Are you confused about the different types of milk and milk alternatives that are available nowadays?
Whether your baby has been breastfeeding or getting formula, children after 12 months of age should be introduced to cow’s milk.
In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends toddlers of 1-2 years of age drink 2-3 cups of whole milk per day (approximately 16-24 ounces of milk).
Breast milk and formula can still be a part of your toddler’s diet, but now we can start introducing cow’s milk. For formula-fed babies, you can stop giving formula entirely, or gradually wean off of formula by slowly offering more cow’s milk.
However, milk is not the only thing that can provide nutrition to your toddler. Other dairy items such as yogurt and cheese are great too. Toddlers should aim to get 2-3 servings of dairy per day.
Here are some examples of the portion sizes that would be appropriate for a toddler:
- 1/2 cup of milk
- 1/3 cup of yogurt
- 1/2 oz or 1/4 cup of cheese
Now, cow’s milk or dairy may not be for everyone, and that is okay! If you’re trying to decide on what milk alternatives for your toddler, let this post break it down for you.
We’re going to explore all the different types of milk and milk alternatives and what is an appropriate substitute for your growing toddler!
Who would want to consider milk alternatives?
Some families may follow certain diets or practices that avoid consuming cow’s milk or any animal-based milk. Milk alternatives can be a great way to have a nutritious beverage, or have something to eat your cereal with!
One of the most common reasons families and toddlers may need to consider milk alternatives is due to cow’s milk allergy or lactose intolerance. In this case, families can choose to go lactose-free or completely dairy-free with plant-based milk alternatives.
What to look for
The most important thing when choosing alternative milk for toddlers is to look at the nutrient profile of the milk alternative. There are certain nutrients (especially found in cow’s milk) that play important roles in your toddler’s growth and development.
Here are some of the nutrients that you’ll want your milk alternative to have:
- Vitamin D
- Calcium
- Protein
- Fat
If you want to learn more about why these nutrients are important for milk alternatives, The Family Nutritionist has a great post that goes over the nutrients in more detail here: Milk Alternatives for Toddlers: How to Select One
What to watch out for
- Added sugars: Many fortified soy beverages and flavored milk (like our favorite chocolate milk) may contain lots of added sugars. It’s best to look for no sugar added options – added sugar can really add up if your toddler is drinking milk at every meal!
If you’re interested in getting more ideas on cutting back on added sugars, take a look at this post: 12 Ideas On How To Reduce Sugar Intake For You And Your Child
- Unpasteurized milk: This is also known as raw milk. Unpasteurized dairy can contain harmful bacteria that can make your toddler ill, and may potentially be life-threatening. Look for milk and dairy items that are made with pasteurized milk.
1. Cow’s Milk
Cow’s milk, as I’m sure many of us are familiar with, is the milk produced from cows.
The choices of cow’s milk are endless. There’s fat-free milk (also known as skim milk), 1% milk (or low-fat milk), 2% milk, and whole milk. But which is the best milk for 1 year olds?
The AAP recommends toddlers from 1-2 years of age to drink whole milk. Non-fat and low-fat milk should be saved for 2 years and older. This is because whole milk contains more fat, which supports brain development which is especially important for toddlers under 2 years old.
2. Lactose-Free Milk
Lactose-free milk most often refers to cow’s milk, with lactose removed. Lactose is a type of milk sugar found in milk. This choice of milk is mostly for those with lactose intolerance.
It is important to note that lactose-free milk is still cow’s milk, so it still has the same nutrient components as cow’s milk.
If you or your child have a cow’s milk protein allergy, you will still be allergic to lactose-free cow’s milk – so you can explore plant-based milk alternatives instead!
3. Soy Milk
Soy milk has long been recognized by pediatric health professionals as the only other milk alternative that is nutritionally equivalent to cow’s milk.
What that means, is that the amount of nutrients found in cow’s milk needed for a child’s growth can be met by soy milk, but not all plant-based milk alternatives contain nutrients as much as soy milk does.
