The goal of capitalist governments, as psychologist Philip Slater once wrote, is to insert a commercial product “between every itch and its scratch.” (*1) Nothing epitomizes this principle better than the multi-billion dollar formula industry. Nature provided mothers with a high-quality nourishing product in breast milk that was perfect for babies. But having mothers feed babies for free doesn’t serve the interests of capitalism. So companies came along and created an artificial product called formula to replace this natural behavior. Formula was falsely marketed as superior to breast milk, but in fact is inferior in every conceivable way, from the nutrients it provides to its mode of delivery.

Now instead of giving babies what’s natural and superior, parents fork over gobs of money to give them something inferior. There are, of course, some situations where formula is a necessity, such as when mothers aren’t able to breastfeed on their own. But these cases are few and far between, so companies and our capitalist culture work hard to make formula a replacement in cases where it isn’t necessary.

Companies are now pushing to convince parents they need another artificial product: toddler formula, a beverage specifically marketed for the 12 to 36 month old age group. Toddler formula has actually been around since the 1990s, but every so often companies give it a fresh marketing push.

Don’t take the bait, and don’t waste your money. “Not only is toddler formula more expensive compared with cow’s milk,” says Steven Abrams, lead author of a study that looked into these products, “but it isn’t necessary for a child’s development.” The American Academy of Pediatrics agrees, saying babies should transition from either breast milk or formula straight to the type of foods the rest of the family eats (with the exception of precautions taken to eliminate possible choking hazards).

There are several reasons toddler formula is not just an unnecessary expense, but actually counterproductive to your child’s health. First of all, toddler formula is an engineered, highly processed food product, and studies consistently show that as a general rule, the more processed a food or beverage is, the more unhealthy it becomes. Companies tout the vitamins or other nutrients they package in these products, but once again, the hype falls short of reality: studies have found that fortified vitamins (such as those added into foods) are inferior to the natural variety. Some scientists even question whether the body makes use of them at all. So your toddler is much better off obtaining the nutrients they need from a well-balanced diet.

Speaking of which, there are also concerns about how these engineered foods – which contain nutrient ratios that are unlike anything found in nature – toy with the body’s metabolism. Finally, research has found that fortified drinks are helping fuel the child obesity epidemic, something we certainly don’t need to be adding to. When kids are getting a lot of calories from beverages, these ’empty,’ unfilling calories tip the scale towards obesity.

The best foods for your child will always be natural foods, regardless of all the claims food companies make. Once your baby transitions form nursing, he or she can (and should) eat all the same natural foods the rest of the family eats.

1.) Phillip E. Slater, The Pursuit of Loneliness — Revised Edition, Beacon Press, p. 88