Healthy Alternative to Conventional Infant Formula
By
Marie Bishop, Sally Fallon and Mary G. Enig, PhD
From
Wise Traditions in Food,
Farming and the Healing Arts, the quarterly magazine of the
Weston A. Price Foundation, Volume 6, Number 2, Pages 18-28.
The advice to make
homemade baby formula as an alternative to commercial formula has
been one of the most controversial positions taken by the Weston
A. Price Foundation -- and also one that has elicited the most grateful
praise.
While government
officials and orthodox pediatricians are often appalled at the thought
of a parent mixing up baby formula -- and one based on raw milk,
no less -- the feedback we have received from parents has been extremely
positive.
Some breastfeeding
advocates have also criticized our stance, claiming that by providing
a more healthy alternative to commercial formulas, we are discouraging
breastfeeding. Make no mistake: the best food for baby is breastmilk
from a healthy mother.
However, many situations
call out for a good substitute: adopted and orphaned babies, babies
born to mothers with serious health problems, and babies whose mothers
do not have enough milk (a situation that does happen occasionally)
deserve to receive something better than commercial formula.
The following information
has been compiled by the authors over a period of several years
and should cover most situations encountered by parents giving homemade
formula to their babies.
HOMEMADE
FORMULA RECIPES
Milk-Based
Formula
Makes 36 ounces
Our milk-based formula
takes account of the fact that human milk is richer in whey, lactose,
vitamin C, niacin, and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids compared
to cow's milk but leaner in casein (milk protein).
The addition of gelatin
to cow's milk formula will make it more digestible for the infant.
Use only truly expeller-expressed oils in the formula recipes, otherwise
they may lack vitamin E.
The ideal milk for
baby, if he cannot be breastfed, is clean, whole raw milk from old-fashioned
cows, certified free of disease, that feed on green pasture. For
sources of good-quality milk, see www.realmilk.com
or contact a local chapter of the Weston A. Price Foundation.
If the only choice
available to you is commercial milk, choose whole milk, preferably
organic and unhomogenized, and culture it with a piima or kefir
culture to restore enzymes (available from G.E.M. Cultures 707-964-2922).
- 2 cups whole milk,
preferably unprocessed milk from pasture-fed cows
- 1/4 cup homemade
liquid whey (See recipe for whey, below)
- 4 tablespoons
lactose*
- 1 teaspoon bifidobacterium
infantis**
- 2 or more tablespoons
good quality cream (not ultrapasteurized), more if you are using
milk from Holstein cows
- 1 teaspoon regular
dose cod liver oil or 1/2 teaspoon high-vitamin cod liver oil*
- 1 teaspoon expeller-expressed
sunflower oil*
- 1 teaspoon extra
virgin olive oil*
- 2 teaspoons coconut
oil*
- 2 teaspoons Frontier
brand nutritional yeast flakes*
- 2 teaspoons gelatin*
- 1 7/8 cups filtered
water
- 1/4 teaspoon acerola
powder*
*Available from Radiant
Life 888-593-8333
**Available from
Natren 800-992-3323 or Radiant Life 888-593-8333
Add gelatin to water
and heat gently until gelatin is dissolved. Place all ingredients
in a very clean glass or stainless steel container and mix well.
To serve, pour 6 to 8 ounces into a very clean glass bottle*, attach
nipple and set in a pan of simmering water.
Heat until warm but
not hot to the touch, shake bottle well and feed baby. (Never, never
heat formula in a microwave oven!) Note: If you are using the Lact-Aid,
mix all ingredients well in a blender.
Variation:
Goat Milk Formula
Although goat milk
is rich in fat, it must be used with caution in infant feeding as
it lacks folic acid and is low in vitamin B12, both of which are
essential to the growth and development of the infant. Inclusion
of nutritional yeast to provide folic acid is essential.
To compensate for
low levels of vitamin B12, if preparing the Milk-Based Formula (above)
with goat's milk, add 2 teaspoons frozen organic raw chicken liver,
finely grated to the batch of formula. Be sure to begin egg-yolk
feeding at four months.