I’m talking about protein and fat, both of which are important for children’s growth and development!
You may have also noticed that schools and daycares commonly offer soy milk as the first milk alternative of choice, as it can closely meet the nutritional guidelines that cow’s milk can provide.
Note that in addition to cow’s milk protein allergy, some children may also be allergic to soy. Consult a medical professional if you are concerned about any allergies your child may have before introducing soy milk as an alternative!
4. Pea Milk
Pea milk has been making its way into the market of alternative milks, and is a great alternative if your child cannot have cow’s or soy milk.
Pea milk is made by milling or grinding yellow peas into flour, which separates the protein from the fiber and starch. The pea protein is then combined with water to make pea milk.
The best thing about this milk alternative is, pea milk is incredibly high in protein. With 8g of protein per serving, it may just be cow’s milk competition. It actually has the highest amount of protein out of all the milk alternatives available in the market (at least that I know of!)
Fun fact: Pea milk does NOT taste like peas!
5. Oat Milk
There is definitely an increasing trend in using oat milk as a milk alternative in coffees and desserts among the adult population, but what about toddlers?
Oat milk has a creamier texture than some nut milks since they are made with added oils, which helps to increase fat content. However, the nutrients found in oat milk are still not quite equivalent to cow’s, soy, or pea milk since it contains less protein and fat.
I would say oat milk can still be a better option compared to nut milk, as oat milk contains B vitamins and fiber. Plus, many are now fortified with a good amount of vitamins and minerals, such as calcium and vitamin D.
6. Hemp Milk and Flax Milk
Hemp milk and flax milk may not be the best sources of protein, however, they are one of the highest fat-containing milk alternatives. Hemp and flax actually have omega 3’s, which are the healthy fats that we do want.
If you decide on hemp milk or flax milk, make sure to buy products fortified with calcium and vitamin D, and that your toddler is well nourished with good sources of protein.
7. Nut Milk
There is a huge variety of nut milk on the market, including almond milk, peanut milk, walnut milk… you name it.
Nut milk is prepared by blending nuts, seeds, or other grains with water until a smooth paste is formed. The mixture is then strained through a filter, and the resulting liquid is the nut milk we see in stores!
When considering milk alternatives for children, however, nut milk is not always the best choice. Nut milk tends to have a very low amount of fat and protein. Even though nuts are a protein food, the nut and seed pulps are filtered out when making nut milk.
Nut milk can be great for adults since it’s low in calories! But if you select nut milk as a milk alternative for toddlers, make sure that it is unsweetened and fortified with calcium and vitamin D!
8. Rice Milk
Rice milk can be a great alternative to milk for toddlers especially if you are worried about multiple food allergies. That is because rice is not a common allergy, whereas milk, nuts, soy, and gluten can be.
Again, rice milk also does not provide equivalent amounts of nutrients that cow’s or soy milk have, as it is lower in the important nutrients your child needs. However, if your child has multiple food allergies, rice milk can be the way to go.
Be sure to also include great sources of protein and healthy fats in your toddler’s diet through food!
9. Coconut Milk
Coconut milk is a super rich and creamy milk alternative derived from the flesh of mature coconuts, and is typically used in baking, desserts, and curries.
However, coconut milk is very high in saturated fat (the fat we don’t want as much). It is indeed a delicious milk, but I would offer it sparingly as an alternative to milk for toddlers.
Your Decision on Milk Alternatives
At the end of the day, it is your decision on what milk alternative works for you and your family! Remember that it is important to consider the protein, fat, calcium, and vitamin D when choosing milk alternatives for toddlers.
Not all milk and milk alternatives are created equally, but also not every milk out there works for everyone, and that is okay!
If your child is lactose intolerant, I would definitely give lactose-free cow’s milk a try. However, if you’re dealing with some food allergies, pea milk and soy milk would be my top milk alternatives, followed by oat, hemp, or flax milk.
Check out this blog post here if you want to learn more about baby foods and baby food ideas: Baby Food: Store-bought vs Homemade
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