Nourishing Toddlers After Weaning
When we first began making our toddler’s milk each night, it was born from requirement, intuitive timing and research.
Around eleven months old, our eldest began weaning naturally. We had been breastfeeding since birth, but as pregnancy with our second baby progressed, milk supply started to taper. Rather than rush to replace that nourishment with something packaged, we looked for a way to mirror the depth and nourishment of what he’d been receiving; real fats, complete proteins, and immune-supportive nutrients.
Our recipe evolved slowly, guided by traditional wisdom and clinical understanding: fresh raw milk, egg yolks, collagen, cod liver oil, bone broth and colostrum powder. The foundation of this blend was inspired by Sally Fallon’s traditional homemade formula; a recipe that re-centres whole foods in infant nutrition rather than synthetic substitutes. While we always advocate for breastfeeding as long as possible, we also recognise the need for transitional options that honour the same principles of natural nourishment.
Why These Ingredients?
Raw milk provides a base rich in enzymes, bioavailable calcium, and beneficial fats that support growing bones and stable energy. When sourced from healthy, pasture-raised cows, it carries a nutrient profile unmatched by heat treated milk, with intact proteins and naturally occurring fat-soluble vitamins.
Egg yolks bring choline, cholesterol, and fat-soluble vitamins A and D, nutrients critical for brain development and hormone formation in early childhood. They also provide a soft source of protein and gentle fat that complement milk’s amino acid profile.
Collagen supports connective tissue, skin, and gut integrity. During rapid growth, toddlers benefit from this steady supply of glycine and proline; amino acids that build and repair structural proteins throughout the body.
Cod liver oil offers the synergy of vitamins A and D in their natural ratios, alongside omega-3 fatty acids that support neurological and immune development. Just a small amount provides what fortified milks and formulas aim to imitate.
Bone broth provides highly bioavailable minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus, alongside collagen-derived amino acids like glycine and proline that support connective tissue and digestive integrity.
Colostrum powder brings immune factors and growth peptides similar to what a child would still be receiving through breastmilk. It’s not a replacement for human milk, but a bridge that supports immune resilience during the weaning transition.
How We Utilise It
Each evening, we warm the raw milk gently; just enough to take the chill off, and whisk in the yolks, collagen, cod liver oil, and colostrum until smooth. It’s served in his small cup before bed, the same way another family might offer warm milk or broth. It has become part of our rhythm: simple, grounding, and nourishing for a restful nights sleep.
The blend offers more than nutrients. It’s a moment of connection; something he associates with calm and safety, much like breastfeeding once was. Over time, it’s also become a way to ensure that his growing body continues to receive the deep nourishment it needs from familiar, whole ingredients.
A Note on Breastfeeding & Tradition
We always encourage breastfeeding for as long as mother and baby wish to continue.
There’s simply no substitute for it; the immune factors, emotional bond, and living enzymes are unique to that relationship.
But for families navigating weaning or reduced supply, there’s value in returning to the wisdom of traditional food, not as a “replacement,” but as support.
This philosophy is at the heart of Sally Fallon’s work with the Weston A. Price Foundation, which reintroduced many of us to traditional food preparation and ancestral feeding practices.
Her homemade formula served as a foundation for our approach, but we adapted it to suit our son’s age, development, and the ingredients we trust most, based on our own research and education.
Nourishment doesn’t have to be complicated. It comes from ingredients that have always worked, foods that support all stages of life.
Our toddler’s milk isn’t a “product” or a prescriptive formula; it’s a reflection of our values within our family: feeding with intention, choosing quality over convenience, and trusting the foods that have stood the test of time.
With Gratitude,
Alicia (BHSc Clinical Nutrition)
