The Myth of Eating Dairy With a Cold

Many parents believe that feeding a child milk while they have a cold will increase mucus production and make the cold worse.

While dairy products may coat the back of the throat, they do not increase mucus production, and are therefore fine to consume during a cold.

In fact, dairy can offer a good variety of nutrients, including calcium, potassium, and water. It also gives  kids calories and proteins they need to recover. Colds usually make people less able to taste their food/drink  and make them feel sick to their stomachs, so people usually eat less when sick. Every calorie during illness is essential, so milk offers good nutritional value per calorie.

One thing to keep in mind, excessive mucous can cause stomach upset and temporary milk (lactose) intolerance. Kids with colds can develop diarrhea from the mucous as well and lactose can make that worse. If that's the case, soy milk is also a good way to obtain calories, nutrients, and electrolytes to aid a person to a good recovery.

Yogurt is a great way to get the gastro-intestinal tract back in gear when sick. Four to eight ounces of yogurt with some fruit makes for a great and yummy snack.

Per the American Academy of Pediatrics and Food and Drug Administration, kids ages 2-8 years should drink about 2 cups of milk a day. That's 16 oz total of dairy a day.