Question about rice milk and babies?

[Shiv52]

I am making up some baby foods for R and some recipes need them to be blended with milk.  Normally I'd use full fat cows milk.  Is it ok to use rice milk instead?  Or is there a better milk to use in cooking?

Any ideas what is a good replacement for butter?

Am sure there are answers to these questions in the stickies which I am about to read through but just thought I'd ask quickly!

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

Hmmm...if the recipe is okay with less fat in it, the rice milk might work.  I use soy, but not sure if you want to go that route. It doesn't work as well as milk in some things, but only where you are needing the fat to make it work (like pudding!)  I know coconut milk is a good one too, just can't find it locally.

I can get vegan margarine here...is that available anywhere for you?

[Shiv52]

I'm trying to avoid soy too just incase there is an issue there.  thought may as well just do the two things at once. its more for blending so in the recipe for sweet potato and spinach you sautee in butter then blend with milk so i guess rice milk would be fine. 

Vegan marg!  Must look for that! 

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

I'm trying to avoid soy too just incase there is an issue there.

I though maybe that was the case, Shiv.  I would think the rice milk would work for that recipe, I find out alot through trial & error!

[~*~Louisa~*~]

We were told rice/oat milk is not nutritional enough to use in recipes for children under 2

My dietion told us to use her neocate to make any food

[Shiv52]

I don't use any formula at all and I don't think I would get it prescribed for the sake of using it in cooking.  I suppose I could pump BM and use it. 

[MasynSpencerElliotte]

Well, the BM would certainly pack more punch than the rice milk, but if it is just a little in a recipe, and not meant to replace any nutrients she is getting from BF, I don't see why not. 

[lilisuze]

I use olivio for cooking instead of butter.

Have tried recipes with rice milk, and it tends to make it go a bit thin if you need a lot.

[Buntybear]

Shiv, are you in the UK?? Oat milk is much thicker than rice milk. For butter there is Pure or Sainsbury's do there own brand for 99p!

[deb]

Rice milk generally isn't recommended for babies as rice apparently has some naturally-occurring arsenic in it. (Which I did not know till someone here on BW posted a link!) Not so much a problem for bigger folks who can process it, but not recommended for babies for that reason. Maybe a little bit to mix in w/baby food, since you're not using it by the cupful.

I'd definitely go with expressed milk if you have the option. Then you know just what's in it.

[Roseii]

Yep no rice milk for under 4yo And Pure sunflower is perfect for butter replacement (or vitalite but that tastes nasty imo)
xxx

[Buntybear]

Yep no rice milk for under 4yo

WHAT?? I have been giving it Olly for a few days as we ran out of oat 

[Shiv52]

Wow!  You girls are fab.  I had no idea about rice milk.  Lucky I haven't used it yet except in my tea!

Am going to head to sainsburys today and get some spread and oat milk! 

Charli...did you give up soy as well as dairy?

I'm finding it hard to decide to give up soy too.  Dairy makes things limited but adding soy seems to make it much harder again.  Any thoughts?

[Buntybear]

It is a hard one with soy. Many babies who are MPI are MSPI too. Upto you whether to take both out or just try dairy first. If you are strong enough go for both as you don't want to go dairy free for a month only to have to take soy out as well. x