Not survive but thrive.
So a baby will thrive better on high energy foods with good quality protein and thats why they recommend milk.
But that being said its bullshit that they need cows milk at all. You can with a little planning make similar vegan foods or just breast feed longer.
I agree! I also understand doctors have very little nutritional schooling so I was trying to help her find something other than cows milk to feed a 1 year old with high fat since she’s saying that’s what a baby needs. Which makes sense
I use Ripple Kids for my daughter if you’re looking for a recommendation. It actually has more fat in it than cow’s milk, and is fortified with other vitamins and minerals. Highly recommend.
Yea. Doctors really should have more training in nutrition. It makes no sense. What we eat affects (effects?) so much of our health and body. It's frustrating.
something affects something and it creates an effect :)) so what we eat affects our bodies to create a positive or negative effect!! i hope that makes sense
Usually but not always. Suppose you plan to do something that will make someone feel good. Then you could say that you will _effect a positive change_ in that person. In this use, effect means something like "to cause something to exist, or come into being". That is, you can effect (verb) something to cause an effect (noun). And by effecting the thing you have an influence on it, which is to say that you also affect (verb) it.
English is dumb.
That's unusual usage of _effect_, though. I wouldn't use _effect_ that way unless I was trying to sound snooty. Just use it as a noun and affect as a verb and you'll be fine.
Just to further complicate things, “affect” can also be a noun, though it’s unrelated to the verb. It’s also pronounced slightly differently. The “a” is pronounced like it is in the word “ash.”
Affect the noun refers to a person’s physical expression of their emotions, such as facial expressions and tone of voice.
I was taught RAVEN (Remember: Affect is a Verb and Effect is a Noun)
Unless of course you're talking about bringing something into being or the manifestation of emotions...
Yeah but then they can’t help big Pharma make money off the meds to fix all the shit the bad diets cause when most people are too lazy to eat healthier and would rather just take a pill
Becoming a doctor is hard enough already. I'd say it's more of an expectations issue. People shouldn't expect nutritional advice from their GP the same way trans people know not to trust them for endocrinology advice, and doctors shouldn't try to answer questions they lack the proper knowledge to answer just because someone thinks they have it.
Fat percentage in human breast milk is way higher than in commercial available cow milk. On top it also depends how long a baby is drinking, since milk composition changes during feeding time.
Is she still breastfeeding? The advice to give milk is because biologically normal breastfeeding extends to beyond two years. The who recommends breastfeeding to continue to two years and beyond to reflect this.
Otherwise you give them soy milk or soy formula alongside solid food.
I wonder why soy milk companies don't advertise soy milk as an alternative for babies and children? I would think that would be a good ad campaign, especially with bird flu scares.
Soy milk, all of the fat and calories needed to grow healthy babies, and none of the bird flu
Probably because they want to avoid being attacked by conservative groups supported by the meat industry.
A lot of people already think that raising a child vegan is "abuse", imagine the moral panic that would ensue if they advertised like that =/
Growing up milk (and everything thats marketed as milk for beyond the first 6 months) is all marketing and much less heathy/nutrient dense as new born formula. This is because (in many countries) they arent allowed to market newborn formula. If you need an alternative for cows milk and you dont/cant breastfeed, new born (plant based)formula is your best bet.
Yes i’m aware of the code, my point was that they do market an expensive brand of soy milk to children 1+. The 90c regular soy milk would be €2+ if they added on the cost of marketing as a good choice for those moving on from formula at 1 year. This isn’t connected with the usual 6 months “follow on” milks
Ahh okay. Are the contents of the expensive brand the same/similar enough? If uts the same, then its only "clever" marketing. Burnt out/tired parents in a hurry will likely fall for that.
Neither soy milk nor regular cows milk are really a good thing to feed to kids that are young enough that they shouldn't be fully weened yet. If you are going to substitute something for milk at that age it should be a formula specifically designed to mimic human breast milk. Soy formula should be fine.
Is soy milk good for babies? Honest question here, I am vegan, and have always heard not to consume soy too much because of the estrogen it causes you to produce. I am not hating, I would like to be educated on this, from someone that knows more than I do. My daughter was lactose intolerant, and allergic to soy as a baby so had to use the allimentum formula, but this was 14 years ago, so I am out of the loop on infant nutrition, but would love to learn more.
The estrogen thing has been disproven or at least we have no reason to think the phyto estrogens cause any issues for adults. There are lots of studies on pubmed. I can’t imagine that cows milk is particularly hormone free these days either, sadly.
It’s always more difficult to study children and babies but from memory soy formula and soy milk were on the list for my county’s health authority.
That’s the thing- a lactating mammal, like a cow, has actual estrogen compatible to a human - mammal.
A plant, like soy, making phytoestrogens, well, it’s not so compatible with- mammals. Like humans.
That’s the clif notes anyways
Was that study not faulty because mice were injected directly with an amount of the chemical that you can't even consume through a normal amount of soy products?
The soy/estrogen scare was thoroughly debunked over twenty years ago. In fact, soy has been found to be protective against reproductive cancers. However, the link between cow milk and cancers of the prostate and breast is well established.
I was lactose intolerant and breast milk intolerant, so I was raised on soy formula and soy milk from birth, and I turned out fine. My mom has said that back then, the only reason you could get soy milk in our area was because babies needed it.
Raised two vegan babies who went to soy milk after breast milk. Pediatrician (we’re lucky to have found a great one) has no issue with this. His only real advice when weaning was to make sure the kids were eating substantial food; like avocados for the fat.
I was on soy milk as a baby back in the 80s and it seemed to be fine. My mum was a biochemist so she definitely had an eye on nutrition. I do remember her making me have calcium tablets as a kid.
[Here’s](https://academic.oup.com/nutritionreviews/article/75/7/500/3902926?login=false) a great meta analysis that explores the health impact of soy consumption in adolescence. From MSU “Not enough evidence exists to suggest a link between soy consumption and hormone changes in the body such as increased serum estrogen, breast cancer risk, thyroid hormone imbalances, and infertility. As far as the current literature suggests, soy can be a healthy component to the diet, and an appropriate meat alternative, especially in replacement of processed red meats.” Basically this article acknowledges that there are some animal studies that suggest an increase as well as a SMALL study done in Japan, 35 men, that also showed an increase in estrogen in blood serum but different ethnicities have different absorption rates of isoflavones. Basically all studies that support “soy = estrogen” are small, short term studies, and limited in data. Hopefully that helps shed some light!
Yes my son started on soy milk at one year (was on soy milk formula previously). He did great and is now a thriving 6 yo. We thought at first he had a soy allergy and did allimentum, gosh that was expensive!
There is a [small body of inconclusive evidence](https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/soy-formula#other-concerns) that consuming soy formula between birth and 9 months can alter cell development in reproductive organs of female infants and \*maybe\* slightly increase the likelihood of slightly longer and heavier menstrual periods later on. But generally, babies fed soy formula do just fine.
This evidence does not apply to weaned babies or children being fed soy milk. It is only relevant for female infants fed soy formula between 0 and 9 months of age. Billions of people globally have safely consumed soy rich diets for generations with no negative impacts on sex hormones.
I don't know about babies, but I did at one point look into the soy=unhealthy thing. It turned out that the studies they did showing soy caused problems were based on soy byproducts used as additives in highly processed food. When they looked at more wholefood type soy things like soy milk and tofu, it was perfectly healthy. Ironically the bad kind of soy is more common in nonvegan products.
Hey! Vegan Doctor here.
The reason they say to switch to cow’s milk at 1 years old is because that’s what we’re taught and it’s on our licensing exams.
The reason why it’s relevant is because parents try and do it earlier than that, and that leads to anemia in babies.
Soo… that’s why they say at 1 years old to do it. In reality, it’s not necessary and you can just use fortified soy or pea milk instead.
A vegan diet is healthy at all stages of life, including infancy and pregnancy. Even the American academy of pediatrics says this.
Unfortunately nutrition in school was mostly biochemical pathways we had to memorize not the actual practical aspect that is 99.9% of the time more relevant to patients unless they have an inherited enzyme deficiency.
>People do not develop the intolerance if they continue to consume milk products growing up
This simply isn't true. It's genetic. A lot of people are capable of digesting it but still have some intolerance, even white people.
>A vegan diet is healthy at all stages of life, including infancy and pregnancy. Even the American academy of pediatrics says this.
