Tasty Tuesday

Are you lactose intolerant? Trying to get away from using dairy or cow’s milk? Do you think milk doesn’t do a body good? Just curious on how to navigate through the options? Today I’m sharing some information I found on several websites related to the various milk alternatives out there. One interesting note is that fortified milk alternatives by and large provide about 30% of your daily calcium and up to 45% of your daily vitamin D needs!

If you are a regular milk-drinker, you might want to get out of your routine and taste a few of these different selections. I’m not including lactose-free milk or goat/sheep/other ruminant milks here – just the alternatives.

Exercise your “new taste” muscles today and give one or more of these a try!

Blessings,

Coach Linda

SOY MILK - Made from filtered water, soybeans, and evaporated cane juice, an 8-oz. serving of original sweetened soy milk contains 100 calories, 4 g fat, 8 g carbs, 6 g sugar and 7 g protein. Flavors include plain, vanilla, and chocolate. Opting for USDA organic soymilk─such as that offered by Organic Valley─will protect you from GMO’s, pesticides, etc. Soy milk is the most widely available dairy-free alternative. Good in smoothies or for use in baking.

ALMOND MILK - This alternative, which is the most common among nut milks, consists of filtered water, almonds, and evaporated cane juice. An 8-oz. serving of original almond milk contains 60 calories, 2.5 g fat, 8 g carbs, 7 g sugar and 1 g protein. Blue Diamond has largely perfected the art of almond milk with their best-selling Almond Breeze, available in original, vanilla, unsweetened, and chocolate flavors. It’s very useful for baking. But remember, this (along with soy milk) are common allergens in and of themselves.

RICE MILK - Rice milk─made from filtered water, brown rice and safflower oil─is tasty and refreshing, though high in carbs and sugar, and rather thin in texture. A serving will typically contain about 23 g carbs, 10 g sugar, 2.5 g fat, and 1 g protein. Rice Dream is a high-quality brand, with original, vanilla, unsweetened, and chocolate flavors.

HEMP MILK - While it’s made from the seeds of the edible part of the cannabis plant, hemp milk does not contain THC, the psychoactive component of marijuana. Available in original, vanilla, and chocolate flavors, hemp milk has about 100 calories per serving, along with 9 g carbs, 6 g sugar, 5 g fat, and 2 g protein. See if the herby-nutty flavor appeals to you. Creamy, good for smoothies and cereal.

COCONUT MILK - Calling all coconut lovers! New Blue Diamond Breeze Almond milk Coconut milk Blend has 50% more calcium than cow’s milk, along with 7 g carbs, 3 g fat, 6 g sugar and 1 g protein. Available in original, vanilla, and unsweetened flavors.

As you can see, options abound. Many families stock an array, including soy, almond, and hemp milk, as kids and adults may have different preferences. With all these great choices, you can easily leave cow’s milk behind for good─and never miss the mustache!

OAT MILK - Oat milk has a moderate amount of protein, but might not be a good choice for anyone with celiac disease and may have sensitivity to avenin protein found in oats.

Sources:

http://www.mambosprouts.com/uncategorized/navigating-milk-alternatives/#more-13256

http://foodallergies.about.com/od/dairy/tp/milkalternatives.htm