After reading Daddy Types' baby formula taste test, a reader told me about her husband, who has been putting nothing but Isomil, soy-based Similac, on his cereal his whole life. Now that he's got a kid, their bottles of formula sit side by side in the fridge.
He tells his own story here. For obvious reasons--mostly, because I think you have to be crazy to love baby formula--he remains anonymous.
It is true that I am perhaps the most loyal Similac Isomil customer in America. How I came to be a 28 year old man still drinking it is less bizarre than you might think (not that drinking liquid intended for baby cows is all that normal anyway).I started off as a breast-fed baby and was eventually
transitioned to soy formula. While my folks had some
hippie tendencies, the real reason they went with soy
was my father's belief that "Chinese people have been
living for thousands of years without the benefit of
cow's milk and have done just fine." Not sure his
masters in art made him a qualified doctor/
nutritionist, but in any event, the path was set.As a kid, I grew up believing that I was allergic to
cow's milk, so soy formula became my milk, but was
really only used to accompany cereal. I have memories
of mixing my own formula from the liquid concentrate
for as far back as I can remember. If nothing else, I
learned a lot about fractions (half water, half
concentrate) and physics (punch two holes with the
churchkey or nothing comes out). Growing older, it
really wasn't that awkward continuing to use formula
on my cereal, as most teenage boys really don't know
(or care) what Isomil is. At this point in my life, I
think people assume it is for my son.All of this said, I am well aware of the
ridiculousness of a grown man still using infant
formula- I'm reminded of it every time I plunk down $4
for a can of this off-white delightfulness. I've
certainally tried the alternatives. Regular milk just
tasted awful and had a gag-inspiring texture.
"Grown-up" soy milks were too thin and left an
aftertaste. Consistent with your taste test, Isomil
is both sweet and has a fuller texture. I guess
everyone is allowed their vice- mine has DHA, ARA, and
prevents fussiness and spit-up.With the birth of our son, I felt strongly about
trying a milk-based formula as we transitioned him
from the breast. Unfortunately, it made him overly
gassy and uncomfortable and so we opted, of course,
for the Isomil brand of soy formula. Now, our fridge
has two containers of formula, his is the
ready-to-pour 32 oz. bottle and mine the concentrated
cans. As new fathers often struggle with ways to bond
with their baby, I know Henry and I share the same
morning milk-breath!
Eesh. That's one weird guy; but it's a great story.