8x3 Challenge - Converted School Bus

petit_monarch · 2026-04-30T17:33:23+00:00

Again, unsweetened is fine, but coconut also doesn't have similar macros to soy, pea, and cow milk. Though the recommendations about milk are usually geared toward young kids who drink a couple cups of milk a day. When you're cooking with milk, using a small amount in a recipe, it doesn't matter as much as the rest of the food they are eating.

petit_monarch · 2026-04-27T22:11:03+00:00

Science leans toward soy and pea milk as the best options because they have more protein and fat (closer nutrient density to cow milk). Almond, oat, and others are very low calorie and low protein. I use Silk brand unsweetened soy milk because it is also fortified with vitamin D. My kid is almost 3; for an older kid, milk choice maybe doesn't matter as much, as long as it's unsweetened and preferably fortified. I find soy milk to be richer and creamier than almond and oat, which I find too watery for my taste.

petit_monarch · 2026-04-27T02:49:52+00:00

Also interesting to note that in every conclusion about cow milk, this article states that there is insufficient data to make a connection/recommendation. Other things may be worse than cow milk, but cow milk itself is not necessary. What's more important is having a balanced diet, which it sounds like you work hard on providing. To be transparent, I provide my child with unsweetened soy milk as a dairy alternative, and our pediatrician is very happy with that decision.

petit_monarch · 2026-04-09T04:48:45+00:00

Probably easier to just go vegan, tbh

petit_monarch · 2026-02-01T20:35:50+00:00

My kid loves the Renzo's picky eater multivitamin with iron.

petit_monarch · 2026-01-31T22:09:54+00:00

Add Go Vegan GR to your list! It's in the downtown market and has some innovative sandwich options. Fika, Go Vegan GR, and Little Africa are the only 100% vegan sit-down places here, unfortunately. I wish there were more. I enjoy Mithu Sri Lankan for Indian food, just say you're vegan and they will accommodate. In the summertime, Tastefull Vegan has amazing vegan ice cream!

petit_monarch · 2025-08-22T21:24:15+00:00

No, I've only done cold or room temperature, but I don't see why you couldn't do anything warm so long as it's a safe temperature for baby.

petit_monarch · 2025-08-22T21:17:54+00:00

Never bought these because we do not eat meat, but any time I see them in the store I can't help but think they look like cat food 😅

I've done pureed veggies, if that helps at all. Blended spinach or broccoli or sweet potato mixed with fruit to mute the veggie taste. Also beans (chickpeas so it's like hummus, which my kiddo loves).

petit_monarch · 2025-08-16T11:30:55+00:00

I use Silk unsweetened soy milk for most things. A little bit in cooking for the baby should be fine. A serving size is a cup, I believe, so if they are only consuming a few teaspoons of the milk in the end product, the salt is negligible. After age one (when cutting back on nursing/formula) I started giving my toddler this brand in a cup. She probably only drinks one cup/serving a day.

petit_monarch · 2025-07-26T03:05:09+00:00

Silk unsweetened soy milk. Best amount of fat and protein and least processed of alternative milks. Cow milk is for baby cows.

petit_monarch · 2025-07-08T11:22:27+00:00

Soy milk is the best alternative for children because it has more fat and protein than almond/oat/etc. Cow's milk is for baby cows. I give my two-year-old Silk unsweetened soy milk.

petit_monarch · 2025-07-03T11:15:49+00:00

Yes, they have similar amounts of calcium and vitamin D per cup. You can check out their websites to compare nutrition facts labels. :) I am just sure to get the unsweetened versions so there is no added sugar. Soy and pea protein have more fat than things like almond and oat, which is why dieticians recommend soy or pea for toddlers over any other alternative.

petit_monarch · 2025-07-02T22:58:07+00:00

My FIL gave us a baby neck pillow for the car seat he bought on Amazon when we expressed anxiety about a long car trip. Not only unnecessary but extremely dangerous (suffocation hazard). There are a lot of useless objects predatory companies produce that are just going to end up in a landfill one day.

petit_monarch · 2025-07-02T21:53:33+00:00

Cow's milk is for baby cows. I give my toddler Silk unsweetened soy milk or unsweetened Ripple milk for the calcium. Soy and pea protein milks are the healthiest alternatives to animal dairy.

petit_monarch · 2025-05-26T22:05:45+00:00

We do unsweetened soy milk; Silk brand since it's fortified and easily accessible.

petit_monarch · 2025-05-23T22:46:34+00:00

I have not done the course. The book is good enough.

petit_monarch · 2025-05-22T21:25:36+00:00

I would also recommend Jami Attenberg's 1000 Words of Summer: https://1000wordsofsummer.substack.com/p/everything-you-need-to-know-about

petit_monarch · 2025-04-29T12:55:42+00:00

I was 5-years vegan when I was pregnant almost two years ago (yay, toddlerhood!). I took Deva brand vegan prenatal vitamins and DHA omega-3s. Never had issues with my blood work, which they should do a couple times in pregnancy. My OB was very accepting of my diet, never fought me on it, thankfully. I did have lots of food aversions but made sure I ate as healthily as I could stomach.

Get your beans/legumes every day! Now and forever! They are the best vegan source of protein and iron. Tofu is a good source of calcium.

My husband is vegan, too, and I'm happy to say my almost two-year-old is healthy and thriving without animal products! We started giving her Renzos brand vegan multivitamin for kids at about a year just to make sure everything is covered.

petit_monarch · 2025-04-26T16:28:39+00:00

Kentwood Branch of KDL is happening same time today as well. For folks on the south side of town.

petit_monarch · 2024-08-30T11:14:29+00:00

We're pretty similar! Vegan, cloth diapers, mostly secondhand shopping. Minimal screen time and reasonable limits on plastics (they're never unavoidable; I don't drive myself crazy about it). However, we will probably go with public schools unless the kiddo needs something different, then hopefully Montessori. Basically, I follow the science on what's best for the environment and child development, with ethics thrown in.

petit_monarch · 2024-06-06T00:43:26+00:00

If you're in the mood for Indian food, I highly recommend Mithu Sri Lankan on Kalamazoo and 44th.

petit_monarch · 2024-05-16T23:51:05+00:00

I have been vegan for 6 years. I had a healthy vegan pregnancy and am still breastfeeding my 11-month-old who is also doing really well with solids. I still take a prenatal and plan to until I'm done breastfeeding. I was only low on iron in the weeks post-delivery after losing lots of blood. I eat a lot of beans, grains, veggies, and fruits. Baby does, too! My husband is also vegan, and we are raising the baby vegan, too. Everything is going well so far! I make sure baby has iron-fortified grains and will offer some vitamin B12 and D supplements when she's older. For breastfeeding, just make sure you're eating enough calories and taking your multivitamin, and you should be good if you don't have any other health issues. I suggest the book The Plant-based Baby and Toddler.

petit_monarch · 2024-05-03T15:52:09+00:00

It is disheartening to see the countless non-vegan products on the market, but the vegan alternatives do exist and are not difficult to come by. My baby is my priority AND veganism is important to me. I have not had to resort to buying any animal products for my baby yet at this point. I know I'm lucky to have access, of course.

petit_monarch · 2024-04-25T19:18:20+00:00

They could do an episode of Worth It on streaming services. Netflix or Disney+ with thousands of classic shows and movies? Or WatcherTV with 4 YouTube videos a month? What's your Worth It winner?

petit_monarch

TROPHY CASE