Plant milks for toddlers

Not before 12 months

Under 12 months, your baby’s milk should be breast milk or infant formula. Plant drinks, like cow’s milk, are not suitable as a main drink before their first birthday.

• An expert panel from Healthy Eating Research, backed by the AAP, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, the American Heart Association and the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry, says plant milks should not be used in place of breast milk or formula in the first year. Using them as a major part of a baby’s diet has been linked to malnutrition.
• The FDA says to wait until babies are at least a year old before giving fortified soy drinks, and the CDC says the same for all milk alternatives.
• The NHS says first infant formula is the only suitable alternative to breast milk in the first 12 months.

Soy infant formula is a different product from soy drink. The NHS says to use soy formula only if a health professional advises it. If your baby can’t have cow’s milk formula, talk to your pediatrician, GP or health visitor. See cow’s milk allergy and choosing and preparing formula.

When a plant milk makes sense

Plain, pasteurized cow’s milk is the standard drink from 12 months for most children (see cow’s milk at 12 months). The Healthy Eating Research panel says plant milks can be useful from age 1 for children with a milk allergy or intolerance, or for families who don’t eat animal products, and recommends choosing one with your pediatrician or a registered dietitian. If none of these apply, Healthy Eating Research suggests sticking with cow’s milk.

Milk allergy and lactose intolerance are not the same (ACAAI), and they change what your child can have:

• Milk allergy: no cow’s milk or dairy foods. Yogurt, cheese and lactose-free milk are all made from cow’s milk, so none of them is a safe swap. Soy needs care too (see below). Choose any alternative with your pediatrician or a dietitian, and see cow’s milk allergy.
• Lactose intolerance: a plant milk isn’t the only option. The AAP says children who can’t drink cow’s milk can meet their dairy needs with yogurt and cheese, though they may need a vitamin D supplement, and the US Dietary Guidelines list lactose-free milk as another option.

How plant milks compare

Plant milks vary a lot, by plant and by brand. The AAP’s comparison of unflavored drinks shows the gap in protein per cup (240 ml):

• Whole cow’s milk: about 7.7 g
• Pea: about 8 g
• Soy: about 6.3 g
• Oat: about 4 g
• Hemp: about 3 g
• Almond: about 1.4 g
• Rice: about 0.7 g
• Coconut: about 0.5 g

Most are fortified with calcium and vitamin D, but amounts differ between brands, so the AAP says to check labels. Homemade almond milk and other homemade plant milks are not fortified.

Soy: the closest match

The AAP says soy milk is nutritionally equivalent to cow’s milk and an acceptable alternative, and that other plant milks are not recommended in place of dairy milk. The 2019 Healthy Eating Research panel also makes soy the one exception, and its 2022 handout says only fortified soy is currently considered a dairy equivalent. Choose unsweetened soy drink fortified with calcium and vitamin D.

One caution: soy is a common allergen, and the AAP says soy should also be avoided after a cow’s milk protein allergy diagnosis, because about half of infants with that allergy may also react to soy. If your child has a milk allergy, ask your doctor before switching to soy. See tofu and allergens.

Pea, oat, almond, coconut and hemp

• Pea and soy-pea blends: the 2022 Healthy Eating Research handout lists these with soy as the best plant milks for young children, with protein, fat, calcium and vitamin D close to whole milk, though it counts only soy as a dairy equivalent.
• Oat, almond, coconut, hemp and others: much lower in protein, and some are lower in fat and calories. They can be a drink alongside a varied diet, but they don’t replace the nutrients in milk on their own (AAP, Healthy Eating Research).
• Almond and cashew drinks come from tree nuts, a common allergen. Offer only after tree nuts have been safely introduced.

Why no rice drinks

The NHS says children under 5 should not have rice drinks as a substitute for breast milk, formula or cow’s milk, because they may contain too much arsenic. The FDA explains that rice tends to absorb arsenic more readily than other crops.

Rice drink is also one of the weakest options nutritionally: Healthy Eating Research ranks it last among plant milks for young children, and it has almost no protein.

If your child has already had rice drinks, the NHS says there’s no immediate risk, but it’s best to switch to a different milk. Eating rice itself is fine as part of a varied diet. See rice and arsenic.

How to choose at the store

• Unsweetened and unflavored. Many plant milks have added sugar (Healthy Eating Research). The CDC says your child doesn’t need added sugars, and the US Dietary Guidelines and the NHS say to avoid them up to age 4. Check the ingredients for sugar or syrup.
• Fortified with calcium and vitamin D (CDC).
• Check the protein. Soy or pea drinks get closest to cow’s milk.
• Skip toddler milks and “growing-up” drinks. The AAP says they’re unnecessary and usually contain added sugar.

Filling the gaps

If a plant milk replaces most or all cow’s milk, the rest of your child’s food has to make up the difference. Healthy Eating Research says to pay careful attention to protein, calcium and vitamin D, ideally with help from a dietitian.

• Offer protein at meals: beans, lentils, tofu, eggs, meat or fish, and smooth nut butter spread thinly.
• If your child eats dairy foods but doesn’t drink milk, the AAP says yogurt and cheese can meet their dairy needs.
• Vitamins. The AAP says a child who doesn’t drink cow’s milk may need a vitamin D supplement, so ask your pediatrician. The NHS recommends daily vitamin drops with vitamins A, C and D for all children aged 1 to 4.

See plant-based babies and vitamins for babies.

When to talk to your doctor

Talk to your pediatrician, GP or health visitor before making a plant milk your child’s main drink, and sooner if your child:

• has a diagnosed milk allergy or intolerance, or you think they might
• is a picky eater, or eats little protein
• isn’t growing or gaining weight as expected

Where US and UK advice differs

• Which plant milks. The AAP and the 2019 Healthy Eating Research panel recommend only soy as a replacement for dairy milk. The 2022 Healthy Eating Research handout also lists pea and soy-pea blends among the best plant milks, though it says only soy is considered a dairy equivalent. The CDC says unflavored, unsweetened alternatives fortified with calcium and vitamin D (it names soy, oat, rice, coconut, cashew and almond) can help meet a child’s dairy needs from 12 months. The NHS says you can give unsweetened, calcium-fortified soya, oat or almond drinks from the age of 1 as part of a healthy balanced diet, and to talk to your health visitor or GP first if your child has a milk allergy or intolerance.
• Rice drinks. The NHS says no rice drinks for children under 5 because of arsenic. US agencies don’t give an age for rice drinks, and the AAP and Healthy Eating Research don’t recommend rice milk in place of dairy milk. This site follows the NHS: no rice drinks under 5.
• Added sugar. The AAP’s drinks page says to avoid added sugars under 2 years. The US Dietary Guidelines 2025–2030 and the NHS say to avoid added sugar up to age 4, and this site follows that.
• Vitamins. The NHS recommends vitamins A, C and D for every child aged 1 to 4. In the US, ask your pediatrician whether your child needs vitamin D.