The 101 on Pea Protein Baby Formula
Pea protein beverages are getting a lot of buzz. In this article we discuss if pea protein is safe for babies and when a baby can have a pea protein formula.
What is Pea Formula?
yellow split peas on a black background
Infant and toddler formulas are categorized by their protein source. Pea formula uses dried yellow peas (Pisum sativum) for its protein source. These are simply dried yellow or split peas. The ingredient found in baby and toddler formula is a concentrated form of pea protein.
Is Pea Protein Formula Safe for Babies?
Pea proteins are an excellent source of plant-based proteins, but they are not safe for young infants. Pea proteins are not nutritionally complete, meaning they don’t have all the amino acids (the building blocks of protein) that an infant needs to grow and thrive.
Also, pea proteins must be processed in a special way to make them digestible for babies. A 2020 study by French researchers showed that the protein digestibility of pea protein formula would need further processing to be similar to human milk.
Pea Protein Formula for Infants
No pea protein-based formula for infants is available in the United States. One product, Baby’s Only® Plant Based Pea Protein Toddler Formula, is made for children over the age of one. While it isn’t made for babies, it does contain all the nutrients the FDA recommends for infant formula. It contains added amino acids.
Mother breastfeeding older infant on outside porch
Supplementing Pea Protein with Other Meals
While pea protein formula isn’t safe for exclusive nutrition, it can be part of a diet for an older infant, who is eating three meals a day (or two meals and one snack). For example, it can be:
used to make oatmeal or added to a creamy soup or stew
added to a sauce for mac and cheese (made with or without dairy)
Similarly, a nine-month-old infant who is still nursing could have a pea protein formula as part of cup training.
Always tell your baby’s pediatrician or pediatric dietitian if you are adding a toddler formula to an infant’s diet. They can guide you on safe ways to offer it.
Is There FDA Approval for Pea Protein in Formula?
Since pea protein hasn’t been used in infant formula (yet), the FDA will likely require growth and tolerance studies, because it will be a new formula ingredient. This is the same process required for other new ingredients like our favorite ingredient, human milk oligosaccharide (HMO).
Pea Protein Formula for Toddlers
Orange- handled sippy cup, filled with formula by high chair
Most toddlers can easily get all their nutrients from food and don’t need a formula. Parent’s worry about toddler eating habits a lot. Toddlers are naturally fickle and erratic eaters. Using a toddler milk isn’t going to change that! And it may start habits of worrying too much about what your toddler eats.
Pea protein formula is an option for toddlers with milk or soy allergies. Families who are looking for a vegetarian beverage may also like a pea protein beverage. Certainly, powdered beverages are convenient for traveling and for situations where refrigeration is not available.
Since beverages may replace healthful foods, toddlers should drink 2-3 cups (16- 24 ounces) of milk or a milk alternative a day. If you use pea protein formula, make sure to offer your toddler grains, beans, meat, or eggs to provide the amino acids missing from peas.
What’s Bad About Pea Protein?
Peas are in the same plant family as peanuts. A small number of infants and children with peanut allergies will also have an allergy to peas. I have seen cases of this cross reaction, therefore be watchful when offering pea-based beverages to children with peanut allergies.
Heavy metals and pea protein
Like all plants, peas plants can absorb the heavy metal arsenic from water. Arsenic in baby food has gotten a lot of press, and rightfully so. Arsenic is dangerous to children. Both arsenic and lead have been found in plant-based protein powders, products similar to pea protein concentrate.
We put a lot of trust in manufacturers of foods for infants and young children. Manufacturers must monitor their product closely. Indeed, the CEO of Nature’s One, the maker of Baby’s Only® stresses the importance of monitoring in this article about their product.
As mentioned earlier, pea proteins do not provide all the amino acids that a baby needs. Amino acids are the building blocks of proteins and are necessary for a baby to grow and thrive. A recent study showed it to be low in the amino acid isoleucine. Other research has shown it to be low in methionine and valine. Since infant formula is sole source nutrition, a formula must provide all the nutrients infants need!
What’s Good About Pea Protein?
Pea protein has promise as an infant formula. Technology and processing can overcome the hurdle of missing amino acids, as has been accomplished with soy-based infant formulas. But the products on the market aren’t yet safe for infants.
Pea may be a good alternative to soy formula. Soybeans contain compounds (e.g., phytic acid and proteinase inhibitors) that interfere with digestion and absorption. Pea seeds have a lower amount of these anti-nutritive factors.
In 2001, researchers in Laboratory for Human Nutrition in Switzerland iron absorption from in a pea protein formula iron absorption may be a little better than from soybean protein.
The CEO of Nature’s One, maker of Baby’s Only® claims that pea proteins are less prone to absorbing contaminants from the organic soil, a position supported by this article from the Russian Science Foundation.
So, to wrap up!
Pea protein baby formula is not a good choice for young babies who only drink formula because it does not contain all the amino acids (building blocks of proteins) that babies need to grow and thrive. For older babies, there are some ways to use it as a complement to other foods.
Be careful about which pea protein beverage you feed to your baby beverage. Pea proteins can absorb heavy metals like arsenic which is toxic to children.
Use our free Baby Formula Ingredient Interpreter Tool to learn more about common baby formula ingredients.
If you are considering changing your young infant to a pea protein formula because of problems with pooping, read our post that explains why changing formula doesn’t always help.