Does a Toddler really need a growing up milk?

Amy Langfield, Co-Founder of Grow with Iris helps to unpick and navigate the confusing world of milk post the ‘First Birthday’ milestone.

Weaning is hard – and a total minefield of conflicting opinions and advice. Add in the stress of navigating the mixed messages around what milk or milk alternative is best for your little one, and the anxiety doubles!

Whether your toddler has a dairy or soya allergy, your family follows a plant-based diet, or you simply have the world's fussiest eater on your hands, the options out there can feel completely overwhelming.

Does my toddler even need milk or a growing up drink?

To be brutally honest, most toddlers don’t - provided they're eating a varied and balanced diet. NHS guidance is clear that after 12 months, standard infant formula and growing-up milks are not necessary for typically developing toddlers.

But if your child is navigating food allergies, follows a plant-based or vegetarian diet, or is going through a particularly fussy phase (which, let's face it, is most of them at some point), the picture looks different. Children with more restricted diets can struggle to get enough calcium, vitamin B12, vitamin A, vitamin D, iodine, zinc, selenium and iron - all of which are critical during the early years. This is where a fortified milk alternative (aka a growing up drink) can step in.

This is the part that catches a lot of parents out. You head to the plant milk section in the supermarket and there's a wall of different options: rice, almond, cashew, oat, pea, soya, barista, low sugar, no sugar, fortified, minimal ingredients… aghhhh!!! What do you choose?

Many popular plant milks on supermarket shelves simply weren't designed with toddlers in mind - more for your tea or daily coffee – basically, for adults. Organic or unfortified options don’t contain the key nutrients children need - no calcium, no iodine, no vitamin B2 or A. 

Here is a brief breakdown of the pros and cons of common milk alternatives you’re likely to encounter in the supermarket.

• Oat milk - Creamy and often fortified with minimal vitamins & minerals, but low in protein
• Almond and nut milks - Low in calories, protein and fat, unsuitable for children with nut allergies, and not generally recommended for under-4s
• Soya milk - Nutritionally the closest to cow's milk in protein and calories, but soya is one of the most common allergens in young children
• Pea milk - High in protein, often well-fortified, and free from many common allergens; increasingly recommended for allergy-prone children
• Rice Milk - Often warned against children consuming due to potential low arsenic levels.

When you're choosing any plant milk for a toddler, look for one that's been specifically formulated for young children - with appropriate energy content, protein levels and a broad range of vitamins and minerals. A growing-up drink designed for this age group will have been nutritionally tailored in a way that an off-the-shelf oat milk designed for the coffee shop, simply hasn't been.

What does a toddler actually need from milk?

Toddlers aged 1–3 need around 350mg of calcium daily (roughly equivalent to 300ml of cow's milk). Cow's milk is convenient because it delivers calcium, protein, vitamin D, healthy fats, vitamin A, B12, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and zinc all in one. When you remove dairy from the equation, you need to be more intentional about where those nutrients come from.

The good news is that a plant-based diet absolutely can meet all of these needs. Despite the myths, you can get enough protein on a plant-based diet - all essential amino acids are available through plant foods, from beans and lentils to tofu, seeds and wholegrains. The key is variety and, where needed, fortification.

Round up!

If your toddler eats a wide, balanced diet with no restrictions, a growing-up drink probably isn't something you need to seek out. But if allergies, dietary choices or plain fussiness mean their diet is more limited, a well-fortified option genuinely matters - and it's worth reading the label carefully to make sure it's been designed with toddlers specifically in mind.

There is also the added comfort that having a ‘milk’ brings many children too. Just because they might not be able to have cow’s milk, for whatever reason, doesn’t mean they need to be deprived of their calming ‘milk’ ritual at bedtime.

As always, if you're worried about your child's nutrition, a paediatric dietitian is your best friend and there are lots of amazing ones on Instagram who I’m sure would 100% be happy to answer your questions!

Amy is the co-founder of Grow with Iris and allergy Mum to Iris who is now 9 and lives with numerous life threatening allergies. Grow with Iris is a fortified plant-based growing up drink – a milk alternative that’s nutritionally tailored for little ones 12months to 4 years of age.