Alternate to milk for babies - help please

[vegdad]

My daughter has just turned 1. We have been giving her formula and now my wife has agreed to get her off of milk altogether but I do need to find some good, healthy alternatives that have good fats in them. This is a pretty big step and I'm excited that I have the chance to help raise our child without dairy but I also don't know a lot of the facts. How good or bad is soy?(I've been using it daily since I gave up meat and dairy) Is rice milk a better option? I make smoothies with soy milk and tons of fruits and I've been giving my daughter a bit of that every day.

Any opinions and any links to scientific studies would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

[Freesia]

Breast milk. Ok at this point I know that is not what you are asking or practical. I know babies until they are two need a good amount of fat for brain development until the age of two. I am sure someone more knowledgable will comment on this. I don't how to supplement the soy to compensate.

[willpeavy]

Not sure about scientific studies, but we've been giving my son soy milk almost every day for the past year. He's 2 and a half now and healthy. Kidney beans and oatmeal are good protein ccomplements to soy

[vegdad]

Thanks guys. Breast milk is no longer an option. We'll keep going with the soy milk and other stuff like avacodo's and beans for the healthy fats. Thanks.

[veganpotter]

There are tons of soy/rice formulas out there...much better than actual soy or rice milk...at 1 children should still be drinking breast milk but since thats not an option I reccommend formulas...then slowly work regular mainstream milks into the formulas to weed it out

[flanders77]

Hey Vegdad!
To answer you question properly it would be good to know what your daughter is eating. Is she interested in the food you eat? My daughter Marla (16 Month now) did not get any formula. She was breastfeed only until 6 month and partly until 12 or 13 month of age.
After that she started getting everything we eat (fruit, vegs, beans (tofu), bread, noodles, rice). Avocados are her favorite!
Do not worry so much! watch her developement. As long as she is getting taller and/or gaining weight and/or is developing motorically and/or mentally it is all right. Give her fresh, unprocessed organic food.
Give her water to drink. Almond milk is also alright.
I searched for studies a lot and actuallyyou can find some reports about malnourished kids from vegan parents. But these parents always did not gave their kids enough calories. And this has nothing to do with being vegan.
Maybe this is also interesting for you.

[vegdad]

Thanks for the replies. My daughter is eating pretty much everything we eat right now. She's been off of breast milk now for about two months and has been on formula since. So is almond milk ok at this stage? I thought nuts were not a good idea this early because of allergies. I might be wrong. She does drink lots of water and luckily her favourite food seems to be steamed broccoli. She'll eat that all day long for some reason.

[flanders77]

Almonds are fruits (botanically), so no allergy-problem
Grind almonds, mix the grinded almonds with cold water in you blender and pour it through a sieve – ready to drink! (do not forget to shake before drinking...)

But away: The step is not as big as you think. After having done it, you will say: That really was not problem

Be sure that your daughters taste will lead your way. You just have to follow and be a good rolemodel. Kids have an unimpaired feeling for what is good for them. As long as you do not destroy this feeling by giving her junk-food it will work.

[Aaron]

Are peanuts a fruit too?

What about sunflower seeds? Brazil nuts?

[flanders77]

Are peanuts a fruit too?

What about sunflower seeds? Brazil nuts?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nut_(fruit)

But that does not mean that all fruits that are labeled "nuts" have no allergy risk. Almonds are ok.

[lmmy]

Can I ask why it's no longer an option? I don't mean to be rude.

If it's not physically impossible for your child's mother to continue breastfeeding, you definitely should until the child starts to bite. Breastmilk is the most perfect food for a human infant, just as cow's milk is for a calf, and dog's milk is for a dog.

Sorry, didn't mean to wax all poetic on you.

Anyways, children need to get lots of calories when they're young to grow well -- avocados, nuts, and other calorie- and nutrition-dense foods are good for young'uns. They need lots of calories because children are extremely active (that is, if they're healthy, but you should know that) and they burn them off quickly. If you're able, also get some flaxseeds and grind them up for her. Smoothies with soymilk are good too -- your child needs her B-12 to develop lotsa smarts, like her daddy.

[Freesia]

Yeah I agree breast feeding is very important. I would as long as possible.

Vital to consume enough fat for brain development. Extremely important. Glad to hear the kids like avacado. When I taught preschool children they were not allowed to be given any lowfat milk, only full fat. the vegan kids used formulas until they were over two years of age.

[pelicanAndrew]

Everyone on this forum needs to read The Avocado Baby. It's a childrens book, but i think it may have made me vegan long before i made the actual choice.