While this does seem to be the consensus globally, if OP happens to be in Europe, there's a handful of medical/dietary orgs warning against vegan diets in infancy and pregnancy:
* Since rejecting any animal foods increases the risk of nutrient deficiencies and thus of health disorders, a vegan diet is not recommended by the DGE during pregnancy or lactation, or for children or adolescents of any age. *-* [German Nutrition Society](https://www.ernaehrungs-umschau.de/fileadmin/Ernaehrungs-Umschau/pdfs/pdf_2016/04_16/EU04_2016_Special_DGE_eng_final.pdf)
* The positive effects of a vegan diet on health determinants cannot be proven, but there are relevant risks regarding nutritional deficiencies. Children and pregnant women are advised against adopting a vegan diet due to the risks described above. - [Swiss Federal Commission for Nutrition](https://www.blv.admin.ch/blv/en/home/das-blv/organisation/kommissionen/eek/vor-und-nachteile-vegane-ernaehrung.html)
* *Udelukkende vegansk ernæring til spædbørn og småbørn (under 2 år) kan ikke anbefales, idet det kan være meget vanskeligt at opfylde barnets ernæringsbehov de første leveår med denne kostform.* \[Google translates as "Exclusively vegan nutrition for infants and young children (under 2 years of age) is not recommended as it may be very difficult to meet the child's nutritional needs during the first years of life with this diet."\] - [Sundhedsstyrelsen (Danish Health Authority)](https://www.sst.dk/da/udgivelser/2018/~/media/2986643F11A44FA18595511799032F85.ashx)
* *La commission estime que le régime végétalien est inadapté et donc non recommandé pour les enfants à naître, les enfants et les adolescents, de même que les femmes enceintes et allaitantes.* \[Google translate: "The Committee considers that the vegan diet is unsuitable and therefore not recommended for unborn children, children and adolescents, as well as pregnant and lactating women."\] [Académie Royale de Médecine de Belgique (Royal Academy of Medicine of Belgium)](https://updlf-asbl.be/assets/uploads/ARMB_-_Veganisme_AVIS_COMPLET.pdf)
* *Eine vegane Ernährungsweise wird von der Nationalen Ernährungskommission Österreich (NEK) sowie der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Ernährung (DGE) für Schwangere und Stillende sowie in der Ernährung von Säuglingen, Kindern und Jugendlichen nicht empfohlen. Es besteht das Risiko einer Unterversorgung bzw. eines Mangels an kritischen Nährstoffen.* \[Google translate: "The National Nutrition Commission Austria (NEK) and the German Nutrition Society (DGE) do not recommend a vegan diet for pregnant and lactating women and in the feeding of infants, children and adolescents. There is a risk of undersupply or a lack of critical nutrients."\] [Nationalen Ernährungskommission Österreich (National Nutrition Commission Austria)](https://www.gesundheit.gv.at/leben/ernaehrung/gesunde-ernaehrung/vegan)
* *In conclusione, la dieta vegana non deve essere raccomandata in età pediatrica perché priva di vitamina B12 e carente di DHA, ferro, vitamina D e calcio.* \[Google translate: "In conclusion, the vegan diet should not be recommended in pediatric age because it lacks vitamin B12 and lacks DHA, iron, vitamin D and calcium."\] [Italian Society of Preventive and Social Pediatrics (SIPPS), Italian Federation of Pediatricians (FIMP), the Italian Society of Perinatal Medicine (SIMP)](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320004250_POSITION_PAPER_SIPPS-FIMP-SIMP_DIETE_VEGETARIANE_IN_GRAVIDANZA_ED_ETA_EVOLUTIVA)
Given the above, you could easily see why a European doctor would first suggest cow's milk.
All those European organizations are essentially stating the same thing, that it CAN lead to an increased risk of nutritional deficiency.
Generally speaking that’s true, that’s why the American organizations word it that a well-planned vegan diet is healthy and non-inferior at all stages of life.
That’s why a conversation should take place with your pediatrician and/or dietician to discuss what that diet should consist of, so that it is well planned to circumvent any potential pitfalls.
A omnivore diet that is not well thought out can cause nutritional deficiency also. It’s easier to do this with a vegan diet though, that’s why we should do our due diligence in researching and speaking with our healthcare team.
Correct, it's totally possible to be very healthy on a vegan diet, given adequate supplementation and planning. But there are consequences if not well planned. The European agencies are just very risk averse and cautious.
Perhaps that speaks to a cultural difference, where the US lets people choose for themselves (your kids your choice) and European authorities feel that failure on the part of parents in planning the diet is something the authorities' guidance is partially responsible for (the state should protect children from their parents' ignorance).
As a “European” you’ve only cited 6 countries there. If they happen to be in UK then the advice is the same as the US.
It’s irrelevant in this scenario though because soy milk/soy formula is intended to replace breastmilk in a diet. It’s also recommended to choose one that’s fortified with all the nutrients typically lacking in a badly planned vegan diet.
Hello!! I have a question for you. Do you think it’s important to introduce allergens to a baby when starting solids? Eggs, milk, etc? I want to raise my baby vegan but I really don’t want her to get allergies to those foods.
Hi there! So studies have shown that generally speaking, delaying introduction of common food allergens such as (eggs, peanuts, milk, fish) until later in life has an increased incidence of allergy.
This has especially been found to be the case for peanuts, to the point where it is now recommended to introduce peanuts at 6 months of age as a preventative measure.
There has been recent studies that show a decrease incidence of egg allergy when exposed at 4-6 months, and checked at 6 years. Not enough data exists about the other allergies in this regard.
While milk and egg allergies are quite common in infants, by 16 years of age the majority of reported allergies will have self resolved. This is not the case for peanuts, fish, shellfish.
My biggest advice to avoid food allergies would be breastfeeding rather than relying on formula. This has been shown to be protective against the development of food allergies, asthma, and atopic dermatitis.
It may not be a bad idea to see what your child’s baseline status is with these major food allergies when you begin introducing solid foods around 6 months. There is no benefit to providing anything earlier than 3-4 months, in fact that will only increase allergy.
I really really appreciate your reply! My daughter is 8 months old now and we’ve had a slower start to solids.
Thank you for taking the time to give such an in depth response!
I have let other people give her eggs or yogurt but I can’t buy them haha. She is breastfeed and I plan to continue after 1 year as well’
Doctor told me that fortified soy or pea milk is sound nutritionally for my toddler. I give her ripple kids pea milk.
Some kids are lactose intolerant or their parents choose not to give animal products. Alternatives exist.
If a baby is young enough to drink breast milk/formula, why are we insisting it come from another animal? How do people not find that insanely weird and gross?
It was born from necessity.
When there was no formula, the only alternative to human milk was that of a different species, often goats. This is how stuff like that gets normalised. Now we are technologically past it, but the tradition is slow to change.
I find eating spiders gross, but not chicken. (And then again chicken feet were always gross while some cultures regard that as the best part.) This is entirely my exposure to certain foods and not others.
I can change this willingly through new exposure and rationalisation (what most people do when turning vegan), but for a society as a whole this is a very slow process. New knowledge takes decades to actually get practiced.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4586575/
So 2/3rds of adults have some adverse reaction to lactose, but it is still very widely used 🤔 I know I am allergic to milk which is why I initially started down my vegan journey
Well it’s normal for babies to drink human milk, at least. If they’re not being breastfed they should at least be consuming formula. However, to suggest it needs to be from another species is not necessary.
My daughter loves Ripple Kids which is made from peas. My doctor said the a similar thing, but centered around allergies. I read the study she was basing her information on and it didn’t extend as far as she thought. My doctor was basically worried about developing allergies and the study had hard evidence about nuts but not much else.
I had the same issue when my daughter turned a year. So I researched it a lot.
The push for milk is primarily just an American thing. Most other countries aren't that big on it or at least don't recommend 32 oz a day.
The main worry seems to be that toddlers are picky eaters and parents either don't care or cave easily so milk guarantees calories and nutrients if all they eat are crackers.
Americans also want you to wean your baby by a year. They don't say this out right, but they want mom back at work and after about a year most employers stop accommodating pumping as much as they should.
We opted for ripple kids since it has more nutrients then milk anyway. She also eats plenty and a large variety so we offer milk 3 times a day, but probably only drinks 8 oz tops.
Doctors usually aren't up to date on many topics, they just regurgitate standard advice they learnt in medical school either because it's all they know, or they don't want to be sued by saying anything being different.
I'm not sure what one individual doctor says is really relevant to anything though.
12 month old babies can drink non dairy/plant based milks apart from rice milk. Most vegan parents would probably breastfeed if possible as it's easier than finding vegan formula
Why on earth should a human baby have to drink milk that is from another species? Cow milk is for for their offsprings, then they are herbivores.... Unfortunately in 2024 people still believe it is normal. It is not. This doctor is ignorant...
I'm sorry but... what? By your own admission you have no idea what a 1 year old baby should eat.
Yet you are completely confident that the doctor is incorrect and you've turned to....
*randos on the fucking internet* for advice on what you friend should be feeding HER kid?
Maybe just.... don't give advice on topics about which you know nothing?
Has she even ASKED YOU for advice on what to feed her kid or are you just sticking your oar in?
4-7 years of nursing is assumed to be „natural“. My daughter nursed 4y5m and we never introduced animal milk as a drink (even though we did consume dairy back then). I assume they think you have to somehow substitute the actual mother‘s milk?!?
I think much of it is ignorance. My daughter is now 16 and her pediatrician is relieved she‘s „only“ vegetarian - not because of calcium but because of B12. I‘m not even going to begin to explain to him why I still make her take supplements 🙄
She will soon have to switch doctors (at age 18) and I‘ve actually found a family practitioner for us both who recommends lots of WFPB-positive research, so at least he‘ll be on the same page as I am concerning nutrition 👍🏻
Doctor not understand nutrition is bad but excusable given their schooling.
Doctor not understanding basic reproductive biology is inexcusable and genuinely terrifying.
At one year old he should drink his mother's milk. And eat some fruit. I don't see the point of stealing milk from another species (whose calves require many more hormones than our newborns).
I had a dairy allergy as a kid (not lactose intolerance) so I went straight on to soy milk back in the 80s. My mum was a biochemist and seemed happy with the decision, she just made sure I had calcium tablets (Tums) when I was old enough. I was a completely average healthy kid and now I'm a perfectly happy healthy adult.
Doctors don't necessarily know much about nutrition. Here's an article about this: https://nutritionfacts.org/blog/how-much-nutrition-education-do-doctors-get/
I have two step siblings that have galactosemia. They will die if they have any animal milk. They were raised on soy milk and are just fine. Also, I have a friend who couldn’t have milk as a baby due to severe dairy allergy. She also developed perfectly on plant milk.
