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AIBU?

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Original poster

Oat milk?

91 replies

ZombieBoob · 03/09/2023 07:50

Ds is 7 months and has cow milk allergy. Hes BF. He loves his food which is great but I'm running out of ideas as everything so far has been fairy free.

I've been doing porridge with water and fruit as I cannot for the life of me express enough but I'm worried its basically no calories like you would with milk.

Google says no milk alternative until they are one but surely just breakfast would be OK? He still bf loads and he has a bit of everything food wise.

Wibu to do oatmilk anyways?

OP posts:
brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr · 03/09/2023 08:46

Water, OATS 10%, rapeseed oil, acidity regulator (dipotassium phosphate), minerals (calcium carbonate, potassium iodide), salt, vitamins (D2, riboflavin, B12).

Not seeing any thickener gums or E numbers in this Oatley

Robinbuildsbears · 03/09/2023 08:45

JanetandRita · 03/09/2023 08:37

Well yes, but that's not what you said?

The paediatrician and dietician both recommended oatly barista when my dd had cmpa. Along with alternatives. They don't usually recommend nut milks for babies and toddlers with cmpa.

Op I think you need to seek advice from an expert source rather than aibu. AllergyUK is online and have advice available, but also speak to your gp dietician.

Show quote history

You're the one who mentioned the fortification aspect. The vitamins and calcium in those forms are often difficult to absorb in the body, and not necessary because they can be found in real foods that aren't dairy. Except for vitamin D, but the D2 in most vegan drinks is basically pointless and people need to consume vitamin D3 supplements for that purpose. The added calcium and vitamins aren't actively damaging or anything, but they aren't particularly useful.

ToussaintTheChef · 03/09/2023 08:42

Please only use Plenish or similar. It is expensive compared to others but if you read the ingredients, it’s just oat, water and a little sea salt. Others are full of thickeners like guns you’ve never heard of and E numbers.

ElFupacabra · 03/09/2023 08:41

Op I think you need to seek advice from an expert source rather than aibu.

Agreed. MN is never the place to come for accurate information regarding food and nutrition.

Stripeypyjamas · 03/09/2023 08:41

Dieticians recommend oatly barista precisely because it has rapeseed oil and babies need fats and the fortified calcium. It's all very well saying it's UPF but so is baby formula and cmpa babies need calcium from artificial sources. Yes in an ideal world your baby (post bf) would eat a ton of green beans and 6 oranges a day to get their calcium but it's unlikely, so fortified (UPF) milks are a good way of getting those fats and calcium in.

I would avoid nut milks purely because they won't allow them in childcare settings. So oatly or unsweetened pea milk (that has good protein and more calcium than cows milk) are good options.

JanetandRita · 03/09/2023 08:40

Wanderingowl · 03/09/2023 08:33

Based on reading the ingredients. It's a upf, exactly the kind of food we should be minimising. If people like it and want to drink it, that's fine but it should be considered a junk food treat, just like any other junk food treat. It's not healthy.

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don't know why I bothered going to a dietician I should have just read the ingredients.

It's recommended by dieticians for babies with cmpa.

bingobongos · 03/09/2023 08:40

@hylian so cows milk is OK then?! Something a cow produces specifically for its young. A cow that is pumped full of antibiotics, growth hormones and so on. And that's fit to give to a human baby, yeah?! 👍👍👍

brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr · 03/09/2023 08:38

Wanderingowl · 03/09/2023 08:36

It's the rapeseed oil. Oat milk has high levels of rapeseed in it and rapeseed oil is ultra processed.

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Thank you, but why is rapeseed oil ultra processed ? Is it not basically pressed out of seeds and then filtered ?

greenacrylicpaint · 03/09/2023 08:37

it's fine.
I would look at maybe adding a little amount of omega3 rich oil for the nutritional benefit.

tbh I think many of the upf pearl clutchers will look back on this with an eye roll in a decade.

JanetandRita · 03/09/2023 08:37

Robinbuildsbears · 03/09/2023 08:31

But just about any nut or seed drink will also be fortified with calcium and vitamins. There's no point in using oat drink for that benefit when there are so many better options available.

Show quote history

Well yes, but that's not what you said?

