What is a Good Cow’s Milk Substitute for Toddlers?
For the parent of a toddler with a cow’s milk protein allergy, many concerns must be addressed. One of the most common concerns parents face is how best to avoid a reaction while providing adequate nutrition to a toddler who can’t drink cow’s milk. It’s important to find a cow’s milk substitute that can both be consumed safely and offer a similar or better nutritional profile to what’s found in cow’s milk. So, what is a good cow’s milk substitute for toddlers? To find out, keep reading as the team at Cambrooke provides some insight.
What to Look for in a Cow’s Milk Substitute for Toddlers
As the term suggests, a milk substitute is meant to be a stand-in for cow’s milk. For a food or beverage to qualify as a proper cow’s milk substitute, however, it should offer much or most of the nutritional content1 in cow’s milk, which generally contains the following:
- Calcium
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin D
- Vitamin B-2 (Riboflavin)
- Vitamin B-6
- Vitamin B-12
- Phosphorus
- Potassium
- Zinc
- Magnesium
- Choline
- Selenium
In addition, cow’s milk offers a relatively significant amount of protein, fats, carbs, and calories – all of which help fuel a toddler’s growth. This diverse nutritional profile is a big part of why the consumption of cow’s milk is encouraged in children without allergies, and may seem like a tough list to replicate in a milk substitute. The good news is that there are a few options that may appeal to you and your toddler.
The Best Milk Substitutes for Toddlers with a Cow’s Milk Allergy
A quick scan of the dairy aisle at your local grocery store will reveal that there are lots of milk substitutes available for purchase, the most common of which are soy and almond milk. It is important to know that there are potential risks to the use of soy milk for a toddler that has a cow’s milk allergy as he or she may have an allergy to soy as well. It should also be noted that the milk of other domestic animals– such as sheep, goats, or buffalo – contain similar proteins to cow’s milk and may trigger the same kind of reaction as cow’s milk in a child with an allergy. Below, we’ll cover some of the most popular cow’s milk substitutes and discuss whether they might be right for your toddler.
Soy Milk
As perhaps the most widespread substitute for cow’s milk on the market, soy milk provides similar nutritional benefits to cow’s milk. Because it’s so common, soy milk is also relatively inexpensive, and your toddler may tolerate its creamy flavor better than some other alternatives. That said, it’s common for children with a cow’s milk protein allergy to also have an allergy or sensitivity to soy. You should check with your pediatrician or allergist before giving soy milk to a child with a cow’s milk allergy.
Almond Milk
Almond milk is another popular and widely available substitute for cow’s milk. While fortified almond milk usually meets the calcium needs of a toddler, it is often lacking in other vital nutrients such as protein and calories. These important nutrients are quite low in most almond milk options and are usually unable to meet the needs of a growing child. To support adequate growth, these nutrients would need to be acquired from the child’s diet or from another milk-free beverage option. In addition to the nutrients lacking in almond milk, it may also need to be avoided because almond is one of the Top 8 allergens.3 . It is important to discuss with your pediatrician or allergist whether almond milk is right and safe for your child.
Rice Milk
Often perceived as one of the least allergenic options among cow’s milk substitutes, rice milk may appeal to the parents of toddlers with a cow’s milk allergy. However, the nutritional value of rice milk is considerably less than that of cow’s milk and it’s higher in sugar and carbohydrates than cow’s milk. In addition, its low protein content means that additional protein would have to be introduced into your toddler’s diet elsewhere if rice milk was your substitute of choice. Rice, usually considered a hypoallergenic food, may be problematic for some children and often needs to be avoided for certain types of food allergy disorders such as Food Protein-Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome (FPIES)2. For this reason, we recommend discussing the use of rice milk with your child’s pediatrician or allergist.
Specially Formulated Formulas
Because they’re generally designed with nutrition in mind, special formulas may be the best choice for nourishing a toddler with a milk allergy. However, be aware that formulas designed for toddlers with allergies come in different varieties: those with partially hydrolyzed (broken down) proteins, those with extensively hydrolyzed proteins, and those with completely broken down proteins (amino acids).. This last group of products, which are sometimes called elemental formulas, are made with amino acids, which provide the benefits of proteins without the risk of a reaction. If your child has a serious allergy to cow’s milk, he or she may benefit from an amino acid-based milk substitute like those from Cambrooke.
Elemental Formulas Available for Toddlers with Milk Allergies
To mitigate the risk of an allergic reaction, it’s important to choose a formula that will not only provide the resources your toddler’s growing body needs, but that will also be safe for consumption. At Cambrooke, we pride ourselves on crafting safe, nutritious elemental formulas that help your child thrive. To learn more about our products, visit Cambrooke online or call (833) 377-2773 today.
- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/273451#nutrition
- https://www.kidswithfoodallergies.org/food-protein-induced-enterocolitis-syndrome-fpies.aspx
- https://www.fda.gov/food/buy-store-serve-safe-food/what-you-need-know-about-food-allergies
