapillonne A, Strandvik B. (2015). Lipid Quality in Infant Nutrition. Journal of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition. doi:10.1097/MPG.0000000000000818
Guides on iron, allergen introduction, gagging and drinks. Read the starting solids guides
Medical note
This page is for information only and is not a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Talk to your pediatrician before any feeding decision, especially about allergen introduction and reactions.
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Astro Tasarım Simay Yenice · Türkiye · merhaba@lokmini.com