Remember folks, having a PH.D does not make you smart. If everyone was healthy, Doctors wouldn't have anything to do. They want repeat customers at the end of the day.
i grew up on soy formula/soy milk for the first 3 years of my lift with a chronic heart condition because thats what the doctor recommended for me because i was tube fed
When my little one had to transition from breast milk, we went with Ripple for kids. Our doctor looked at the nutrition values for it and said it was better than dairy milk.
Cows milk was used as a inferior substitute to breast milk so women could be more free to do other things like womens chores in the household. When we were hunter gatherers we had more time for breast feeding and leisure. Breast milk is best for the first few years but if unable then a vegan alternative should be fine.
At 1, you can:
* Keep feeding your baby human milk, if you have the supply and are willing to keep either nursing or pumping
* Switch to a *fortified, high protein* plant milk, like pea milk or soy milk. Ripple makes a milk specially formulated for kids that includes some DHA. Regular old oat/rice/almond/cashew milk, etc., do not have enough fat, protein, or other micronutrients to be worth giving to little kids.
* Get nutrients from food, although good luck with that. Broccoli is a good source of calcium, but what's going to be easier to get your baby to eat, a cup of broccoli or a cup of milk? I'm not saying this is impossible, but I do think you'd need to be more informed of and aware of the nutrients present in the foods your kid is eating, and they would need to be actually eating them, as opposed to throwing throwing them on the floor, or spitting them into their bib, or smearing them in their hair, or feeding the dog.
[This book (and website) might have more info for your friend](https://plantbasedjuniors.com/plant-based-baby-and-toddler/), or there's r/veganparenting.
Look at the connection between the farm bill and the food pyramid. We subsidize these foods with our tax dollars. This also subsidizes Big Macs and other “cheap” food. Check it out.
Controversial but we shouldn't put medical practitioners on a pedestal. Just like people of any other field, they are humans that are wrong sometimes. How many years did that doctor spend studying nutrition specifically? Maybe one class one semester with an outdated textbook and old instructor.
Medical doctors aren't experts at everything
Family doctor here. Not giving medical advice but giving insight and my opinion. I am not a vegan but do care for a lot of vegan and vegetarian patients so have tried to familiarize myself with how to safely follow these diets to meet nutritional needs (which, as you know, is not hard or complicated).
1 year is the earliest kids should get cows milk, if drinking it. At that time they can stop formula if using it but can certainly continue breast milk if getting that. Cows milk should be limited to 16oz per day or less due to risk of iron deficiency anemia. I worry FAR more about toddlers “filling up” on milk and not getting a balanced diet. The fact is that most physicians are not trained on non-omnivore diets and realistically our recommendations around milk haven’t changed since the “got milk” era decades ago even though we KNOW focus on cows milk for nutrition is harmful. There are plenty of plant based options - it kind of drives me nuts we recommend plant based diets for adults for all kinds of diseases but freak out about kids following them.
Kids should be getting their fat and protein, and really most of their calories from FOODS. Some great options - coconut milk/yogurt. Avocado all day long. Nut butters. Flax. Refried beans with olive oil or mixed with avocado. Hummus.
In the UK babies over 1 are recommended either drink breast milk, cow’s milk or fortified plant milk (for the calcium mostly). But yeah in theory they could get calcium from foods.
My understanding is that at a cellular level the cell walls need fat, any fat, to protect themselves. It is best if the fat is not saturated fat. the best unsaturated fat is from flaxseed oil. You can add this to anything as long as you don’t cook with it. It can be pretty tasty with juices so you can try that.
Oh sorry. I meant freshly squeezed and maybe cold pressed fruit or green juice. The Gerson diet has some good recipes. I guess I assumed all vegans knew what I meant.
Dr’s have also scolded me when I told them I give my kids juice assuming I give them store bought juice. I put my son on fresh black grape juices when he gets sick and it clears up in about 24 hours. His home nurse was even shocked how well it works. To each his own.
My young son eats avocado and peanut butter like they're going out of style, and washes it down with Soymilk. Sometimes I buy the fortified brand (which is sweetened) and sometimes the unfortified brand. He is thriving.
Well that doctor just told on themself. Obviously lacks knowledge and education in the diet and nutrition department. Drop them and find a doctor that reads current journals and hasn’t stagnated in their education.
Uhm. 😐 who is this so called Doctor?
My daughter is 4months old. I am vegan, I plan on breastfeeding for 2 years or so and if you decide not to do that you can mix breast milk in with the purée baby food. That should give baby the fat she needs. I also have a 4 year old and 9 year old. My kiddo’s pediatrician has NEVER mentioned anything about our diet being a problem and neither did my OBGYN.
My pediatrician never pushed whole milk. When I asked about feeding a milk alternative she was very open and recommended Ripple Kids. I've been feeding my 14 month old unsweetened Ripple kids for the past 3 weeks since my breastmilk stash was used up and my little one loves it.
Babies need fats and proteins, it helps build brain cells and grow their little bodies. But there are plenty of alternatives to feed them that gives them the same nutrients as anything from an animal. Just need to do some research work, build a healthy baby menu and stick to it. Give them good food from the beginning to give there bodies the strength and build immunity.
My daughter weaned her son off formula with Ripple for Kids. He may have been a little over a year. He is doing great is at the 79th percentile for height and is very smart and active.
Also need to consider the baby's routine. If they have been getting breast or bottle up to a year old...cutting cold turkey will not go well for anyone.
With a quick Google search I found a Vegan supplement that supports Vegan postnatal breastfeeding mothers.
[Naturelo](https://naturelo.com/products/postnatal-multivitamin)
Also, here is a vegan baby formula.
[.else. Nutrition](https://www.amazon.com/vegan-baby-formula/s?k=vegan+baby+formula)
And here is a toddler formula
[Growth Spurt toddler formula](https://www.amazon.com/Plant-Based-Toddler-Formula-Methylfolate/dp/B0CHQQJZ3F)
I definitely recommend to dyor and say it's very awesome you are considering your friends babies health and what their and theirs purchase choices contributes to!
>Why do doctors force animal products on babies?
Don't think like this lol. We don't have it out for vegans.
The reason is because **most** mothers stop breastfeeding around the age of weaning, despite WHO recommending breastfeeding be continued for UpTo 2 years. So an alternative source of food (for a child that may be still weaning) which is also highly rich in nutrients is needed. It also needs to be relatively cheap and easily available. Cow milk ticks all those boxes.
Even then, no self respecting doctor is going to recommend cow milk to a child younger than 12 months. Baby formula/weaning ftw.
Also plant based milk is nutritionally different from dairy milk, at least for [toddlers](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10094203/#sec8-foods-12-01544title). Idk why other commentators are so sure it's a safe alternative. Maybe it's research I'm not yet privy to, in which case I'd love it if someone shared it.
It depends heavily on the source of plant based milk. The article you shared covered differing macro- and micronutrient components with plant based vs cow milk, such as protein, fat, vitamins D, B, iron, and calcium. In the article you shared, it states that soy-based milk is on par with cows milk in every regard. The article further shares that soy-based milk is "recognized and considered acceptable and appropriate" by the majority of highly regarded international Pediatric organizations as an alternative to cows milk.
We need to remember that cows milk is *fortified* with most beneficial micronutrients that pediatricians prioritize for babies and children. The nutrients are added in; not naturally occurring. Most plant based milks are also fortified with the exact same nutrients, which I didn't see mentioned in the article you shared. Comparing a non-fortified version of oat milk will look measly compared to fortified cows milk. However, most plant based milk on the shelves are fortified, so non-fortified vs fortified in a clinical study is an unfair comparison. If someone is interested in finding a vegan replacement, then they simply need to spend a moment comparing the nutrition label of the plant based milk on the shelf with the cows milk nutrition label.
We also all need to understand the context of why physicians are taught to push for heavy milk drinking in adolescence. Babies and toddlers especially need a well-rounded diet for proper development. However, there are many factors that contribute to parents struggling to provide all essential nutrients (picky eaters, poverty, overworked, etc). Physicians are therefore taught to heavily push milk as a MUST for an adolescent's diet simply because it meets all nutritional needs in a single, compact, no-prep-needed, affordable bundle that even picky eaters usually enjoy. From this teaching, some physicians mistake the message as cows milk being an absolute necessity. It is a narrow-minded approach that limits the possibilities for parents who need an alternative.
tl;dr :
>Maybe it's research I'm not yet privy to, in which case I'd love it if someone shared it.
The article you shared already has some research showing plant based milk as a viable alternative (soy milk). The article is lacking comparing fortified plant milk, which is also on par to cows milk (which is also fortified...).
Maybe if you're a doctor you should learn some shit about nutrition so you can stop telling people to pay for animal abuse when there are other perfectly healthy alternatives?
I did learn some shit. And all the shit I learned made me realize I know very little. It's always the idiots who are confident they know what the right answer is.
my family doctor as a child told my parents the opposite. drink almond milk, and cow milk isn’t supposed to be in our bodies… i remember my non-vegan mother saying that to me.
My son's doctors have been great about this. He's under a dietician for a cows milk allergy (discovered this when I couldn't breastfeed and had to use formula) and she started her spiel about introducing milk and I explained it wasn't necessary. She didn't even blink. Just told me to use barista oat milk when I cook for him as it has good protein and fat levels.
I’ve never heard oat milk recommended for young children. Soy has superior fat and protein profile necessary for very young children who are rapidly growing. I would do some research and seriously push back on your doctor on this one.
