toddler formula - thoughts?

[twowhat?]

thx everyone for the replies.

about transitioning DS to whole milk, that's really not a big concern for us, bc he seems to like whole milk just fine. last week we bought a gallon of milk and gave it to him instead of the toddler formula. he didn't seem to mind the difference. only annoying thing is that it takes much longer to heat up, bc it's refrigerated (DS will only drink warm milk). also, neither DH or I drink cow's milk at all (we drink soy), so we have to buy milk just for DS. he only drinks 14 oz a day, so after a week, half of the gallon is still left but we have to throw it out bc it's gone bad already. i feel bad wasting it, but then again at my Walmart a gallon milk is regularly $0.99-$1.49, so it's still way cheaper than buying the toddler formula.

i did some searching and it seems like toddler formula is used mainly by those who have kids who don't eat much solid food or when weight gain is a concern. my DS does eat a large variety of foods (he eats mostly table food, and there are very, very few things he will not eat) and he does eat a ton, so i guess there isn't a huge reason to stick with toddler formula.

and yeah i've been getting enfagrow coupons/samples in the mail, practically every time i buy a can i get a $5 off coupon (once i even got a $12 off coupon!).

Buy organic. It's ultra-pasteurized and lasts much longer once opened. I don't know if you can get regular milk that is ultra-pasteurized but if you can, even cheaper! I don't know whether organic comes in gallon sizes though...we always buy half-gallons partly for that reason because ultrapasteurized unopened milk lasts quite a long time. We're able to buy the organic 3 half-gallon packs at Costco and they last until we use them up and our girls only drink probably 12 oz combined each day (usually less) and DH uses some for cereal occasionally.

[edurnemk]

he only drinks 14 oz a day, so after a week, half of the gallon is still left but we have to throw it out bc it's gone bad already. i feel bad wasting it, but then again at my Walmart a gallon of milk is regularly $0.99-$1.49, so it's still way cheaper than buying the toddler formula.

Can you get half gallons instead of a full gallon?

If you decide to get organic, you can get it in half gallons or gallon-sized at most supermarkets.

[rohirette]

I don't think toddler formula is a waste of money or a marketing scheme.

Age of weaning in nature would be something like age 3... most of us aren't going to nurse to age 3 (tho of course some will.) Many toddlers are very picky eaters, and while I'm fairly laid back about food, a day consisting of a banana and goldfish isn't gonna cut it. I feel a lot better about my kid having 16 oz of something formulated for human little to make up that gap than I do 16 oz of something formulated for cows.

So the answer 'if they are eating well it is unnecessary' may be true, but in plenty of cases, they aren't eating well for days at a time.

[daisymommy]

Everything I have read says don't feed your child ultrapasteurized milk if you don't have to. It should tell you something when milk can be left on the shelf instead of the fridge, and it doesn't spoil. It has been so cooked to death that some of the calcium is depleted, the protein is denatured, and a portion of the vitamins and minerals are lost as well. You can't even make yogurt out of it because all the probiotics (which your immune system needs for good health) are killed from the high heat. It is not as nutritious as low-temp pasteurized milk. It also has a "cooked" or processed taste to it compared to regular milk, which sometimes turns people off, so your child may not like milk or want to drink as much as they need.

Regular temp. pasteurized milk is heated to 165, while ultra-pasteurized milk is heated to 280.

If you have the choice, go with milk that does not say ultra-pasteurized.

[AnnieW625]

Everything I have read says don't feed your child ultrapasteurized milk if you don't have to. It should tell you something when milk can be left on the shelf instead of the fridge, and it doesn't spoil. It has been so cooked to death that some of the calcium is depleted, the protein is denatured, and a portion of the vitamins and minerals are lost as well. You can't even make yogurt out of it because all the probiotics (which your immune system needs for good health) are killed from the high heat. It is not as nutritious as low-temp pasteurized milk. It also has a "cooked" or processed taste to it compared to regular milk, which sometimes turns people off, so your child may not like milk or want to drink as much as they need.

Regular temp. pasteurized milk is heated to 165, while ultra-pasteurized milk is heated to 280.

If you have the choice, go with milk that does not say ultra-pasteurized.

That was my thinking too. I really liked the organic milk from Target, but then realized that it had an expiration date a month out. I went back to buying the regular hormone free milk from a local dairy because it had an expiration date less than two weeks out. So no ultra pasteurization.