AskMeDoctor! Season 6 Episode 10 | Decoding the Labels: How to Choose Your Child's Growing Up Milk

As your child grows and you wean them off breastmilk, a proper substitute is needed. That’s where growing up milk comes in. With hundreds of variations and brands in the market, it can be a headache for mums to know which kind is the best for their child. We had a chat with holistic nutrition coach Natalie to help us decode nutrition labels and how to choose the best growing up milk for your child. Q1: Is growing up milk essential for a growing child? That's a very good question. So, growing up milk is designed to provide additional nutrition for children aged 1 to 6, who may not be getting enough nutrients from their regular diet. At this stage of development, a child's nutrients need increase and they grow and become more active. Hence, they need more fortified vitamins and minerals. And these are very important for the healthy growth and development of bones, muscles and overall immunity. In addition, some children may have picky eating habits and food aversions. This can make it very difficult for parents to get them to get the nutrients from their regular diet. So that's why growing up milk is there to fill up the nutritional gaps and ensure that children are getting enough nutrients for optimal growth and development. But it's also very important to note that growing up milk is not a replacement for a balance and varied diet. So, parents should always aim to provide children with a variety of nutrient-dense foods as well as offering growing up milk as a supplement, if needed. Q2: What to look for when choosing a growing up milk? There are actually a few important things to look at. The first thing you have to look into is age-appropriate formula. Growing up milk is specially designed for children aged 1 and above. So, make sure you choose a milk that's appropriate for your child's age. For the second one, you have to look into nutrition content. Choose a growing up milk that contain essential minerals and vitamins much as calcium, protein, iron and also vitamin D, because these nutrients are very important for the healthy growth and development of bones, muscle and also immunity. And the last thing is the ingredients list. The nutrition label should always be your best friend. Because the nutrition label is something that provides all the information about the nutrients, especially for proteins, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, minerals. It allows parents to ensure that the milk provides a balanced and adequate nutritional profile for their child's growth and development. It's also very important to check the substances that your child is allergic to if there's any allergies. Lastly, always look out to any additives or processed sugar. Q3: What are some harmful additives to look out for? There are three ingredients that you should actually watch out for. The first one is called added sugars. So, formula milk is typically sweetened with lactose, which is okay because it occurs naturally in breast milk. However, some formula milk may contain sugars like corn syrup, sucrose or maltodextrin to enhance the sweetness and caloric content. Did you know most people are unaware of this ingredient called maltodextrin? Maltodextrin is a white powder made from corn, rice, potato starch or wheat. So even though it comes from plants, it's highly processed. The process of making this maltodextrin, it's about cooking the starches and adding acids and enzymes and break it down further into a powdery form. So, maltodextrin, in a way, has a very high glycaemic index (G.I.). Its value ranging from 106 to 136, which is very high. It's higher than table sugar, which can cause a spike in blood sugar. This is why some kids, after consuming milk, get really hyperactive. Even research has shown that if maltodextrin is taken in long term for long term consumption, it can cause issues like diabetes, obesity, tooth decay, altered gut bacteria, even allergies and intolerances. Now, let me talk to you about the second ingredient: vegetable oil. I wouldn't say it's not safe, but if you're looking for fats to incorporate into your child’s diet, dairy fat would be a better choice. This is as vegetable oil is a fatty substitute that is usually added to fill up the quality of the milk. So in a way, a growing up milk should already contain dairy fat instead of vegetable fat. Dairy fat is also very important for brain development, cognitive function and also nutrient absorption. It has more nutritional content compared to vegetable oil. The next one is called calcium carbonate. It’s a common misconception among a lot of people, because calcium carbonate contains the word ‘calcium’, so people assume that it's natural and safe. But in a way, calcium carbonate is an artificial ingredient. So, it’s often added into growing up milk to fortify the calcium content. As a growing up child, they need more calcium in their daily diet, they should actually get it from natural food sources such as cow’s milk. Because cow’s contains calcium as well. And calcium is more readily available and absorbs better in comparison. Q4: Can a child drink pure cow’s milk instead of powdered formula milk? Yes, the ideal option is plain milk. Pasteurised milk would be best. It's best to stay away from artificial substitutes and go for the most natural options instead. So that way you are choosing what's real and genuine for your child. As long as your child is consuming an age-appropriate regular diet with emphasis on fresh fruits and vegetables, pure cow’s milk is an ideal source of protein, calcium, vitamin D, fats and even other nutrients that your toddler needs. Q5: How do I decode nutrition labels? Now, what is most important for you to look at is the first three ingredients. Number one is maltodextrin. This is something for us to avoid. And the next is vegetable oil. But it may not always be listed as such. Vegetable oil has different names like corn, corn oil, canola oil, soybean oil and even other vegetables. The third one would be calcium carbonate. And added sugars come next. For added sugars, they don't usually give you a direct name. Instead, you might see syrups like corn syrup, fructose syrup. That's actually the added sugars. Something for us to avoid. To put it simply, it's the best for us to have a clean ingredients list. One easily understandable by all consumers. A rule of thumb to skin is the first three ingredients. It makes up the largest part of what you eat. If you see refined grains or some form of sugars or even hydrogenated oils, you can actually assume that this product is less healthy. I think it’s very interesting to know that some brands may claim that they are sugar free in front of their packaging. But if you take a closer look at the ingredient list at the back, you might discover very sneaky alternative names. The one that I've told you just now like the syrups, the sugar is hidden there. However, it's very important to remember that not all packaged products are alike. There are certainly many options out there that gives you genuine benefits, such as natural ingredients and essential nutrients. So be very sure to look into the ingredients list before you purchase anything, especially for growing up milk. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v6tTTR82znXI Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and should not be considered as medical advice from Motherhood. For any health-related concerns, it is advisable to consult with a qualified healthcare professional or medical practitioner. 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