| Age | Can they have it? | How to serve it |
|---|---|---|
| 4 months | No — not yet | — |
| 6 months | No — not yet | — |
| 9 months | No — not yet | — |
| 12 months | Yes | If you use one, choose it fortified with vitamin D and calcium, unflavored and unsweetened — and talk to your child's doctor, because the vitamins and minerals in dairy alternatives differ from cow's milk. |
| 18 months | Yes | If you use one, choose it fortified with vitamin D and calcium, unflavored and unsweetened — and talk to your child's doctor, because the vitamins and minerals in dairy alternatives differ from cow's milk. |
| 2 years | Yes | If you use one, choose it fortified with vitamin D and calcium, unflavored and unsweetened — and talk to your child's doctor, because the vitamins and minerals in dairy alternatives differ from cow's milk. |
Cut food for infants and young children into pieces no larger than one-half inch. Cut cylindrical foods (hot dogs, sausage, string cheese) into short thin strips — round pieces can get stuck in the airway. Cut small spherical foods (grapes, cherries, berries, tomatoes) into small pieces. Cook hard vegetables and fruit until they mash easily. Remove seeds, hard pits, skin and bones.
Plant milks (almond, oat, soy) are not on the AAP or CDC choking-hazard lists. That is not the same as no risk: any food can choke a baby if the piece is too big or the wrong shape. Cut it to no larger than half an inch, keep your baby sitting up in a high chair, keep mealtimes calm, and watch them the whole time they are eating.
Plant milks (almond, oat, soy) are not one of the common allergens. Introduce it on its own anyway and wait 3 to 5 days before the next new food, so if your baby does react to something you know what it was.
Watch for diarrhea, rash, vomiting or hives after a new food. Call 911 for trouble breathing or swelling of the face, lips or tongue.
The AAP is blunter: other than soy milk, plant-based milks are not recommended in place of dairy milk, because most are not nutritionally equivalent and may lack protein, vitamin D and calcium. Soy milk is nutritionally equivalent and is an acceptable alternative.
Not before 12 months. Not as a drink before 12 months. The CDC says fortified dairy alternatives should not be given before 12 months; drinking cow's milk or fortified dairy alternatives is not recommended until a child is older than 12 months. The AAP is blunter: other than soy milk, plant-based milks are not recommended in place of dairy milk, because most are not nutritionally equivalent and may lack protein, vitamin D and calcium. Soy milk is nutritionally equivalent and is an acceptable alternative.
From 12 months: If you use one, choose it fortified with vitamin D and calcium, unflavored and unsweetened — and talk to your child's doctor, because the vitamins and minerals in dairy alternatives differ from cow's milk. Cut food for infants and young children into pieces no larger than one-half inch. Cut cylindrical foods (hot dogs, sausage, string cheese) into short thin strips — round pieces can get stuck in the airway. Cut small spherical foods (grapes, cherries, berries, tomatoes) into small pieces. Cook hard vegetables and fruit until they mash easily. Remove seeds, hard pits, skin and bones.
Plant milks (almond, oat, soy) are not on the AAP or CDC choking-hazard lists, but any food can choke a baby if the piece is too big. Cut it to no larger than half an inch, keep your baby sitting up while they eat, and watch them the whole time.
Watch for diarrhea, rash, vomiting or hives after a new food. Call 911 for trouble breathing or swelling of the face, lips or tongue. Offer one single-ingredient new food at a time and wait 3 to 5 days before the next one, so a reaction is easy to trace. Call 911 for trouble breathing or swelling of the face, lips or tongue.