Vegetable drinks (not milk) for babies and children: everything you need to know

Today we can find in almost any supermarket a wide variety of vegetable drinks. This "fashion" is often also part of the children's diet. In some families, because they are vegan; in others, because they report that cow's milk feels bad for them; and in others because certain myths, such as that milk gives mucus (and I take it to deny it), are still very entrenched.

There are many doubts that parents often ask in the consultation about these drinks: Can our children consume these drinks with peace of mind? Should we have any precautions? From what age can we offer it?

Vegetable drinks are not milk

Although we often hear about them as milks and are often taken to replace cow's milk, we should call them vegetable drinks because Milk is, by definition, a product of mammalian animals. Vegetable drinks consist of a small extract of some vegetable and water. The best known are almond, rice, oatmeal and soybeans, but drinks are also made from chufas (the known horchata) or quinoa.

Milk is, by definition, a product of mammals. We should not talk about vegetable milks, but about vegetable drinks.

In Europe, from a legal point of view they cannot be called milks either. The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) issued, in its ruling of June 14, 2017, the prohibition of commercialization of purely vegetable products with denominations such as "milk", "cream", "butter", "cheese" or "yogurt", reserved by the European Union Right to milk of animal origin and its milk derivatives.

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They do not contain the same nutrients as milk

It is not only the name that differentiates them. In addition to their different origin, they do not contain the same nutrients as milk. Recently the OCU analyzed the different composition of vegetable drinks.

  • The raw material (soy, almonds, rice ...) varies between 2 and 16%. The rest is water and many other additives.
  • Milk has a much higher calcium content.
  • The amount of sugars is similar in both, but in vegetable drinks we find sugars added very frequently (while milk contains naturally present sugars).
  • None of the vegetable drinks contain lactose (which does contain cow's milk)
  • Except for soy milk, most vegetable drinks are poor in protein.

Vegetable drinks should not replace milk

Milk (and dairy products) are the main source of calcium and phosphorus, fundamental elements for the correct growth of the child. Vegetable drinks have a much smaller amount of these nutrients. Therefore, we should not give children these drinks instead of milk and derivatives. If we eliminate dairy from our diet, we must add other foods rich in calcium and phosphorus.

Milk is rich in calcium and phosphorus, fundamental elements for the growth of children (they intervene among others in the formation of bones and teeth). If dairy products are not consumed, we must take other foods rich in calcium and phosphorus.

And what other foods are rich in calcium?

  • Legumes, especially chickpeas and beans
  • Some vegetables, such as spinach, chard and broccoli
  • Tofu
  • Nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, pistachios). It should be remembered here that nuts should not be offered whole (or in pieces) to children under 4-5 years due to the risk of choking; We can offer them crushed as part of a recipe.
  • Fish. The sardines in oil, for example, are some of the ones that have more (especially if we eat the thorns, be careful with them if we offer them to small children). Others such as sea bream, sea bream or rooster also have a high calcium content.
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They should not be consumed during the first year of life

WHO recommends exclusive breastfeeding during the first 6 months of life and up to 2 years or more accompanied by other foods. In case of not drinking breast milk, we would use artificial formulas, most of them obtained from cow's milk. In particular cases of cow's milk protein allergy, infants should take hydrolyzed formulas designed specifically for them.

Milk is the main food during the first year of life, so before 12 months they should not drink vegetable drinks instead of milk. In addition, although from the year onwards, dairy products are not strictly necessary, they provide essential nutrients for the correct development and growth of children.. Therefore, in case of not consuming dairy products, we must obtain them from other sources.

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They are healthy?

If we use them before the year of life instead of milk, we can have serious health problems, since important nutritional deficiencies will appear. However, from the year on, they can become part of a varied and healthy diet.

It is important to choose milks that have at least 8% of raw material and avoid those that have added sugars (where sugar appears among the ingredients). In addition, as we have already mentioned, in the case of not taking any dairy, we must take other foods rich in calcium, a fundamental element in bone development (among other things)

We must always read the labels carefully. Many of the vegetable drinks have added sugars.

What are the risks of exclusively using vegetable drinks in infants and very young children?

As we have said previously, compared to breast milk (or infant formula), vegetable drinks have an insufficient supply of calcium and vitamin D (unless they are supplemented) and lack lactose.

In addition, some may have insufficient energy (such as soybeans and almonds) and / or protein (such as rice drinks); and many times they have an excessive supply of sugars. Therefore, the exclusive use of vegetable drinks can lead to serious health problems, which will vary depending on the beverage consumed.

Infants who drink exclusively non-supplemented soy drink may suffer from rickets and iron deficiency anemia. Rickets is a disease that is caused by the lack of vitamin D, calcium or phosphorus; the bones in these children are soft and deformed and usually have a developmental delay; Alterations in the teeth (and delayed dentition) are also frequent. The rice drink contains my few proteins, therefore, children who consume it exclusively may suffer from Kwashiorkor-type malnutrition (generated by low protein intake); with fatigue, irritability, growth failure and loss of muscle mass.

The exclusive use of vegetable drinks can lead to serious health problems, which will vary depending on the beverage consumed.

Avoid rice drinks in children

The Rice drinks contain a high amount of arsenic, so it is advisable to avoid them in babies and young children. They can take rice from the beginning of the complementary feeding (around 6 months) but a varied diet in cereals is recommended (also introduce oats, corn, wheat and barley).

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