Plant Based Milks For Babies and Toddlers

What are the recommendations?

Plant-based milks, and whether they’re suitable for babies and toddlers is a question I’m asked about ALL the time. There is increasing interest in plant-based nutrition, for a variety of reasons, including an increase in diagnosed child food allergies.

Additionally, the options for “milks” available in the supermarket have increased an incredible amount in recent years. According to the Vegan Society UK, between 2025, the market is expected to grow by 13.8% between the years of 2020-2025. It’s no surprise parents have lots of questions when it comes to offering plant-based milk alternatives to babies and toddlers.

Cows’ milk can be offered as a main drink when an infant reaches one year of age. Before this, cows’ milk can be added into an infant’s foods from 6 months of age, but not offered as a whole drink. This is because cows’ milk doesn’t contain the right amount of energy and nutrients that a young baby needs before they reach 1 year of age.

From one year of age, for children who are no longer breastfeeding, cows’ milk is a suitable main drink. You can read more about milk recommendations for young children in my blog. 

Despite this, a growing number of parents are opting for plant-based milks for infants and toddlers as well as other milk alternatives. There are a variety of reasons for this, including availability and parental concerns around allergies, sustainability and health.

Plant based milks for infants and toddlers: Can my child have these?

The NHS state that you can give your child unsweetened fortified milk alternatives, such as soya, almond and oat drinks, from the age of one as part of a healthy balanced diet.

You can use fortified plant-based milk alternatives in your child’s cooking, such as in porridge, cereal or sauces from 6 months, but it shouldn’t be offered as a drink until after 1 year of age.

Children with dairy allergies

For children with allergies who require a hypoallergenic formula, it is recommended that this formula is continued on until 2 years of age. From 2 years of age, alternative milks may then be used as a main drink if appropriate and if the parents would prefer.

Some children over the age of one who have allergies may be able to move onto a milk alternative (such as soya milk with added calcium) sooner, however, this would normally be determined after discussion with the child’s health care team and dietitian, who will advise on the best option on an individual basis.

Vegan infants

For those children who do not have diagnosed allergies and are not on hypoallergenic formula, unsweetened calcium-fortified milk alternatives, such as soya, almond and oat drinks can be offered from one year of age as part of a healthy, balanced diet which contains plenty of calcium, protein and energy. Fortified, unsweetened soya milk, would be the recommended option for vegan children, as the protein content is most comparable to cow’s milk. If soya milk isn’t tolerated, pea milk may be another option. 

However, it is generally recommended to discuss a vegan child’s diet with a healthcare professional such as a Registered Nutritionist or Dietitian to ensure the infant isn’t at risk of any nutritional deficiencies.

Are plant-based milks nutritionally better?

Nutritionally, there is no advantage to having other milks if cows’ milk is tolerated and accepted.

If you’re opting for an alternative milk, it’s important to go for fortified options, which can help to bring levels of nutrients such as calcium, vitamin B12 and, ideally, iodine up to similar levels to those found in cow’s milk.

Below you can see a comparison table of fortified plant based milks and cows’ milk.

The table highlights the importance of choosing fortified milk alternatives for children and many plant-based milks are fortified with calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B12, riboflavin (vitamin B2) and iodine. On the whole, alternative milks do not contain the same levels of energy, fat or carbohydrate as whole cows’ milk. Many milks other than soya milk also do not contain comparative levels of protein.

On the whole, alternative milks do not contain the same levels of energy, fat or carbohydrate as whole cows’ milk. Many milks other than soya milk also do not contain comparative levels of protein and if the milks aren’t fortified, nutrient levels of B12, calcium and iodine aren’t comparable either.When it comes to iodine, previously many of the milk options haven’t been fortified with iodine, but this has changed quite a bit in recent times. There are now plenty of options that DO contain iodine, but it’s always worth checking the label as iodine can be a nutrient that’s a bit more difficult to get for those on an entirely plant-based diet.

Should I worry about food additives in plant-milks?

Lots of people worry about some of the “additional” ingredients in plant milks, such as emulsifiers, preservatives or thickeners. There is a lot of fear-mongering online at the moment, and it can be really hard to know what to believe when it comes to information about the ingredients in our foods. 

I’ve written in detail about processed foods for kids, and I know it can seem overwhelming to parents. It’s important to note that in nutrition, nothing is ever black and white, and it’s ALWAYS important to consider the context and the bigger picture. 

The topic of food additives is quite complex, and something I plan to write about in more detail soon. Generally speaking, it all comes down to moderation. Plant milks can be really beneficial and necessary for some children who need to replace nutrients they may be missing out on through allergies, intolerances or dietary choices. Additives in foods in the UK are monitored and tested for safety levels and the levels in foods are way below levels that are potentially harmful. Therefore the amount likely to be included in plant milks will be very minimal, and many of the purported “dangerous ingredients” aren’t dangerous at all in humans.  

What about seed oils?

Another ingredient that many parents have questions about is the seed oils that are present in most plant milks. Seed oils, such as rapeseed and sunflower oil, have also received quite a lot of bad press recently. I know it can be really overwhelming as parents to constantly read that the foods we’re offering our kids regularly are potentially harmful. I also plan to write in much more detail about seed oils soon, as I know it’s something that many parents are concerned about. 

Similar to food additives, in the context of a varied and balanced diet, we shouldn’t worry about seed oils in plant-based milk. It’s important to consume a variety of fats, from other sources, including olive oil, avocados, nuts, seeds and oily fish. Here is a good summary of the evidence on seed oils to date.

It can be a good idea to vary the kinds of milk you’re offering and also to include a variety of other sources of dairy and/or fortified dairy-alternative foods if you can. This helps to ensure a good dietary variety which is the key when it comes to ensuring a healthy, balanced diet for you and your kids.

Milks to avoid

Just simply, toddlers and young children under the age of five shouldn’t have rice drinks, because of the trace levels of arsenic they may contain (from the soils in which they are grown).

And finally…

When it comes to offering plant based milks for infants and toddlers, in summary, fortified, unsweetened plant based milks are appropriate to offer to infants as part of a healthy balanced diet from 1 year of age.

Milk alternatives don’t compare nutritionally to whole cows’ milk, even when fortified, but it is recommended to always ensure to offer unsweetened, fortified milks to young children who are using a plant-based alternative.