A 13-month-old should drink between 16 and 24 ounces (about 2 to 3 cups) of whole milk per day. That range gives your toddler enough fat, calcium, and vitamin D to support rapid growth without crowding out the solid foods they now need for iron and other nutrients.
Why the Range Is 16 to 24 Ounces
Whole milk is calorie-dense and fills small stomachs fast. At 16 ounces, your child gets a solid base of dairy nutrition. At 24 ounces, they’re near the upper boundary of what most pediatric guidelines consider safe. Some Canadian pediatric sources set the ceiling even lower, at 16 ounces (500 mL), specifically to protect iron absorption. The CDC frames it differently, recommending about 2 servings of dairy per day for children 12 through 23 months, which includes not just milk but also yogurt and cheese.
The practical takeaway: if your toddler eats yogurt or cheese regularly, you can stay closer to 16 ounces of milk. If milk is their primary dairy source, 20 to 24 ounces is reasonable. Going above 24 ounces consistently is where problems start.
What Happens When Toddlers Drink Too Much
Milk is filling but low in iron. A toddler who drinks 28 or 32 ounces a day often refuses meals, and the foods they skip tend to be the iron-rich ones they need most: meat, beans, fortified cereals, and dark leafy vegetables. Over time, this pattern can lead to iron deficiency anemia, which is one of the most common nutritional problems in toddlers. Cow’s milk also makes it harder for the body to absorb iron from the foods your child does eat, compounding the issue.
Signs that your child may be drinking too much milk include poor appetite at meals, constipation, and pale skin or unusual fatigue. If your toddler seems to prefer milk over food at nearly every meal, cutting back to 16 ounces and offering milk only with meals (not as a between-meal drink) typically rebalances their appetite within a few days.
Why Whole Milk, Not Low-Fat
Children under two need the fat in whole milk. The fatty acids in milk fat support brain development and bone growth during a period when the brain is building connections at an extraordinary rate. Whole milk also contains fat-soluble nutrients, including DHA, that simply aren’t present in skim or 1% milk because they’re carried in the milk fat itself. The butterfat in whole milk has unique properties that support thyroid function and appear to help the body develop muscle rather than store excess fat.
After age two, your child’s pediatrician may suggest switching to lower-fat milk depending on their growth pattern and overall diet. Before that point, stick with whole.
Calcium and Vitamin D Needs
Toddlers need 600 IU of vitamin D daily. An 8-ounce glass of fortified whole milk contains about 100 IU, so even 24 ounces of milk won’t fully meet that requirement on its own. Many pediatricians recommend a vitamin D supplement of 400 IU per day for any child drinking less than 32 ounces of vitamin D-fortified milk, which includes nearly every toddler following the 16-to-24-ounce guideline. A daily vitamin D drop or a children’s multivitamin can close that gap easily.
Calcium is less of a concern when your toddler is drinking milk in the recommended range and eating other dairy foods. Two to three servings of dairy per day generally covers a toddler’s calcium needs.
How to Transition From Formula or Breast Milk
If your 13-month-old hasn’t made the switch yet, there’s no need to do it overnight. A gradual approach works well. Start by mixing equal parts whole milk and formula (or breast milk) in the same cup. Over the course of a week or two, shift the ratio until you’re offering straight whole milk. Some toddlers accept whole milk immediately; others need time to adjust to the taste.
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia suggests you can even begin this process slightly before the first birthday by offering about an ounce of whole milk in a sippy cup once a day starting around 11 months. By 13 months, most babies can handle the full transition comfortably.
Serve Milk in a Cup, Not a Bottle
At 13 months, your child should be moving away from bottles. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends completing the bottle-to-cup transition somewhere between 12 and 18 months. A sippy cup, a straw cup, or even an open cup all work. The specific type matters less than the habit: offer milk at mealtimes, not as something your toddler carries around all day. Kids who sip milk constantly tend to drink too much, lose their appetite for food, and face increased risk of tooth decay from the prolonged sugar exposure on their teeth.
A simple routine that works for many families is offering a cup of milk with breakfast, a cup with lunch or dinner, and water in between. That naturally keeps intake in the 16-to-24-ounce range without requiring you to measure every pour.
Plant-Based Alternatives
If your child can’t tolerate cow’s milk or your family avoids dairy, fortified unsweetened soy milk is the only plant-based option that federal dietary guidelines consider nutritionally comparable. It provides similar amounts of protein, calcium, vitamin A, and vitamin D when fortified. Other plant milks (oat, almond, rice, coconut) may contain added calcium but fall short in protein and overall nutrient balance. They aren’t included in the dairy group in the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, even when fortified.
If you’re using a non-soy plant milk, work with your child’s pediatrician to make sure protein and fat needs are being met through other foods in their diet.