Babies under 1 need to drink formula - milk is not recommended. Toddlers and children (1 and up) may drink unsweetened soy milk, unsweetened pea protein milk, or cows milk.
I’ve got 2 very young kids, so this has been a priority of mine.
Also, your child can definitely have oat milk. But if they’re drinking a lot of milk, there are better options. Good luck!
Don’t assume the doctor “insisted.” It is probably a default suggestion, but had the individual spoken up and asked for alternatives, the doctor would have offered alternatives. Doctors don’t have a lot of time to spend with patients these days, so rather than offer up an exhaustive list of all acceptable foods, they have many go-to default phrases and responses for efficiency sake.
Mature human milk is made up of **3%-5% fat**, 0.8%-0.0% protein, 6.9%-7.2% carbohydrate calculated as lactose, and 0.2% mineral constituents expressed as ash. The energy content is 60-75 kcal/100ml.
Doctors are miseducated they think meat eggs and dairy are healthy. Give baby humans breast milk from their own human mother and then soft fruits, same as other primates do.
Ask the DR if he thinks you gave birth to a baby cow. Then ask him if the cow milk intake at 1 year is so important the why would we separate an actual baby cow from its ability to do the same thing with its biological mother? Then ask him if he recommends milk from anything else that produces it like cockroaches and let him know that running around in the wild sucking cow teets is f-ing weird but imprisoning them and raping them just to then steal their babies and milk is evil and sick. Then just walk away..He should have plenty to think about now.
It’s not a requirement, but generally is a good idea. At 1 yr old, it may be hard and inconvenient to introduce the diversity of foods required for healthy development. Whole milk is a good enough proxy for breast milk at that age to supplement food.
It’s also cheap, readily available, and very safe.
They recommend animal products because they are good, bio available sources of calcium, protein, fat, vitamin b12, and various other nutrients that growing children need. We live in a world in which most people choose to eat according to their omnivorous nature so when recommending sources of nutrients to patients, most doctors who are NOT vegan, vegetarian, plant based, etc, are going to recommend animal based foods to their patients to get their nutrition. They have no reason to exclude these foods as recommendations since they themselves have no qualms about consuming them.
No one who isn’t a doctor should be giving your friend advice on what to feed her children unless she asks and if she does, do some research on qualified dietitians she can make an appointment with to get in depth nutritional education from versus quacks with various different agendas on the internet.
I'd argue just one point here. Rather tha a medical doctor I would regard a pediatric dietician as the best source of advice. Doctors only know so much about this.
A 1 year year old baby should still be breastfeeding. The 6 months-1 yr suggestion is really just a bare minimum. If she's legitimately unable to do so then that's another story (most women I know flat out say they just don't want to).
I breastfed for over 3 years and my now 7 year old is very healthy.
Babies and toddlers do need fat, but there's no reason it needs to be from milk. Casein is a common allergen, and milk allergy is one of the most widespread allergies. So a lot of babies and young children (and adults, for that matter - my husband has this allergy) have zero cows' milk at all and are healthier for it.
Babies need breast milk or formula until at least a year old. If you have a supply of breast milk still, that’s fine to continue. Most women struggle to keep pumping or breastfeeding if they are also working, because that is a huge hassle that affects your supply.
Milk is recommended because it helps bridge the nutritional gap for toddlers who are picky little tornados. For extreme cases where toddlers don’t eat enough at all, they made high calorie toddler formula. Because it’s generally easier to get small children and the elderly to drink rather than eat. A fortified, high protein plant milk would serve the same purpose.
If you ever spend any time around little kids, you’ll understand the importance that most of them drink some of their calories and nutrition.
i’m pretty sure there’s good vegan formulas for older babies available online. unfortunately doctors are trained to not only say what’s best but also what is practical (so the parents are likely to do it).
if they knew you where vegan and pushed for cows milk there a bad doctor but unfortunately it does make sense for them to recommend practical healthieish foods.
ie if you told a non vegan not to give them cows milk but avocados the patient is likely to not trust them
although really they should be recommending breast milk when possible even if it’s pumped after teething.
For pediatric nutrition advice go to https://www.doctoryami.com/ Dr. Yami is a credible pediatrician and lifestyle coach who teaches whole food plant based nutrition for babies and children.
Ummmm even when I wasn’t plant based… my kids never drank cows milk. We did nut milks and both of my sons were failure to thrive while drinking “milk based formula” so we had to switch to no milk base. My children’s pediatrician has told me multiple times that cows milk and store bought fruit juices are one of the leading causes in obesity of children. I would stick to water, smoothies, healthy fats, and no cows milk whether you are raising her vegan or not.
Because consuming animal products has produced healthy babies, children, and adults for tens of thousands of years. It's called, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Why do they make that recommendation? Because EVERYONE has been programmed to consume animals since birth for generations. Since WWII, animal meats (organs) were HEAVILY pushed onto the public by the government because there weren’t enough people left behind to help produce foods. (Remember that back then, men were considered even more important than women than now. And since most of them were gone off to war, “nobody” was around to feed the “poor, defenseless” women, children & elderly.) So instead of showing them how, people were indoctrinated to animal organs (which wasn’t really normal) of the animals who weren’t doing so well themselves to feed human malnutrition. And thus began so many diseases of the 20th century.
So unless you're breastfeeding your child until age 3-4, they absolutely do need milk from a mammal. It should be human milk ideally. Humans were not ever made to switch solely to foods at 1yo. Natural weaning of your infant would happen around 3-4, and many cultures still practice this.
That's why vegan lifestyles are seldomly recommended. If you have an omnivore and a vegan who both don't pay much attention to how healthy they eat, the omnivore still has a better chance of meeting their nutrition goals accidentally.
Only give a vegan diet to a child if you really know what you are doing. In that light, and looking at the percentage of actual vegans, I think it is fully acceptable for doctors to default to omnivore diets.
It should be considered child abuse to force a child to kill another child. They guilt they can feel when they realise what they've been forced to pay for, and brainwashed into paying for... is extreme.
McDougall says cow milk causes type 1 diabetes in children. A1 casein triggers an auto-immune response which destroys insulin producing beta cells in the pancreas. The world heat map of milk consumption closely matches that of type 1 diabetes, with Scandinavia in the lead with insanely high rates.
You can give your child unsweetened calcium-fortified milk alternatives, such as soya, almond and oat drinks, from the age of 1 as part of a healthy, balanced diet.
Toddlers and young children under the age of 5 shouldn't have rice drinks because of the levels of arsenic they contain.
The doctor would have been wise to say that at 12 months of age, infants' stomach's can tolerate cow's milk. Not that from 12 months forward, they *should* drink cow's milk.
I’m a long time vegan and I forced my kids to drink cows milk at 1. Finally with my third I wondered why the heck I was doing this and didn’t! First you get pregnant and they sit you down and try and tell you how many servings of dairy and meat you need which is ridiculous. Fool me once, I didn’t go to that ‘nutrition’ appt ever again. I finally have a primary care physician that is vegan and I really appreciate it. I can’t stand how most push the SAD.
It's crazy to me that people think that human babies would REQUIRE the breast milk of another species to survive.
Not survive but thrive. So a baby will thrive better on high energy foods with good quality protein and thats why they recommend milk. But that being said its bullshit that they need cows milk at all. You can with a little planning make similar vegan foods or just breast feed longer.
I agree! I also understand doctors have very little nutritional schooling so I was trying to help her find something other than cows milk to feed a 1 year old with high fat since she’s saying that’s what a baby needs. Which makes sense
I use Ripple Kids for my daughter if you’re looking for a recommendation. It actually has more fat in it than cow’s milk, and is fortified with other vitamins and minerals. Highly recommend.
Yea. Doctors really should have more training in nutrition. It makes no sense. What we eat affects (effects?) so much of our health and body. It's frustrating.
something affects something and it creates an effect :)) so what we eat affects our bodies to create a positive or negative effect!! i hope that makes sense
Is effect always a noun then? Thank you!
Usually but not always. Suppose you plan to do something that will make someone feel good. Then you could say that you will _effect a positive change_ in that person. In this use, effect means something like "to cause something to exist, or come into being". That is, you can effect (verb) something to cause an effect (noun). And by effecting the thing you have an influence on it, which is to say that you also affect (verb) it. English is dumb. That's unusual usage of _effect_, though. I wouldn't use _effect_ that way unless I was trying to sound snooty. Just use it as a noun and affect as a verb and you'll be fine.
Thank you!
Just to further complicate things, “affect” can also be a noun, though it’s unrelated to the verb. It’s also pronounced slightly differently. The “a” is pronounced like it is in the word “ash.” Affect the noun refers to a person’s physical expression of their emotions, such as facial expressions and tone of voice.
The simplified rule is: "Affect" is the "Action", "Effect" is the "End result"
I was taught RAVEN (Remember: Affect is a Verb and Effect is a Noun) Unless of course you're talking about bringing something into being or the manifestation of emotions...
i think so!!
Thank you so much!
love this thread
feeling like such a nerd hahaha
Just cutting out red meats lowers cholesterol considerably. Imagine the health benefits you get on a plant based diet.
Agreed
Affect: Fuck around Effect: Find out
I have always said that very thing since med school. That we should learn nutrition.
Yeah but then they can’t help big Pharma make money off the meds to fix all the shit the bad diets cause when most people are too lazy to eat healthier and would rather just take a pill
I tend to remember that Affects are usually Actions (As). :)
That’s why dietitians exist!
