TODDLER DEVELOPMENTAL MILESTONES & SAFETY

says. It does give them some extra vitamins minerals and essential fatty acids. But it doesnt give them extra calories so I would not say that a toddler drink is going to lead to or encourage obesity necessarily.
Hyland encourages you to speak to your pediatrician or registered dietitian. They can give recommendations for an appropriate oral supplement to promote growth.
Should you be worried about the ingredients in toddler drinks?
At this point you may be asking yourself If toddler drinks dont aid the transition to solid foods and dont facilitate weight gain whats in that powder exactly?
Its a good question.
Hyland doesnt see toddler nutrition drinks as necessary for the majority of children but shes not poopooing their ingredients either. They do provide more nutrients than whole milk alone and most dont have added sugar.
There are a lot of vitamins minerals and essential fatty acids in toddler nutrition drinks she says. So theres nothing in them that Im concerned with. However shes quick to note that context matters.
It could be risky to give fortified toddler drinks to a kid whos eating a regular diet and taking a multivitamin. In that case they could be overdosing on certain vitamins and minerals.
Supplement nutrition drinks are a different story
We talked earlier about the difference between toddler milks and supplemental nutrition drinks. As a reminder supplemental nutrition drinks are typically premixed and flavored. Most of them are manufactured by companies that make nutritional drinks for adults too.
Unless specifically recommended for your child by their doctor or a pediatric dietitian Hyland advocates skipping them.
The premixed drinks are higher calorie than milk and they contain added sugar which while indicated for some arent necessary for most kids. If your child does need a supplement drink a dietitian will help you work out how to optimize them in your day so your child still learns to eat solid foods.
Are toddler drinks worth the money?
Toddler drinks might not encourage obesity or contain any dangerous ingredients. But does that make them a good buy?
Frankly it depends why youre buying them.
If youre buying them with the expectation that theyll have a significant impact on your childs health it isnt worth the money.
If you would sleep a little easier knowing that your picky child is getting full nutrition it may be worth the extra cost.
Ultimately Hyland considers this less a question of health and more a question of personal preference.
If a parent feels
inclined to give their child toddler milks I wouldnt advise against it Hyland clarifies. They certainly will not harm the child but you can find the same thing in a multivitamin if nutrient variety is your main concern.
Do toddler drinks reinvent the wheel that is whole milk and food? Sort of yeah. Does that wheel still turn? Yeah it does. As long as your child is eating a varied diet you cant go wrong.
If only all parenting decisions were that simple.