and other plant based milks – The Ultimate Guide
As a dietitian specialising in milk allergy I get many questions about choosing a plant based milk for babies and toddlers, especially when starting the milk ladder.
Mums are worried which one is best as there are so many out there. The majority of the packaging also states that they should not be given to children under 3 years of age as a drink. You find yourself wondering where to go after formula or breastfeeding?
But, not all plant based milks are equal!
It is important that when choosing a plant based milk for your toddler that you know what to look for in the ingredients list. Checking your labels ensures that your baby isn’t missing out on any key nutrients, or having a milk that is too low in calories for their requirements.
So what plant based milk can you give your toddler with CMPA after 12 months of age.
What is plant based milk?
A plant based milk is one that is not made from animal products and comes from plant sources. They used to be found predominantly in health food stores, but nowadays most grocery stores stock some form of plant based milk.
The different types of plant based milk
There are; soya, oat, coconut, almond, hemp, cashew, pea, rice, a mixture of some of these, and maybe some I have missed! The list has really grown over the last few years.
I’ll cover this a little further down the blog, but keep in mind that some milks may have labels indicating that they are organic or unsweetened
What to look for in a plant based milk
When it comes to a plant based milk for toddlers with CMPA you need to ensure that it is fortified.
Fortified means that it contains added nutrients that aren’t naturally contained.
The main nutrients I advise to look for on the packaging are; iodine, calcium and vitamin B12.
Calcium, Iodine & Vitamin B12 in plant based milk for CMPA
Why Calcium, Iodine and Vitamin B12?
Well, cow’s milk protein-contained products such as milk, yogurt and cheese are some of the main sources of all three of these nutrients.
When a baby has CMPA, avoiding all foods that contain cow’s milk protein can increase the risk of nutritional deficiency in these three area, if they are not obtained from other sources in the toddler’s diet
Fortifying plant based milks with Calcium, Iodine and Vitamin B12 means that your baby is not missing out on these essential nutrient
Requirements for toddlers with CMPA
Daily Calcium intake
350mg
Daily Iodine intake
70-110 mcg
Daily Vitamin B12 intake
0.9mcg
What to look for in a plant based milk for babies
Reading the labels
The milk that you give your baby as a drink or add to their meals needs to contain enough energy to support their growth. Plus it also needs to be fortified with Calcium, Iodine and Vitamin B12.
I always recommend that you choose a plant based milk that contains per 100mls;
- >45kcals
- >1g of protein
- 120mg of Calcium
- 25mcg Iodine
- 0.38mcg Vitamin B12
This makes the milk similar to the nutritional content of whole cows milk.
If your baby eats animal products, including fish, then iodine and Vitamin B12 may not need to be present in plant-based milk since they can also obtain them through their diet.
Plant based milk – The variety!
When it comes to products out there it does all depends where you are in the world on the brands available and honestly it can be overwhelming.
The first milk I advise parents to try is;
Soya milk
Soya milk is widely available and is made from soya beans with water. It is the highest in protein of all the plant based milks on the market at the moment (pea and oat are generally joint second).
Although baby’s don’t need a lot of protein it is important that the milk they drink does contain some protein. I would recommend a milk that contains more than 1g of protein per 100mls.
Some babies with CMPA may also have a soya allergy so I always advise to monitor your baby when giving soya milk as a drink if they haven’t had it before.
Oat milk
Oat is also a good option but it generally has a little less protein than soya milk. Whole or barista style oat milk will generally contain adequate calories.
Coconut milk drink
I generally don’t advise giving coconut milk as a main drink to babies who are around 12 months old and looking to move to a plant based milk. The main reason is that it tends to be very low in calories (around 12 calories per 100mls) and protein (around 0.1g per 100mls). Toddlers generally need more than this from a plant based milk as a drink.
Coconut milk can be added to foods but I wouldn’t recommend it as a main drink. If you are using it as a main drink it is important that you monitor protein and calorie intake from other sources.
Almond milk
As with coconut milk I wouldn’t generally recommend plant based almond milk as it also tends to be lower in calories, some as low as 12 calories per 100ml and protein around 0.5g per 100mls.
Pea Milk
A recently new, and lesser known product to the market is pea milk. Pea milk can be a good option aside from soya and oat. The majority of the pea milks that I have researched have around 1g of protein and 50 calories per 100mls meaning that they can be a good option aside from soya and oat for infants with CMPA.
Some infants can have an allergy to pea milk so be aware of this when giving to your baby. It can also cause them to be a little windy!
Hemp milk
Hemp milk is made from hemp seeds and water and again is now widely available in most grocery stores.
However, hemp milk is again generally low in calories and this means that I would only again recommend it to add to foods around 12 months old, not as a main drink.
Cashew Nut Milk
Another one a little low in calories (around 25 per 100mls ) and protein. I would advise that you can add to food but not give it as a main drink if your little one can tolerate an alternative milk that is higher in calories and protein.
Rice Milk
I would not advise giving rice milk as a drink or adding it to your baby’s foods, as it is not recommended for children under the age of 5. The reason for this is that rice milk contains arsenic and could have a negative effect on your baby’s health.
What about organic plant based milk?
I don’t recommend organic plant based milk and this can be a little controversial of an opinion. My reason for this is that it is not fortified. It is unlikely to have adequate calcium, iodine and Vitamin B12 and therefore won’t be providing them extra nutrients your toddlers needs.
If you are confident that they are getting the correct levels of these nutrients from other sources then organic is fine but I would always ask that you check.
Sweetened vs unsweetened plant based milk.
If you look at the back of the packaging you may find that in the carbohydrate section it says ‘of which sugar’. A lot of plant based milk have apple juice added to make them taste sweeter.
A little caveat here is that as oat are a carbohydrate source and therefore oat milks are naturally going to show as higher in sugar than other plant based milks.
The back of the packaging should always be checked to make sure that sugar isn’t listed in the ingredients. If it is then don’t give this to your toddler.
Summary
With any plant based milk for your toddler with CMPA always check the labels.
It is important that it has added calcium, iodine and vitamin b12 and it isn’t too low in calories and protein.
Take a screenshot of this picture so you can keep it handy when out shopping for your plant based milk.
After 12 months if your baby is eating a balanced diet and you do wish to stop breastfeeding or giving CMPA formula then a fortified plant based milk is the perfect alternative to ensure nutritional balance.
Remember that your toddler will also need a multivitamin, check out my baby multivitamin guide here.
Hannah x
Hannah is an Expert Registered Dietitian specialising in Vegan Family Nutrition and Cows Milk Protein Allergy.
She is a respected figure in the field of nutrition and a captivating speaker and sought after media spokesperson being featured in esteemed publications including the Sunday Times, Independent and Huffington Post.
Credentials
- Registered Dietitian
- First Class Degree in Nutrition
Experience
- Over 15 years experience working in the field of nutrition
- Respected Media Spokesperson both in the UK & USA; quoted online, TV and in local and international news
- Writer & Researcher, supporting the BDA and PEN Nutrition
