TODDLER DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES & SAFETY

eating a regular diet and consuming ageappropriate solid foods theres no reason they should need a toddler drink.
After age 1 most children can meet all of their nutrient needs with a balanced mix of whole milk fruits vegetables protein grains and healthy fats Hyland says. If youre concerned that your child isnt eating with enough variety you can use a standard multivitamin to cover most of what the toddler drinks aim to accomplish. Even in the pickiest eaters I dont usually recommend these powdered toddler drinks.
Parents are often surprised to learn that toddler drinks actually have the same protein and calories as whole milk! That being the case Hyland notes that If you feel like your child needs extra calories there are other ways to do so and a toddler drink would not be the answer.
Hyland isnt the only expert who doesnt see the value in toddler drinks. In 2023 the American Academy of Pediatrics AAP released a report stating that toddler drinks which they refer to as Older InfantYoung Child Formulas or OIYCFs have no nutritional value.
Like Hyland the AAP concluded that toddler drinks are safe to incorporate into a varied healthy diet but dont provide a nutritional advantage in most children over a wellbalanced diet that includes human milk preferred andor cow milk. The report goes on to say that this family of products which are more expensive than cow milk have no specific role in the routine care of healthy children.
But what if your child isnt developmentally neurotypical or healthy? What if your child was a preemie or has a chronic illness like Crohns disease?
Discuss that with your physician or dietitian Hyland advises. Whether or not they need additional supplementation or toddler milks could be very specific to that individual child but I still rarely recommend them.
Does drinking toddler drinks increase the risk of obesity in young children?
Toddler milks arent beneficial to the majority of children but the only damage theyre likely to do is to your wallet.
Hyland notes that there are some occasions like when a child is underweight when a supplemental drink may be just what the doctor ordered. But remember Toddler milks or drinks arent the same thing as supplemental nutrition drinks. And importantly toddler milks dont stimulate healthy weight gain. In fact they dont provide any more calories than whole milk!
Sometimes parents think Oh toddler milks will give them an extra boost Hyland