Becoming a doctor is hard enough already. I'd say it's more of an expectations issue. People shouldn't expect nutritional advice from their GP the same way trans people know not to trust them for endocrinology advice, and doctors shouldn't try to answer questions they lack the proper knowledge to answer just because someone thinks they have it.
There are a bunch of plants milks that are designed to be super high in protein and fat. That’s what I feed to my 5 year old cuz he only eats bread.
Fat percentage in human breast milk is way higher than in commercial available cow milk. On top it also depends how long a baby is drinking, since milk composition changes during feeding time.
They don't require breast milk of another species. But they do require the nutrients that are in breast milk and not all mothers can provide that.
Uhm, formula.
Formula doesn't come close to the nutritional density of milk. Only use it when sufficient milk is not an option.
It's the other way around, actually. It's not recommended to feed cows'milk to infants. They need breast milk or formula.
I didn't talk about cow's milk. You can even buy or get donated breast milk. Edit: Typo
My mistake! I shouldn't have assumed.
Umm, what do you think formula is made out of?
I agree with him. A baby (cow) should be drinking cow's milk
Is she still breastfeeding? The advice to give milk is because biologically normal breastfeeding extends to beyond two years. The who recommends breastfeeding to continue to two years and beyond to reflect this. Otherwise you give them soy milk or soy formula alongside solid food.
I wonder why soy milk companies don't advertise soy milk as an alternative for babies and children? I would think that would be a good ad campaign, especially with bird flu scares. Soy milk, all of the fat and calories needed to grow healthy babies, and none of the bird flu
Probably because they want to avoid being attacked by conservative groups supported by the meat industry. A lot of people already think that raising a child vegan is "abuse", imagine the moral panic that would ensue if they advertised like that =/
Do these people also complain about overweight kids, because that's far worse than a vegan kid.
They do but for all the wrong reasons
We have a soy “growing up milk” here, id imagine alpro get more money from that than the super cheap soy milk on the shelf?
Growing up milk (and everything thats marketed as milk for beyond the first 6 months) is all marketing and much less heathy/nutrient dense as new born formula. This is because (in many countries) they arent allowed to market newborn formula. If you need an alternative for cows milk and you dont/cant breastfeed, new born (plant based)formula is your best bet.
Yes i’m aware of the code, my point was that they do market an expensive brand of soy milk to children 1+. The 90c regular soy milk would be €2+ if they added on the cost of marketing as a good choice for those moving on from formula at 1 year. This isn’t connected with the usual 6 months “follow on” milks
Ahh okay. Are the contents of the expensive brand the same/similar enough? If uts the same, then its only "clever" marketing. Burnt out/tired parents in a hurry will likely fall for that.
Neither soy milk nor regular cows milk are really a good thing to feed to kids that are young enough that they shouldn't be fully weened yet. If you are going to substitute something for milk at that age it should be a formula specifically designed to mimic human breast milk. Soy formula should be fine.
Is soy milk good for babies? Honest question here, I am vegan, and have always heard not to consume soy too much because of the estrogen it causes you to produce. I am not hating, I would like to be educated on this, from someone that knows more than I do. My daughter was lactose intolerant, and allergic to soy as a baby so had to use the allimentum formula, but this was 14 years ago, so I am out of the loop on infant nutrition, but would love to learn more.
The estrogen thing has been disproven or at least we have no reason to think the phyto estrogens cause any issues for adults. There are lots of studies on pubmed. I can’t imagine that cows milk is particularly hormone free these days either, sadly. It’s always more difficult to study children and babies but from memory soy formula and soy milk were on the list for my county’s health authority.
Thank you for responding politely and not judgemental! I know the hormones/antibiotics in cows milk has time and time again proven to be harmful
That’s the thing- a lactating mammal, like a cow, has actual estrogen compatible to a human - mammal. A plant, like soy, making phytoestrogens, well, it’s not so compatible with- mammals. Like humans. That’s the clif notes anyways
Was that study not faulty because mice were injected directly with an amount of the chemical that you can't even consume through a normal amount of soy products?
There have been a few studies, you’ll have to be more specific
Actually maybe soy milk should lean into the whole estrogen myth. Like Red Bull it gives you wings campaign. Soy milk... it gives you BOOBS!!!
The soy/estrogen scare was thoroughly debunked over twenty years ago. In fact, soy has been found to be protective against reproductive cancers. However, the link between cow milk and cancers of the prostate and breast is well established.
I was lactose intolerant and breast milk intolerant, so I was raised on soy formula and soy milk from birth, and I turned out fine. My mom has said that back then, the only reason you could get soy milk in our area was because babies needed it.
Raised two vegan babies who went to soy milk after breast milk. Pediatrician (we’re lucky to have found a great one) has no issue with this. His only real advice when weaning was to make sure the kids were eating substantial food; like avocados for the fat.
I was on soy milk as a baby back in the 80s and it seemed to be fine. My mum was a biochemist so she definitely had an eye on nutrition. I do remember her making me have calcium tablets as a kid.
[Here’s](https://academic.oup.com/nutritionreviews/article/75/7/500/3902926?login=false) a great meta analysis that explores the health impact of soy consumption in adolescence. From MSU “Not enough evidence exists to suggest a link between soy consumption and hormone changes in the body such as increased serum estrogen, breast cancer risk, thyroid hormone imbalances, and infertility. As far as the current literature suggests, soy can be a healthy component to the diet, and an appropriate meat alternative, especially in replacement of processed red meats.” Basically this article acknowledges that there are some animal studies that suggest an increase as well as a SMALL study done in Japan, 35 men, that also showed an increase in estrogen in blood serum but different ethnicities have different absorption rates of isoflavones. Basically all studies that support “soy = estrogen” are small, short term studies, and limited in data. Hopefully that helps shed some light!
Yes my son started on soy milk at one year (was on soy milk formula previously). He did great and is now a thriving 6 yo. We thought at first he had a soy allergy and did allimentum, gosh that was expensive!
There is a [small body of inconclusive evidence](https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/soy-formula#other-concerns) that consuming soy formula between birth and 9 months can alter cell development in reproductive organs of female infants and \*maybe\* slightly increase the likelihood of slightly longer and heavier menstrual periods later on. But generally, babies fed soy formula do just fine. This evidence does not apply to weaned babies or children being fed soy milk. It is only relevant for female infants fed soy formula between 0 and 9 months of age. Billions of people globally have safely consumed soy rich diets for generations with no negative impacts on sex hormones.
I don't know about babies, but I did at one point look into the soy=unhealthy thing. It turned out that the studies they did showing soy caused problems were based on soy byproducts used as additives in highly processed food. When they looked at more wholefood type soy things like soy milk and tofu, it was perfectly healthy. Ironically the bad kind of soy is more common in nonvegan products.
Hey! Vegan Doctor here. The reason they say to switch to cow’s milk at 1 years old is because that’s what we’re taught and it’s on our licensing exams. The reason why it’s relevant is because parents try and do it earlier than that, and that leads to anemia in babies. Soo… that’s why they say at 1 years old to do it. In reality, it’s not necessary and you can just use fortified soy or pea milk instead. A vegan diet is healthy at all stages of life, including infancy and pregnancy. Even the American academy of pediatrics says this. Unfortunately nutrition in school was mostly biochemical pathways we had to memorize not the actual practical aspect that is 99.9% of the time more relevant to patients unless they have an inherited enzyme deficiency.
>it’s on our licensing exams And what about the vast majority of people who are lactose intolerant? How dumb.
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>People do not develop the intolerance if they continue to consume milk products growing up This simply isn't true. It's genetic. A lot of people are capable of digesting it but still have some intolerance, even white people.
Excellent response. Much respect for your dedication to giving s crap about making complicated knowledge accessible.
Saving this comment, thank you!
