[Review] Nature One Dairy milk formula + three no-mixer-needed kids recipes
Many of my mummy readers ask me if I’m still breastfeeding Cdd. Hmm, breastfeeding no, but latching yes, at night! Does that count? Since Cbb days, I’ve always needed to top up breast milk with formula, until I stopped breastfeeding her completely at 6 months. It’s almost the same story with Cdd. The only difference is I managed to mix feed him till he was 10 months, and it’s quite an achievement for me! Being super low supply (don’t come questioning why I assume I’m low supply. I don’t assume. I am. Read my story), I’ve never frozen a pack of breastmilk in my life and apart from the initial 2-3 weeks, I’ve always had to mix breast milk and formula for both my kids.
Breastmilk is best for babies but since I had insufficient supply and am not inclined towards donor milk, I did the next best thing and topped up with formula. And to me, that’s perfectly fine!
Now that Cdd is 15 months and Cbb almost 5 years old, I have switched them completely to formula milk. Both of them have tried a few brands of formula milk and now Nature One Dairy is our staple. To be honest, when Nature One Dairy approached me for this review, I was concerned that being VERY PICKY, Cdd would reject this. Cbb don’t say la, she drinks everything but even so, her FIRST reaction to trying out the Premium Junior Step 4 milk was, ‘MmmMMM! This milk tastes really good. Is it new, mama?”
Cdd has been taking the Organic Toddler Step 3 formula for more than two months and I’m only sharing this article now because I wanted to make sure this is a fair review. And I’m happy to report that he’s taking well to it! As his mummy, I like Nature One Dairy too and here are the main reasons:
- My kids love the taste
I mean, this is a real consideration! I can buy the most expensive and supposedly best formula (not really though, as the nutritional values of milk formulas are actually similar!) but it doesn’t matter if my kids won’t drink it. Cbb took to the Premium Junior Step 4 immediately and even said her pancakes taste better (yes I make pancakes and snacks with it!). Cdd guzzles his Organic Toddler Step 3 without complaints and welcomes his bottle every time.
- Does not contain sucrose, maltodextrin and sweeteners
If you read the ingredient labels of formula milk, you may notice some ingredients that surprise you, like sucrose. Although sucrose in this case isn’t quite the same as the added sugar you find in cakes (it serves more like a source of carbohydrates), it’s the sweetest simple carb and I avoid it when choosing formula milk for my babies. Lactose is the only source of carbs in Nature One Dairy’s milk products.
- Australian made
All Nature One Dairy formula milk are held to strict quality and safety standards, and are manufactured in their wholly owned pharmaceutical grade facility in Australia. Australia is always known for its clean and green environment, and being a facility specialising in manufacturing infant products, Nature One Dairy is bound by frequent strict inspection and testing which put my mind at ease for the products they produce. The Organic Toddler Nutritious Milk Drink Step 3 is certified by ACO (Australian Certified Organic), one of the most respected and rigorous standards in the world for organic production. Certified Organic products are grown and processed without the use of synthetic chemicals, fertilisers or GMOs. You can read more about the criteria here.
- It’s friendly on my pocket
With Cdd going through one tin of formula milk per week, cost is a concern for me! The Step 3 milk drinks start from $25.50 to $37.50 (the organic version) for a 900g tin, and the price is more than reasonable compared to some brands that cost double. Contrary to popular belief, the nutritional levels of the expensive milk are similar to the cheaper brands – just compare the info across various brands at supermarkets! Plus, if an organic formula costs about the same or even lower than a non-organic formula, then I will choose organic for sure.
And now for the recipes!
Since both my kids like the taste of the milk powder so much, I was motivated to come up with some kids recipes using Nature One Dairy milk! I made some Little Milk Bites, One-Bowl Brazilian Cheese Puffs and a Creamy Salmon, Corn and Spinach Rice in the rice cooker. The milk bites and cheese puffs can both be prepared manually in a large mixing bowl – no cake mixer needed. Cbb had a fun time helping me in the kitchen. I hope you try them!
Little Milk Bites (budgetpantry.com)
Makes about 120 bites
Note: These are commonly shared as Baby Balls, aka Xiao Man Tou. But this recipe (and many other homemade ones) don’t melt in the mouth *immediately* like commercially sold ones. For safety reasons, I recommend giving this to kids 4yo and up if shaping into little balls. I shaped this flat for my 15-month-old (see second pic).
What you need:
1 medium egg
20g icing sugar
20g oil (you can use any cooking oil)
20g cake flour
25g milk powder (I used 3 scoops of Nature One Dairy Organic Toddler milk powder)
120g corn flour
2g baking powder (you can omit this for kids but it gives a fluffier texture)
Steps:
Preheat your oven to 170C. Line your pan with baking paper (no need to oil).
In a large bowl, sift the cake flour, milk powder, corn starch and baking powder (if using) together.
In a separate mixing bowl, crack the egg add the icing sugar and oil. Whisk well with a handheld whisk.
Add in the powder mix in step 2. Using a pair of chopsticks (it’s difficult to do this with a spatula), combine all the ingredients together until a dough starts to form.
Using your hands, knead the dough together till everything is combined.
Now we start shaping. Pinch a small portion and roll it into a small ball. Flatten this ball with your thumb if baking for babies or toddlers below 4yo. Continue with the rest of the dough and shape it as consistently as possible. Leave appropriate spacing between each bite on the baking pan.
Bake for 15 minutes. The colour will still be white but it is done. Do not increase the baking time if not it will be too hard! Leave to cool, then store in an airtight container.
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Makes 36-48 puffs
What you need:250g tapioca starch
25g milk powder (I used 3 scoops of Nature One Dairy Organic Toddler milk powder)
60g shredded cheddar cheese
60g shredded mozzarella cheese
1 large egg
180ml water
25ml olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
Steps:
Preheat oven to 200C and oil your mini muffin tray.
Whisk the egg and milk powder together till bubbly. Add the water and whisk to mix well.
Add tapioca starch and cheese. Whisk everything together until well incorporated Add the oil and salt. Stir to combine. Rest this mixture for 10 minutes.
Scoop batter to muffin tray and fill till about ¾ full.
Bake for 20 minutes until golden.
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Serves three kids
What you need:1 cup uncooked rice (use the rice cooker measuring cup)
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock (use the same measuring cup)
100g salmon, sliced
Handful of corn
Handful of chopped spinach
1 teaspoon minced garlic
8.5g milk powder (I used 1 scoop of Nature One Dairy Organic Toddler milk powder)
30g shredded cheddar cheese (you can use parmesan but we’re not fans!)
Steps:
Rinse the rice and add the chicken stock. Stir in the garlic.
Arrange salmon, corn and spinach on top. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.
When time is up, stir in the milk powder and shredded cheese and it’s done. If you prefer a smoother consistency, you can add some more stock or hot water.
Where to find?
Nature One Dairy® products are available in all major supermarket chains and e-commerce platforms.
Click to redeem samples for trial.
This is a collaboration post with Nature One Dairy, but my kids are REALLY taking and enjoying the milk!
