Hello!
Milk is an everyday household item and can be used in cooking, baking and drinking straight out of the carton. However, there are cons to drinking this dairy item. Some of the most obvious ones are that cows produce a lot of waste and greenhouse gases, a seemingly innocent glass of milk may have man made ingredients added into it - including engineered hormones, antibiotics and pesticides. It has also been proven that cow's milk is perfectly suited to quadruple the weight of a 30 kilogram calf in one year which means that the amount of protein and mineral content may even (in very few cases) prove harmful when consumed too much.
In saying this, milk is a sufficient source of many nutrients including calcium, choline, potassium, riboflavin, niacin, phosphorus, protein, B12 and vitamins A and D. Other possible health benefits are strong bone and heart health, improved blood pressure and a good source of protein which can aid in muscle building.
Of course, I'm not going to tell you whether or not you should be drinking cow's milk - I still occasionally do. However, in finding out this information I wanted to also find out what alternatives there were out there that would also supply me with the nutrients that cow's milk did. I was pleasantly surprised by the amount of alternatives that there were, and when I tried some at home I found the different tastes, textures and colours of these milks to be interesting and very yummy.
1. Soya Milk - soya milk has a lot of protein and fibre. It is safe for the lactose intolerant and anyone who has dairy allergies. Soya milk is made from plants and is therefore more environmentally friendly. However, the sugar content can be high but the overall impact is much less than that of cows.
2. Almond Milk - almond milk is an excellent source of magnesium, manganese, selenium and vitamin E, unsaturated fat, protein, flavonoids and potassium. However, if you are looking for a true cow's milk alternative, this doesn't taste at all like it. The taste takes some getting used to, and it is considerably pricier than cow's milk.
3. Rice Milk - rice milk is extremely nutritious and has a lot less fat than all the cow milk alternatives. It contains unsaturated fats, niacin, vitamin B6, iron and copper. However, as rice is starchy so will rice milk be and the protein count is lower still.
4. Oat Milk - oat milk is cholesterol and lactose free while still containing vitamin E, folic acid and phytochemicals. However, oat milk can be high in sugar and doesn't have the calcium to match cow's milk and is no good for people who have to avoid gluten. The taste is also distinctive and doesn't appeal to everyone.
5. Hemp Milk - hemp milk is a good alternative for people who have soya and nut allergies as well as being cholesterol and lactose free, low in saturated fats and rich in healthy omega fatty acids. It provides an excellent source of protein and has a very individual flavour and texture. However it does lack calcium and can be hard to supply.
6. Cashew Nut Milk - cashew nut milk is an outstanding source of copper and also provides magnesium, like calcium.
7. Coconut Milk - coconut milk is a handy alternative for those who are lactose intolerant or allergic to any animal milk. Coconut milk has minimal starch content, is a vegan drink, soya free, gluten free, cholesterol free, nut free, 'good fat' containing and can be rich in lauric acid. However, the saturated fat content can be considerably high and has a strong flavour which many not be appealing.
I'm not here to tell you what to consume, and if you enjoy your cow milk then by all means, stick to it. I still do and I also enjoy having a glass of milk at the beginning and end of every day now because I have the option of having cow's milk or mixing it up and trying a new recipe that may contain one of the mentioned alternatives. My favourite of the alternatives are almond milk for hot drinks, rice milk for cold drinks (however, the flavour can be a bit overpowering) and coconut milk whenever (any coconut product wins for me).
I hope this proved helpful or informative even in the slightest.
Much love,
Duchess
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