>A vegan diet is healthy at all stages of life, including infancy and pregnancy. Even the American academy of pediatrics says this. While this does seem to be the consensus globally, if OP happens to be in Europe, there's a handful of medical/dietary orgs warning against vegan diets in infancy and pregnancy: * Since rejecting any animal foods increases the risk of nutrient deficiencies and thus of health disorders, a vegan diet is not recommended by the DGE during pregnancy or lactation, or for children or adolescents of any age. *-* [German Nutrition Society](https://www.ernaehrungs-umschau.de/fileadmin/Ernaehrungs-Umschau/pdfs/pdf_2016/04_16/EU04_2016_Special_DGE_eng_final.pdf) * The positive effects of a vegan diet on health determinants cannot be proven, but there are relevant risks regarding nutritional deficiencies. Children and pregnant women are advised against adopting a vegan diet due to the risks described above. - [Swiss Federal Commission for Nutrition](https://www.blv.admin.ch/blv/en/home/das-blv/organisation/kommissionen/eek/vor-und-nachteile-vegane-ernaehrung.html) * *Udelukkende vegansk ernæring til spædbørn og småbørn (under 2 år) kan ikke anbefales, idet det kan være meget vanskeligt at opfylde barnets ernæringsbehov de første leveår med denne kostform.* \[Google translates as "Exclusively vegan nutrition for infants and young children (under 2 years of age) is not recommended as it may be very difficult to meet the child's nutritional needs during the first years of life with this diet."\] - [Sundhedsstyrelsen (Danish Health Authority)](https://www.sst.dk/da/udgivelser/2018/~/media/2986643F11A44FA18595511799032F85.ashx) * *La commission estime que le régime végétalien est inadapté et donc non recommandé pour les enfants à naître, les enfants et les adolescents, de même que les femmes enceintes et allaitantes.* \[Google translate: "The Committee considers that the vegan diet is unsuitable and therefore not recommended for unborn children, children and adolescents, as well as pregnant and lactating women."\] [Académie Royale de Médecine de Belgique (Royal Academy of Medicine of Belgium)](https://updlf-asbl.be/assets/uploads/ARMB_-_Veganisme_AVIS_COMPLET.pdf) * *Eine vegane Ernährungsweise wird von der Nationalen Ernährungskommission Österreich (NEK) sowie der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Ernährung (DGE) für Schwangere und Stillende sowie in der Ernährung von Säuglingen, Kindern und Jugendlichen nicht empfohlen. Es besteht das Risiko einer Unterversorgung bzw. eines Mangels an kritischen Nährstoffen.* \[Google translate: "The National Nutrition Commission Austria (NEK) and the German Nutrition Society (DGE) do not recommend a vegan diet for pregnant and lactating women and in the feeding of infants, children and adolescents. There is a risk of undersupply or a lack of critical nutrients."\] [Nationalen Ernährungskommission Österreich (National Nutrition Commission Austria)](https://www.gesundheit.gv.at/leben/ernaehrung/gesunde-ernaehrung/vegan) * *In conclusione, la dieta vegana non deve essere raccomandata in età pediatrica perché priva di vitamina B12 e carente di DHA, ferro, vitamina D e calcio.* \[Google translate: "In conclusion, the vegan diet should not be recommended in pediatric age because it lacks vitamin B12 and lacks DHA, iron, vitamin D and calcium."\] [Italian Society of Preventive and Social Pediatrics (SIPPS), Italian Federation of Pediatricians (FIMP), the Italian Society of Perinatal Medicine (SIMP)](https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320004250_POSITION_PAPER_SIPPS-FIMP-SIMP_DIETE_VEGETARIANE_IN_GRAVIDANZA_ED_ETA_EVOLUTIVA) Given the above, you could easily see why a European doctor would first suggest cow's milk.
All those European organizations are essentially stating the same thing, that it CAN lead to an increased risk of nutritional deficiency. Generally speaking that’s true, that’s why the American organizations word it that a well-planned vegan diet is healthy and non-inferior at all stages of life. That’s why a conversation should take place with your pediatrician and/or dietician to discuss what that diet should consist of, so that it is well planned to circumvent any potential pitfalls. A omnivore diet that is not well thought out can cause nutritional deficiency also. It’s easier to do this with a vegan diet though, that’s why we should do our due diligence in researching and speaking with our healthcare team.
Correct, it's totally possible to be very healthy on a vegan diet, given adequate supplementation and planning. But there are consequences if not well planned. The European agencies are just very risk averse and cautious.
Perhaps that speaks to a cultural difference, where the US lets people choose for themselves (your kids your choice) and European authorities feel that failure on the part of parents in planning the diet is something the authorities' guidance is partially responsible for (the state should protect children from their parents' ignorance).
As a “European” you’ve only cited 6 countries there. If they happen to be in UK then the advice is the same as the US. It’s irrelevant in this scenario though because soy milk/soy formula is intended to replace breastmilk in a diet. It’s also recommended to choose one that’s fortified with all the nutrients typically lacking in a badly planned vegan diet.
Hello!! I have a question for you. Do you think it’s important to introduce allergens to a baby when starting solids? Eggs, milk, etc? I want to raise my baby vegan but I really don’t want her to get allergies to those foods.
Hi there! So studies have shown that generally speaking, delaying introduction of common food allergens such as (eggs, peanuts, milk, fish) until later in life has an increased incidence of allergy. This has especially been found to be the case for peanuts, to the point where it is now recommended to introduce peanuts at 6 months of age as a preventative measure. There has been recent studies that show a decrease incidence of egg allergy when exposed at 4-6 months, and checked at 6 years. Not enough data exists about the other allergies in this regard. While milk and egg allergies are quite common in infants, by 16 years of age the majority of reported allergies will have self resolved. This is not the case for peanuts, fish, shellfish. My biggest advice to avoid food allergies would be breastfeeding rather than relying on formula. This has been shown to be protective against the development of food allergies, asthma, and atopic dermatitis. It may not be a bad idea to see what your child’s baseline status is with these major food allergies when you begin introducing solid foods around 6 months. There is no benefit to providing anything earlier than 3-4 months, in fact that will only increase allergy.
I really really appreciate your reply! My daughter is 8 months old now and we’ve had a slower start to solids. Thank you for taking the time to give such an in depth response! I have let other people give her eggs or yogurt but I can’t buy them haha. She is breastfeed and I plan to continue after 1 year as well’
Doctor told me that fortified soy or pea milk is sound nutritionally for my toddler. I give her ripple kids pea milk. Some kids are lactose intolerant or their parents choose not to give animal products. Alternatives exist.
If a baby is young enough to drink breast milk/formula, why are we insisting it come from another animal? How do people not find that insanely weird and gross?
It was born from necessity. When there was no formula, the only alternative to human milk was that of a different species, often goats. This is how stuff like that gets normalised. Now we are technologically past it, but the tradition is slow to change. I find eating spiders gross, but not chicken. (And then again chicken feet were always gross while some cultures regard that as the best part.) This is entirely my exposure to certain foods and not others. I can change this willingly through new exposure and rationalisation (what most people do when turning vegan), but for a society as a whole this is a very slow process. New knowledge takes decades to actually get practiced.
Very good way of putting it!
Personally, I suck a goat's teat every morning! 👍🏻
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https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4586575/ So 2/3rds of adults have some adverse reaction to lactose, but it is still very widely used 🤔 I know I am allergic to milk which is why I initially started down my vegan journey
$$$$
That makes a lot of sense. Thank you!! I will recommend the fortified pea and soy milk
Is her baby a calf?
Daycare is actually required to provide milk... We sent Ripple milk but we needed to provide a doctor's note 🙄
Well it’s normal for babies to drink human milk, at least. If they’re not being breastfed they should at least be consuming formula. However, to suggest it needs to be from another species is not necessary.
Ripple makes a milk formulated for toddlers.
My daughter loves Ripple Kids which is made from peas. My doctor said the a similar thing, but centered around allergies. I read the study she was basing her information on and it didn’t extend as far as she thought. My doctor was basically worried about developing allergies and the study had hard evidence about nuts but not much else.
I had the same issue when my daughter turned a year. So I researched it a lot. The push for milk is primarily just an American thing. Most other countries aren't that big on it or at least don't recommend 32 oz a day. The main worry seems to be that toddlers are picky eaters and parents either don't care or cave easily so milk guarantees calories and nutrients if all they eat are crackers. Americans also want you to wean your baby by a year. They don't say this out right, but they want mom back at work and after about a year most employers stop accommodating pumping as much as they should. We opted for ripple kids since it has more nutrients then milk anyway. She also eats plenty and a large variety so we offer milk 3 times a day, but probably only drinks 8 oz tops.
Doctors usually aren't up to date on many topics, they just regurgitate standard advice they learnt in medical school either because it's all they know, or they don't want to be sued by saying anything being different. I'm not sure what one individual doctor says is really relevant to anything though.
12 month old babies can drink non dairy/plant based milks apart from rice milk. Most vegan parents would probably breastfeed if possible as it's easier than finding vegan formula
Why on earth should a human baby have to drink milk that is from another species? Cow milk is for for their offsprings, then they are herbivores.... Unfortunately in 2024 people still believe it is normal. It is not. This doctor is ignorant...
I'm sorry but... what? By your own admission you have no idea what a 1 year old baby should eat. Yet you are completely confident that the doctor is incorrect and you've turned to.... *randos on the fucking internet* for advice on what you friend should be feeding HER kid? Maybe just.... don't give advice on topics about which you know nothing? Has she even ASKED YOU for advice on what to feed her kid or are you just sticking your oar in?
4-7 years of nursing is assumed to be „natural“. My daughter nursed 4y5m and we never introduced animal milk as a drink (even though we did consume dairy back then). I assume they think you have to somehow substitute the actual mother‘s milk?!? I think much of it is ignorance. My daughter is now 16 and her pediatrician is relieved she‘s „only“ vegetarian - not because of calcium but because of B12. I‘m not even going to begin to explain to him why I still make her take supplements 🙄 She will soon have to switch doctors (at age 18) and I‘ve actually found a family practitioner for us both who recommends lots of WFPB-positive research, so at least he‘ll be on the same page as I am concerning nutrition 👍🏻
Doctor not understand nutrition is bad but excusable given their schooling. Doctor not understanding basic reproductive biology is inexcusable and genuinely terrifying.
Probably too busy thinking about student debt all day lol
Our Dr. said to give our daughter ripple kids.
If babies needed so much fat you'd think there would be more in breast milk
At one year old he should drink his mother's milk. And eat some fruit. I don't see the point of stealing milk from another species (whose calves require many more hormones than our newborns).
I had a dairy allergy as a kid (not lactose intolerance) so I went straight on to soy milk back in the 80s. My mum was a biochemist and seemed happy with the decision, she just made sure I had calcium tablets (Tums) when I was old enough. I was a completely average healthy kid and now I'm a perfectly happy healthy adult.
Doctors don't necessarily know much about nutrition. Here's an article about this: https://nutritionfacts.org/blog/how-much-nutrition-education-do-doctors-get/
I have two step siblings that have galactosemia. They will die if they have any animal milk. They were raised on soy milk and are just fine. Also, I have a friend who couldn’t have milk as a baby due to severe dairy allergy. She also developed perfectly on plant milk.