Liver-Based
Formula
Makes about 36 ounces
Our liver-based formula
also mimics the nutrient profile of mother's milk. It is extremely
important to include coconut oil in this formula as it is the only
ingredient that provides the special medium-chain saturated fats
found in mother's milk. As with the milk-based formula, all oils
should be truly expeller-expressed.
- 3 3/4 cups homemade
beef or chicken broth
- 2 ounces organic
liver, cut into small pieces
- 5 tablespoons
lactose*
- 1 teaspoon
bifidobacterium infantis**
- 1/4 cup homemade
liquid whey (See recipe for whey, below)
- 1 tablespoon coconut
oil*
- 1 teaspoon cod
liver oil or 1/2 teaspoon high-vitamin cod liver oil*
- 1 teaspoon unrefined
sunflower oil*
- 2 teaspoons extra
virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon acerola
powder*
Simmer liver gently
in broth until the meat is cooked through. Liquefy using a handheld
blender or in a food processor. When the liver broth has cooled,
stir in remaining ingredients. Store in a very clean glass or stainless
steel container.
To serve, stir formula
well and pour 6 to 8 ounces in a very clean glass bottle. Attach
a clean nipple and set in a pan of simmering water until formula
is warm but not hot to the touch, shake well and feed to baby. (Never
heat formula in a microwave oven!)
Fortified
Commercial Formula
Makes about 35 ounces
This stopgap formula
can be used in emergencies, or when the ingredients for homemade
formula are unavailable.
- 1 cup Mead Johnson
low-iron, milk-based powdered formula
- 29 ounces filtered
water (3 5/8 cups)
- 1 large egg yolk
from an organic egg, cooked 3 1/2 minutes (See recipe for egg
yolk, below)
- 1 teaspoon cod
liver oil or 1/2 teaspoon high-vitamin cod liver oil
Place all ingredients
in a blender or food processor and blend thoroughly. Place 6-8 ounces
in a very clean glass bottle. (Store the rest in a very clean glass
jar in the refrigerator for the next feedings.)
Attach a clean nipple
to the bottle and set in a pan of simmering water until formula
is warm but not hot to the touch, shake well and feed to baby. (Never
heat formula in a microwave oven!)
Egg
Yolk for Baby
Egg yolk should be
baby's first solid food, starting at 4 months, whether baby is breastfed
or formula-fed. Egg yolks from pastured hens will contain the special
long-chain fatty acids so critical for the optimal development of
the brain and nervous system.
The whites may cause
an allergic reaction and should not be given to baby until he is
at least one year old.
- 1 organic egg
from a pasture-fed hen
- 1/2 teaspoon grated
raw organic liver, frozen for 14 days (optional)
- pinch seasalt
Boil egg for 3 1/2
minutes. Place in a bowl and peel off shell. Remove egg white and
discard. Yolk should be soft and warm, not hot, with its enzyme
content intact. Sprinkle with salt.
If you wish to add
liver, grate on the small holes of a grater while frozen. Allow
to warm up and stir into egg yolk.
Makes about 5 cups
Homemade whey is
easy to make from good quality plain yoghurt, or from raw or cultured
milk. You will need a large strainer that rests over a bowl. Line
the strainer with a clean linen kitchen towel or several layers
of cheesecloth.
If you are using
yoghurt, place 2 quarts in the strainer lined with a tea towel.
Cover with a plate and leave at room temperature overnight. The
whey will drip out into the bowl. Place whey in clean glass jars
and store in the refrigerator.
If you are using
raw or cultured milk, place 2 quarts of the milk in a glass container
and leave at room temperature for 2-4 days until the milk separates
into curds and whey.
Pour into the strainer
lined with a tea towel and cover with a plate. Leave at room temperature
overnight. The whey will drip out into the bowl. Store in clean
glass jars in the refrigerator.
Source:
Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon with Mary G. Enig, PhD.
from www.mercola.com:
Finally,
Fish Oil to Be Added to Baby Formulas in U.S.
Soy
Formula May Stunt the Intestinal Growth in Your Baby
Babies
with Colic Helped by Whey Hydrolysate Formula
©Copyright 2005 Dr. Joseph Mercola.
All Rights Reserved. The information on this page
was obtained from and created by http://www.mercola.com |
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