Caring for our young one’s health is always a top priority as a parent. We want to do the best for them, yet often find ourselves stumbling upon contradictory advice. Begging the question of what really is better for my child – dairy products or dairy replacements?
In an age where health concerns are eminent, it seems everyone has an opinion about plant-based alternatives. Marketed as a healthier alternative, recent research has found this not necessarily to be the case, particularly in the diets of children under five.
The report, conducted by a panel of key health and nutrition organisations in the US, has found children should begin consuming plain whole cows milk from 12 months old to help them achieve a healthy diet and effective absorption of calcium, phosphorous, vitamins A, D and B and protein. Milk is the number one source of energy calcium, vitamins A and D, and zinc for infants and young children, making it an essential to both their diet and health.
In contrast, plant-based milks were not recommended (unless medically advised) in the diets of children aged zero to five with the exception of soy milk, as they lack nutritional value equivalent to cows milk and are commonly supplemented with added sugars.
As these findings would suggest, there is no true substitute for the real deal. Cow derived dairy products are the most natural, vitamin dense, easily absorbable option available to aid our children in meeting dietary recommendations ensuring development. And until further research is available, there is currently no evidence to suggest the bioavailability of plant-based milk alternatives are comparable to that of their naturally-occurring counterparts in cow’s milk.