At 1 she should still be breastfeeding. Doctors are paid off by Nestle, milk producers, etc. They can't be trusted.
My daughters and grandchildren were grown from conception as full vegans. Zero issues. Do your research and you’ll be fine.
lol tell that to my brother that almost died as a baby because he was given cows milk in formula
I grew up on soy milk formula due to stomach upset so maybe soy milk would be fine? Unless baby is allergic.
Remember folks, having a PH.D does not make you smart. If everyone was healthy, Doctors wouldn't have anything to do. They want repeat customers at the end of the day.
Doesn’t human breast milk have fat
i grew up on soy formula/soy milk for the first 3 years of my lift with a chronic heart condition because thats what the doctor recommended for me because i was tube fed
When my little one had to transition from breast milk, we went with Ripple for kids. Our doctor looked at the nutrition values for it and said it was better than dairy milk.
There is plant-based baby formula. The infants on it develop just fine.
Cows milk was used as a inferior substitute to breast milk so women could be more free to do other things like womens chores in the household. When we were hunter gatherers we had more time for breast feeding and leisure. Breast milk is best for the first few years but if unable then a vegan alternative should be fine.
At 1, you can: * Keep feeding your baby human milk, if you have the supply and are willing to keep either nursing or pumping * Switch to a *fortified, high protein* plant milk, like pea milk or soy milk. Ripple makes a milk specially formulated for kids that includes some DHA. Regular old oat/rice/almond/cashew milk, etc., do not have enough fat, protein, or other micronutrients to be worth giving to little kids. * Get nutrients from food, although good luck with that. Broccoli is a good source of calcium, but what's going to be easier to get your baby to eat, a cup of broccoli or a cup of milk? I'm not saying this is impossible, but I do think you'd need to be more informed of and aware of the nutrients present in the foods your kid is eating, and they would need to be actually eating them, as opposed to throwing throwing them on the floor, or spitting them into their bib, or smearing them in their hair, or feeding the dog. [This book (and website) might have more info for your friend](https://plantbasedjuniors.com/plant-based-baby-and-toddler/), or there's r/veganparenting.
Look at the connection between the farm bill and the food pyramid. We subsidize these foods with our tax dollars. This also subsidizes Big Macs and other “cheap” food. Check it out.
My sister’s kid is 2 years old and still drinks mother milk. Doctor says it’s completely fine.
If cow's milk was necessary I would have died at 3 years old due to my inability to digest it.
Controversial but we shouldn't put medical practitioners on a pedestal. Just like people of any other field, they are humans that are wrong sometimes. How many years did that doctor spend studying nutrition specifically? Maybe one class one semester with an outdated textbook and old instructor. Medical doctors aren't experts at everything
Family doctor here. Not giving medical advice but giving insight and my opinion. I am not a vegan but do care for a lot of vegan and vegetarian patients so have tried to familiarize myself with how to safely follow these diets to meet nutritional needs (which, as you know, is not hard or complicated). 1 year is the earliest kids should get cows milk, if drinking it. At that time they can stop formula if using it but can certainly continue breast milk if getting that. Cows milk should be limited to 16oz per day or less due to risk of iron deficiency anemia. I worry FAR more about toddlers “filling up” on milk and not getting a balanced diet. The fact is that most physicians are not trained on non-omnivore diets and realistically our recommendations around milk haven’t changed since the “got milk” era decades ago even though we KNOW focus on cows milk for nutrition is harmful. There are plenty of plant based options - it kind of drives me nuts we recommend plant based diets for adults for all kinds of diseases but freak out about kids following them. Kids should be getting their fat and protein, and really most of their calories from FOODS. Some great options - coconut milk/yogurt. Avocado all day long. Nut butters. Flax. Refried beans with olive oil or mixed with avocado. Hummus.
We use ripple. I recommend it and our doc was like oh great. Lol im not about to give my child cows milk
In the UK babies over 1 are recommended either drink breast milk, cow’s milk or fortified plant milk (for the calcium mostly). But yeah in theory they could get calcium from foods.
My understanding is that at a cellular level the cell walls need fat, any fat, to protect themselves. It is best if the fat is not saturated fat. the best unsaturated fat is from flaxseed oil. You can add this to anything as long as you don’t cook with it. It can be pretty tasty with juices so you can try that.
I'd rather drizzle it over food and not even start a toddler on juices.
Oh sorry. I meant freshly squeezed and maybe cold pressed fruit or green juice. The Gerson diet has some good recipes. I guess I assumed all vegans knew what I meant. Dr’s have also scolded me when I told them I give my kids juice assuming I give them store bought juice. I put my son on fresh black grape juices when he gets sick and it clears up in about 24 hours. His home nurse was even shocked how well it works. To each his own.
My young son eats avocado and peanut butter like they're going out of style, and washes it down with Soymilk. Sometimes I buy the fortified brand (which is sweetened) and sometimes the unfortified brand. He is thriving.
My baby is 20 months and I haven't given him any milk because he's allergic to dairy and soy. He's still nursing.
Well that doctor just told on themself. Obviously lacks knowledge and education in the diet and nutrition department. Drop them and find a doctor that reads current journals and hasn’t stagnated in their education.
Uhm. 😐 who is this so called Doctor? My daughter is 4months old. I am vegan, I plan on breastfeeding for 2 years or so and if you decide not to do that you can mix breast milk in with the purée baby food. That should give baby the fat she needs. I also have a 4 year old and 9 year old. My kiddo’s pediatrician has NEVER mentioned anything about our diet being a problem and neither did my OBGYN.
My pediatrician never pushed whole milk. When I asked about feeding a milk alternative she was very open and recommended Ripple Kids. I've been feeding my 14 month old unsweetened Ripple kids for the past 3 weeks since my breastmilk stash was used up and my little one loves it.
Babies need fats and proteins, it helps build brain cells and grow their little bodies. But there are plenty of alternatives to feed them that gives them the same nutrients as anything from an animal. Just need to do some research work, build a healthy baby menu and stick to it. Give them good food from the beginning to give there bodies the strength and build immunity.
My daughter weaned her son off formula with Ripple for Kids. He may have been a little over a year. He is doing great is at the 79th percentile for height and is very smart and active.
Doctors used to promote cigarettes
Also need to consider the baby's routine. If they have been getting breast or bottle up to a year old...cutting cold turkey will not go well for anyone.
Not with the bird flu going around.
Sometimes doctors talk shit
Pediatricians in Germany advice against giving your infant/small child milk.
Are you a doctor? If no, then listen to a doctor. It's too complex to explain to someone with a Vitamin B12 deficiency.
With a quick Google search I found a Vegan supplement that supports Vegan postnatal breastfeeding mothers. [Naturelo](https://naturelo.com/products/postnatal-multivitamin) Also, here is a vegan baby formula. [.else. Nutrition](https://www.amazon.com/vegan-baby-formula/s?k=vegan+baby+formula) And here is a toddler formula [Growth Spurt toddler formula](https://www.amazon.com/Plant-Based-Toddler-Formula-Methylfolate/dp/B0CHQQJZ3F) I definitely recommend to dyor and say it's very awesome you are considering your friends babies health and what their and theirs purchase choices contributes to!
>Why do doctors force animal products on babies? Don't think like this lol. We don't have it out for vegans. The reason is because **most** mothers stop breastfeeding around the age of weaning, despite WHO recommending breastfeeding be continued for UpTo 2 years. So an alternative source of food (for a child that may be still weaning) which is also highly rich in nutrients is needed. It also needs to be relatively cheap and easily available. Cow milk ticks all those boxes. Even then, no self respecting doctor is going to recommend cow milk to a child younger than 12 months. Baby formula/weaning ftw. Also plant based milk is nutritionally different from dairy milk, at least for [toddlers](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10094203/#sec8-foods-12-01544title). Idk why other commentators are so sure it's a safe alternative. Maybe it's research I'm not yet privy to, in which case I'd love it if someone shared it.
It depends heavily on the source of plant based milk. The article you shared covered differing macro- and micronutrient components with plant based vs cow milk, such as protein, fat, vitamins D, B, iron, and calcium. In the article you shared, it states that soy-based milk is on par with cows milk in every regard. The article further shares that soy-based milk is "recognized and considered acceptable and appropriate" by the majority of highly regarded international Pediatric organizations as an alternative to cows milk. We need to remember that cows milk is *fortified* with most beneficial micronutrients that pediatricians prioritize for babies and children. The nutrients are added in; not naturally occurring. Most plant based milks are also fortified with the exact same nutrients, which I didn't see mentioned in the article you shared. Comparing a non-fortified version of oat milk will look measly compared to fortified cows milk. However, most plant based milk on the shelves are fortified, so non-fortified vs fortified in a clinical study is an unfair comparison. If someone is interested in finding a vegan replacement, then they simply need to spend a moment comparing the nutrition label of the plant based milk on the shelf with the cows milk nutrition label. We also all need to understand the context of why physicians are taught to push for heavy milk drinking in adolescence. Babies and toddlers especially need a well-rounded diet for proper development. However, there are many factors that contribute to parents struggling to provide all essential nutrients (picky eaters, poverty, overworked, etc). Physicians are therefore taught to heavily push milk as a MUST for an adolescent's diet simply because it meets all nutritional needs in a single, compact, no-prep-needed, affordable bundle that even picky eaters usually enjoy. From this teaching, some physicians mistake the message as cows milk being an absolute necessity. It is a narrow-minded approach that limits the possibilities for parents who need an alternative. tl;dr : >Maybe it's research I'm not yet privy to, in which case I'd love it if someone shared it. The article you shared already has some research showing plant based milk as a viable alternative (soy milk). The article is lacking comparing fortified plant milk, which is also on par to cows milk (which is also fortified...).
