Monday, May 4, 2009

Got Milk?


So I've never been a big fan of milk. I just don't like it.  I only use it on cereal and even then I only use skim and just enough to make it moist.  Then I discovered Almond Breeze. I like it. It's not enough to make me crave a tall glass of milk but it IS enough to not make me want to gag.

Now that Lily is turning one she'll be off formula and switching to milk.  The question is...what kind of milk? I am a firm believer that cow's milk is not necessary (all nutrients found in cow's milk can be found other places) nor is it that good for you. So I'm looking into the best milk substitute for a one year old: soy, rice, almond?  I'm leaning towards using rice milk, it seems to have the least negative side effects (allergic reactions, possible hormones, ease of digestion and such). Suggestions?

I guess my main concern is making sure that Lily is getting all the nutrients she needs. Supposedly the main nutrients that one-year-olds get from milk are fat (for brain development) and calcium.  I feel pretty confident that she is/will get enough calcium from other sources--she loves her broccoli. But I guess I'm concerned about where she'll get the right fats, I mean it's brain development! I don't really want to be skimping in that area!  
Do any of you have experience with this? What do you do to make sure kids (from ages 1-3) are getting the right nutrients if drinking milk substitutes?

Of course, I'll be talking to Lily's pediatrician about this but just thought I'd try to get a little input for all you experienced moms! THANKS!

3 comments:

Stephie said...

Funny, I've never liked milk either? I wonder if that runs in the family?

Net said...

Andrea was allergic to milk for a while so we had to use soy. The soy formula smelled NASTY but she really liked the soy milk. Also, they have formula that is for 12-24 months.
Good luck!

Sandy Buffington said...

I've decided that we have a ton in common and I am totally going to start blog stalking you now... :)

My son got sick and was only able to drink vanilla rice milk. He really didn't mind it. My pediatrician said they should only drink 18 oz of milk a day.

Not that I followed that very well. Now my son is going to turn 3 this year and gets most of his caloric intake from milk... Picky eaters are awful.

GOOD LUCK!