The KInd Life Community Forum

I am vegan, and so far my 11mo baby is too. I'm interested to hear what milk alternatives other parents used with their babies post-weaning.

My husband is not veg, and although he can see that bubba is healthy and I had a healthy pregnancy, I worry that as our little one gets closer to turning 1, that there will be pressure for me take baby off the vegan path.

Suggestions are welcome as to soy, rice, oat, almond, coconut milk etc.

Other online forums/facebook groups for raising healthy children "naturally" seem to be very anti-soy milk (phytoestrogens) and anti-rice milk (arsenic).

I have briefly looked at commercial soy formulas (organic), but would prefer to avoid the non-vegan D3 added to them, and shocked that the highest ingredient in this one (for example) is brown rice syrup. http://bit.ly/JaDLCx

I am not in the US so please give full titles of suggested products, so that I can try to order them online.

Thank you.

This is a huge concern for me as well, and I have been doing my best to research it, but there isnt a whole lot of information out there. My son is 10 months old and will be weaning off the bottle soon. His pediatrician flat out said a vegan diet is dangerous for children and strongly urged me to wean him from formula to whole cow's milk at one year. His reasoning is that the fat content in whole milk is important for brain development. So, if I am going to go against doctor's orders, I need to have a game plan.

True, soy milk has 3.5 grams of fat per serving (1 cup) where as whole cows milk has 8 grams of fat. Soy milk still is a healthy alternative, but I would just need to make sure he gets extra fats from somewhere else such as vegetable oils, nuts, avacados, etc.

Another option is to give him whole cows milk from ages 1-2 and do soy milk after that. Or, there are toddler formulas and toddler nutritional drinks like pediasure.

The fat content was the main concern I had, other nutrients such as vitamin D, calcium, and protein are easily found in the plant-based foods we already eat. It would be helpful to find a supplement for "good" fats that can be added to babies milk during this important time in their development.

I am vegan and opposed to giving my son cows milk, but I am cautious to not deprive him of any necissary nutrition. Suggestions are welcome!

My baby is 14 months old. I still breastfeed approximately every 4-5 hours and once during the night. She also gets a glass of almond milk every day. She absolutely loves it. Rice milk doesnt have enough calories and soy milk is controversial. If you do not continue to breastfeed, just make sure she gets enough calcium and eats good fats such as canola oil, avocados, nuts and nut butters, etc...

To Jane: Cows milk or formulas are not necessary.

I like the rice milk. This is my first time breastfeeding and being vegan, and I am breastfeeding longer. I am still breastfeeding and my toddler is 2 and a few months, old. I highly recommend continuing.

I know someone whose baby was 100% vegan and grew up to be an amazing example of health as a child. She is talented, intelligent, was pushed two grades ahead during elementary school and is just all around great. The poster child for vegan babies. Don't let the doctors who were educated before science knew better, scare you! Find other doctors until you find one who knows what he/she is talking about in this area. Generally doctors don't have a lot of education in nutrition so maybe a nutritionist specifically would be a good place to start. Good luck :)