The paediatrician and dietician both recommended oatly barista when my dd had cmpa. Along with alternatives. They don't usually recommend nut milks for babies and toddlers with cmpa.

Op I think you need to seek advice from an expert source rather than aibu. AllergyUK is online and have advice available, but also speak to your gp dietician.

SweetAndSourChick3n · 03/09/2023 08:36

Our dietician recommended Oatly Barista for DS3 in food from 6 months

Wanderingowl · 03/09/2023 08:36

brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr · 03/09/2023 08:32

what’s all the vague “ultra processed” referring to when people post about oat milk here ? heating it up ? mixing it ? what exactly ?

It's the rapeseed oil. Oat milk has high levels of rapeseed in it and rapeseed oil is ultra processed.

Wanderingowl · 03/09/2023 08:33

JanetandRita · 03/09/2023 08:17

What is this based on? There are many nutritionists who have written about oat milk being perfectly fine as part of balanced diet and as long as its not got added sugar. It's also one of the options given by dieticians when a baby has cmpa.

Show quote history

Based on reading the ingredients. It's a upf, exactly the kind of food we should be minimising. If people like it and want to drink it, that's fine but it should be considered a junk food treat, just like any other junk food treat. It's not healthy.

Whawillthefuturebring · 03/09/2023 08:32

Mercurial123 · 03/09/2023 08:29

It's really easy to make oat milk and other nut milks if you have a blender and strainer. I make oat, and it's cheaper and has no preservatives.

But then it has no calcium, vitamin D or iodine so it’s not adding anything additional than porridge made with water.

brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr · 03/09/2023 08:32

what’s all the vague “ultra processed” referring to when people post about oat milk here ? heating it up ? mixing it ? what exactly ?

Aria20 · 03/09/2023 08:31

My dd was allergic to cows milk and soya. The paediatrician recommended Oatley barista.

Robinbuildsbears · 03/09/2023 08:31

JanetandRita · 03/09/2023 08:29

I understand about nuts being better than oats. But to say there's nothing good in oat milk is not accurate if it has added calcium.

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But just about any nut or seed drink will also be fortified with calcium and vitamins. There's no point in using oat drink for that benefit when there are so many better options available.

JanetandRita · 03/09/2023 08:29

Robinbuildsbears · 03/09/2023 08:27

Oats are nowhere near as nutritionally dense and nuts and seeds. A few grams of almonds in a drink will add up over say, a week. Whereas a few grams of oats in a drink will add up to basically no extra benefits, especially if it's already being used in porridge.

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I understand about nuts being better than oats. But to say there's nothing good in oat milk is not accurate if it has added calcium.

Mercurial123 · 03/09/2023 08:29

It's really easy to make oat milk and other nut milks if you have a blender and strainer. I make oat, and it's cheaper and has no preservatives.

Robinbuildsbears · 03/09/2023 08:27

JanetandRita · 03/09/2023 08:17

What is this based on? There are many nutritionists who have written about oat milk being perfectly fine as part of balanced diet and as long as its not got added sugar. It's also one of the options given by dieticians when a baby has cmpa.

Show quote history

Oats are nowhere near as nutritionally dense and nuts and seeds. A few grams of almonds in a drink will add up over say, a week. Whereas a few grams of oats in a drink will add up to basically no extra benefits, especially if it's already being used in porridge.

dudsville · 03/09/2023 08:26

Just a heads up, you can "no sugar" oatley, i make my porrige with it and its really nice and creamy.

JanetandRita · 03/09/2023 08:23

Soy milk is plant based

hylian · 03/09/2023 08:22

Vegetus · 03/09/2023 08:20

Soy milk is better than oat milk or any other plant milk.

I wouldn't give any plant milk to a baby if I could avoid it. They are all ultra-processed, including soy milk.

OP's son is 7 months old and also breastfeeding - he doesn't need extra milk if he's eating well.

Vegetus · 03/09/2023 08:20

Soy milk is better than oat milk or any other plant milk.

hylian · 03/09/2023 08:19

Whawillthefuturebring · 03/09/2023 08:00

The protein in goats and cow milk are very similar so the baby is very probably allergic to both.

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There are quite a few people with dairy/ cow milk intolerance who can handle goat milk. It's worth a try.

Oat milk is a UPF, I wouldn't want to give it to a baby.