A complete recipe of nutritional soy milk for children

There is no universal soy milk formula that is suitable for all children. As long as it follows the three principles of "hypoallergenic, easy to absorb, and meets the child's current nutritional needs", the combination is extremely flexible. The following is my practical experience of making soy milk for two children for 6 years, formulas adapted to different scenarios, and a summary of controversial issues in the industry.

First, let’s talk about the safety red line that everyone is most concerned about. This is something I only remembered after stepping into a trap before: last year, my neighbor’s child gave his 1-year-old baby fresh soy milk with whole peanuts added. He developed rash on the same day and was sent to the emergency room. There are actually two opinions on how old a child can drink soy milk. One school of pediatric gastroenterology recommends 1 year old. In the future, as long as there are no allergies, you can drink a small amount. Another group of people recommends waiting until the gastrointestinal function is more complete after the age of 2 before introducing it. I started to give a small amount of pure soy milk to my eldest child when he was 1 and a half years old. After observing for 3 days that there was no abnormality, I slowly added other ingredients. You can choose according to the gastrointestinal condition of your child, and there is no need to impose a strict standard.

Oh, yes, there is another point that many people overlook: make sure the soy milk for your baby is not too thick. I was in a hurry to grab half a cup of soybeans and it was as thick as paste. My oldest drank half a cup in the morning and complained about bloating in the kindergarten. The teacher specially called me. After checking, I found out that children’s gastrointestinal digestion ability is weak. The ratio of beans to water should be at least 1:10. If it is too thin, you can add starchy ingredients such as yam and pumpkin to increase the consistency. It is much easier to absorb than adding more beans.

After talking about the pitfalls to avoid, I will tell you a few recipes that I often make at home. They are all the ones that I have tried countless times and my kids can’t pick them. You don’t have to stick to the proportions, just grab them as you like:

In the early days of school, families just prepare soybeans + quinoa + iron yam. The ratio of the three ingredients is about 1:1:1. It doesn’t matter if you forget to soak the beans. Now the dry bean mode of the wall-breaking machine produces almost no residue. The yam has a slight sweetness, and you don’t even need to add sugar. You can put it in a thermos cup and drink it on the go. It has enough protein and carbohydrates. With a small bun, you won’t be hungry all morning. My two children have been drinking this every day recently.

If the baby has recently been constipated, use prunes + pumpkin + soybeans. Peel the prunes in advance and steam the pumpkin until soft. The result will be a warm orange-yellow color with a particularly strong fruity sweetness. My second child was constipated for 3 days last time and drank this soy milk for two days. Of course, it does not work for all babies. If the prunes are useless to the baby, replace it with a small half of peeled dragon fruit. It will turn out pink and the baby will like it.

It’s even easier if you have kids at home who are picky eaters and don’t like vegetables. Blanch green leafy vegetables such as spinach and broccoli for 1 minute to remove oxalic acid, then beat them with soybeans and a small piece of apple. The sweet and sour taste of the apple can completely overpower the astringent taste of the vegetables. I’ve tried secretly adding blanching. The watered celery, steamed carrots and even half a sweet corn have not been discovered by the two children so far. Qing Mimi added enough vegetables. Remember to blanch the green leafy vegetables to remove oxalic acid, otherwise it will affect the absorption of calcium. Don’t skip this.

If your child is allergic to soybeans, it doesn’t matter. Just switch to chickpeas + oats + pitted red dates. The protein content of chickpeas is higher than that of soybeans and is much less allergenic. The sweetness of red dates is enough to enhance the taste. The neighbor’s child who is allergic to soybeans has been drinking it for more than half a year. The protein level of his last physical examination was It completely meets the standard. If you have never tried nuts before and are not allergic, you can also add 1 walnut or 2 almonds. Adding some unsaturated fatty acids is good for brain development. If you have never tried it, add half a nut first and observe whether there are rashes or diarrhea before putting it in normally.

The issue of added sugar is also very controversial. Some parenting bloggers say that you should never give your baby soy milk with sugar. I asked my nutrition friends that the WHO recommends that children’s daily intake of added sugar should not exceed 10g, preferably less than 5g. In fact, it is perfectly fine to add 1-2 small yellow rock sugar occasionally. It is better than the baby asking for sweet drinks. Now I am more accustomed to using ingredients with sweetness such as red dates, apples, and pears for seasoning, which is more worry-free and healthier.

There is also the question of whether to filter the dregs. In my family, my baby will go through a fine sieve before he is 3 years old, for fear that the coarse dregs will get stuck in his throat, so he drinks it directly after he is 3 years old. Nowadays, the dregs produced by better breaking machines are almost too fine to be felt. They can also supplement dietary fiber to promote digestion. If the baby really cares about the taste, just filter it out. There is no need to force the baby to drink something he doesn’t like because of the dietary fiber. After all, the most important thing is that the baby is willing to drink it.

In fact, I really don’t need to follow the recipe. Sometimes I have half a piece of steamed sweet potato left, the strawberry I bought yesterday is not finished, and even the half piece of apple left by the baby, I just throw it in and beat it. Every time I try something new, the baby feels fresh. It is easy to get tired of always drinking a fixed formula. Anyway, you should grasp the principles of avoiding allergic ingredients, not being too strong, and adding less sugar. If the baby loves to drink it and does not feel uncomfortable after drinking it, it is a good soy milk for your family.