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An article from Newsweek discusses the
possibilty that soy and rice milks can actually harm kids, especially toddlers. There have been reports of
vitamin and protein deficiencies - rickets and kwashiorkor , respectively - in very young children who
were given rice or soy milk as a substitute for regular milk or baby formula. One would think that calcium deficiencies
could be a problem, as well, but it was not reported in the article.
The problem is not the products themselves, but that parents don't necessarily know what they are giving to their children. Rice and soy milks can be very healthy, low in fat and cholesterol, and are great choices in adult diets. Some people believe that this directly translates for their children, failing to take into consideration that adults and children often have different nutritional needs. In reality, these products are not milk substitutes, but milk alternatives. Adults have much more varied diets than children and can get any nutrients that they may be missing from other sources, so when parents see these alternative "milks" as direct substitutes for dairy milks, their kids can miss out, even if adults don't. If proper nutrition is provided to the kids, any problems that could be associated with a lack of dairy can be avoided entirely and non-dairy milks can be a great addition to kids' diets.