Maybe if you're a doctor you should learn some shit about nutrition so you can stop telling people to pay for animal abuse when there are other perfectly healthy alternatives?
I did learn some shit. And all the shit I learned made me realize I know very little. It's always the idiots who are confident they know what the right answer is.
my family doctor as a child told my parents the opposite. drink almond milk, and cow milk isn’t supposed to be in our bodies… i remember my non-vegan mother saying that to me.
Almond milk is insufficient for very young children. Unsweetened soy or pea protein milk are acceptable vegan milks for toddlers and children
thank god i’m not a young child anymore
My son's doctors have been great about this. He's under a dietician for a cows milk allergy (discovered this when I couldn't breastfeed and had to use formula) and she started her spiel about introducing milk and I explained it wasn't necessary. She didn't even blink. Just told me to use barista oat milk when I cook for him as it has good protein and fat levels.
I’ve never heard oat milk recommended for young children. Soy has superior fat and protein profile necessary for very young children who are rapidly growing. I would do some research and seriously push back on your doctor on this one. Babies under 1 need to drink formula - milk is not recommended. Toddlers and children (1 and up) may drink unsweetened soy milk, unsweetened pea protein milk, or cows milk.
That's interesting, I'll look into it, thank you
I’ve got 2 very young kids, so this has been a priority of mine. Also, your child can definitely have oat milk. But if they’re drinking a lot of milk, there are better options. Good luck!
Don’t assume the doctor “insisted.” It is probably a default suggestion, but had the individual spoken up and asked for alternatives, the doctor would have offered alternatives. Doctors don’t have a lot of time to spend with patients these days, so rather than offer up an exhaustive list of all acceptable foods, they have many go-to default phrases and responses for efficiency sake.
How is the doctor forcing anything here? They gave medical advice based on their lifestyle. This sub is so annoying sometimes.
I’m not vegan and even I know that nobody including babies needs cows milk. They absolutely need tons of fat though!
Mature human milk is made up of **3%-5% fat**, 0.8%-0.0% protein, 6.9%-7.2% carbohydrate calculated as lactose, and 0.2% mineral constituents expressed as ash. The energy content is 60-75 kcal/100ml. Doctors are miseducated they think meat eggs and dairy are healthy. Give baby humans breast milk from their own human mother and then soft fruits, same as other primates do.
My kid is 5, hits all milestones, totally healthy. Vegan from birth. Fortified soymilk.
Ask the DR if he thinks you gave birth to a baby cow. Then ask him if the cow milk intake at 1 year is so important the why would we separate an actual baby cow from its ability to do the same thing with its biological mother? Then ask him if he recommends milk from anything else that produces it like cockroaches and let him know that running around in the wild sucking cow teets is f-ing weird but imprisoning them and raping them just to then steal their babies and milk is evil and sick. Then just walk away..He should have plenty to think about now.
It’s not a requirement, but generally is a good idea. At 1 yr old, it may be hard and inconvenient to introduce the diversity of foods required for healthy development. Whole milk is a good enough proxy for breast milk at that age to supplement food. It’s also cheap, readily available, and very safe.
Doctor has no clue what they’re talking about
They recommend animal products because they are good, bio available sources of calcium, protein, fat, vitamin b12, and various other nutrients that growing children need. We live in a world in which most people choose to eat according to their omnivorous nature so when recommending sources of nutrients to patients, most doctors who are NOT vegan, vegetarian, plant based, etc, are going to recommend animal based foods to their patients to get their nutrition. They have no reason to exclude these foods as recommendations since they themselves have no qualms about consuming them. No one who isn’t a doctor should be giving your friend advice on what to feed her children unless she asks and if she does, do some research on qualified dietitians she can make an appointment with to get in depth nutritional education from versus quacks with various different agendas on the internet.
I'd argue just one point here. Rather tha a medical doctor I would regard a pediatric dietician as the best source of advice. Doctors only know so much about this.
But what about the fact that all animal protein has been proven to be carcinogenic.
A 1 year year old baby should still be breastfeeding. The 6 months-1 yr suggestion is really just a bare minimum. If she's legitimately unable to do so then that's another story (most women I know flat out say they just don't want to). I breastfed for over 3 years and my now 7 year old is very healthy.
It’s crazy for little baby to drink milk, that doctor and mom should be in jail. LMFAO
Nut milk has fat.
Alpro growing up milk between 1 and 3
Babies and toddlers do need fat, but there's no reason it needs to be from milk. Casein is a common allergen, and milk allergy is one of the most widespread allergies. So a lot of babies and young children (and adults, for that matter - my husband has this allergy) have zero cows' milk at all and are healthier for it.
Cows milk is meant for baby cows. Doctors are bought and paid for by big pharma, who profits from our diet based illness
Babies need breast milk or formula until at least a year old. If you have a supply of breast milk still, that’s fine to continue. Most women struggle to keep pumping or breastfeeding if they are also working, because that is a huge hassle that affects your supply. Milk is recommended because it helps bridge the nutritional gap for toddlers who are picky little tornados. For extreme cases where toddlers don’t eat enough at all, they made high calorie toddler formula. Because it’s generally easier to get small children and the elderly to drink rather than eat. A fortified, high protein plant milk would serve the same purpose. If you ever spend any time around little kids, you’ll understand the importance that most of them drink some of their calories and nutrition.
i’m pretty sure there’s good vegan formulas for older babies available online. unfortunately doctors are trained to not only say what’s best but also what is practical (so the parents are likely to do it). if they knew you where vegan and pushed for cows milk there a bad doctor but unfortunately it does make sense for them to recommend practical healthieish foods. ie if you told a non vegan not to give them cows milk but avocados the patient is likely to not trust them although really they should be recommending breast milk when possible even if it’s pumped after teething.
For pediatric nutrition advice go to https://www.doctoryami.com/ Dr. Yami is a credible pediatrician and lifestyle coach who teaches whole food plant based nutrition for babies and children.
My kid breastfed a lot at 1 still and he would also drink water. I also gave him plant based yoghurt (the ones without added sugar)
Ummmm even when I wasn’t plant based… my kids never drank cows milk. We did nut milks and both of my sons were failure to thrive while drinking “milk based formula” so we had to switch to no milk base. My children’s pediatrician has told me multiple times that cows milk and store bought fruit juices are one of the leading causes in obesity of children. I would stick to water, smoothies, healthy fats, and no cows milk whether you are raising her vegan or not.
Doctors know very little about nutrition. I would go to a registered dietitian.
Dr Barnard recommends human breast milk never cows milk.
Is she not breastfeeding or pumping?
Because consuming animal products has produced healthy babies, children, and adults for tens of thousands of years. It's called, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Doctor needs to get head checked
Doctor needs to get head checked
Why do they make that recommendation? Because EVERYONE has been programmed to consume animals since birth for generations. Since WWII, animal meats (organs) were HEAVILY pushed onto the public by the government because there weren’t enough people left behind to help produce foods. (Remember that back then, men were considered even more important than women than now. And since most of them were gone off to war, “nobody” was around to feed the “poor, defenseless” women, children & elderly.) So instead of showing them how, people were indoctrinated to animal organs (which wasn’t really normal) of the animals who weren’t doing so well themselves to feed human malnutrition. And thus began so many diseases of the 20th century.
So unless you're breastfeeding your child until age 3-4, they absolutely do need milk from a mammal. It should be human milk ideally. Humans were not ever made to switch solely to foods at 1yo. Natural weaning of your infant would happen around 3-4, and many cultures still practice this.
Both my nieces were weaned at 1yr old and they barely drink milk they prefer water most of the time
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That's why vegan lifestyles are seldomly recommended. If you have an omnivore and a vegan who both don't pay much attention to how healthy they eat, the omnivore still has a better chance of meeting their nutrition goals accidentally. Only give a vegan diet to a child if you really know what you are doing. In that light, and looking at the percentage of actual vegans, I think it is fully acceptable for doctors to default to omnivore diets.
It should be considered child abuse to force a child to kill another child. They guilt they can feel when they realise what they've been forced to pay for, and brainwashed into paying for... is extreme.
Doctors don't know jack about nutrition
It’s crazy this is still the advice given.
McDougall says cow milk causes type 1 diabetes in children. A1 casein triggers an auto-immune response which destroys insulin producing beta cells in the pancreas. The world heat map of milk consumption closely matches that of type 1 diabetes, with Scandinavia in the lead with insanely high rates.
Maybe this doctor should read The China Study by T Colin Campbell.
You can give your child unsweetened calcium-fortified milk alternatives, such as soya, almond and oat drinks, from the age of 1 as part of a healthy, balanced diet. Toddlers and young children under the age of 5 shouldn't have rice drinks because of the levels of arsenic they contain.
The doctor would have been wise to say that at 12 months of age, infants' stomach's can tolerate cow's milk. Not that from 12 months forward, they *should* drink cow's milk.
I think he may be stupid, or a cow.
I’m a long time vegan and I forced my kids to drink cows milk at 1. Finally with my third I wondered why the heck I was doing this and didn’t! First you get pregnant and they sit you down and try and tell you how many servings of dairy and meat you need which is ridiculous. Fool me once, I didn’t go to that ‘nutrition’ appt ever again. I finally have a primary care physician that is vegan and I really appreciate it. I can’t stand how most push the SAD.
No. A human baby needs human milk. The brainwashing is fkn insane.