ABSTRACT.In 59 normal infants attending well‐baby clinics, food consumption was registered until 26 and growth until 52 weeks of age. They were either breast‐fed or formula‐fed with a cow's milk product or a soy protein product. The average consumption of breastmilk was 746, 796, 722 and 689 g/day at 6, 14, 22 and 26 weeks respectively. Bottle‐fed infants received larger volumes, and at 6 and 14 weeks were the calculated total energy intakes significantly higher than in breast‐fed infants. No differences were seen between the feeding groups with respect to length and the sum of four skin folds. The soy formula‐fed children, who happened to be 200 g heavier at birth, had lower weight gains during the first 6 weeks than the other two groups. Thereafter, the average weights of the soy formula group did not differ from the other groups. At 3 months, the soy formula‐fed children displayed a slower mineralisation and maturation of bone, but the difference was no longer significant when re‐examined at 6 months. Formulas based on soy protein isolates seem to be acceptable as substitutes for cow's milk formulas in feeding