The Great Milk Debate

The decision to stop using milk was a difficult but important one for me. It was prompted by a seminar called Living Health by Tony Robbins in which he explained in very plain terms why using milk just didn’t make sense and was unhealthy. Still, as a die-hard milk lover, I wasn’t sure that I’d be able to give up something that I loved so much. That is, until I discovered the wonderful world of milk alternatives.

Growing up, I consumed large quantities of milk. I took after my father, who drank milk practically every day. My mother would buy at least 2-3 gallons of milk in a week and people would joke that it would be cheaper for us to just buy a cow. As an adult, my love for milk sustained. Friends would ask if I wanted a little cereal with my milk as the bowl was usually overflowing. I let them tease me. After all, wasn’t milk good for you? Everything on TV and in magazine ads tells us how milk does a body good. We’re told that milk contains the calcium we need to keep our bones strong and to prevent osteoporosis. We see models with milk moustaches and are asked “Got Milk?” I never thought there was any reason to question my milk consumption, until I began to re-evaluate my food choices.

Why I chose to stop drinking milk:

Humans, like all other mammals, are weaned from their mother’s milk as soon as they are able to tolerate whole foods. In Living Health Tony Robbins mentions that not only are we the only mammals that continue to drink milk into adulthood, but we don’t even drink our own milk, we drink that of other mammals. This fact alone was enough to make me stop and think. Does that really make sense? He also explains how milk actually leeches calcium from our bones instead of adding to it and really breaks down the facts, stating scientific studies that have linked milk consumption and the bovine growth hormone that most milk contains to a variety of adverse health issues, including cancer. Add to that the fact that the majority of the population is lactose intolerant and that our bodies simply aren’t built to tolerate milk after the first few years of life, especially cow’s milk, and it just made sense to stop using it.

Now the question was what to use in place of milk in my daily life. There were many options and like most things, it was tough to know what to choose. As usual, my husband was more than happy to assist me in my taste-testing journey. We tried several types of alternative milk options until we discovered what worked best for us. The most important thing to me at first was finding something that tasted the most like milk, but I also factored in the ingredients used and amount of sugar in each product before making a final decision. Below are my reviews of each:

Soy Milk: I was already familiar with soy milk thanks to my husband being lactose intolerant. We always had soy milk in the refrigerator and I didn’t care for it much the first time I tasted it, but I decided to give it another try. It costs around $2.50-$3.00 for a half gallon.

• 8th Continent – This is my favorite brand of soymilk as far as taste goes. It is superior to all other brands in terms of palatability, and the sweetened original version has only 80 calories and 7 grams of sugar per 8 oz serving, compared to 13 grams in your average cup of cow’s milk. http://www.8thcontinent.com/
• Silk – another great tasting soymilk and the most readily available. Only 6 grams of sugar and 100 calories in the original sweetened version. http://www.silksoymilk.com/

Almond Milk: This is my number one choice for milk alternatives. To me, it has the best taste and texture. It's smooth, creamy and has a hint of sweetness. It costs about $2.50 for a half gallon.

• Almond Breeze – The ultimate in almond milk. This is my favorite brand. It’s smooth, just sweet enough and doesn’t have a strong almond taste. The original sweetened has 60 calories and 7 grams of sugar. I also think that chocolate almond milk tastes almost exactly like chocolate cow's milk. http://www.bluediamondfoods.com/
• Pacific Foods Almond Milk – Tried this and didn’t like it. Has a very distinct almond flavor, which some may prefer, but I didn’t. http://www.pacificfoods.com/
• Almond Dream – Again, this had too much of an almond after taste for my liking. But it has only 50 calories and 5 grams of sugar in its sweetened original flavor.        http://www.tastethedream.com/
• Silk Pure Almond- This would be my second choice if I were unable to find Almond Breeze. This had a very light, smooth taste that wasn’t overwhelmed with almond flavor. It has 60 calories and 7 grams of sugar. http://www.silkpurealmond.com/

Rice Milk: Rice milk to me has a very grainy taste and texture, which makes sense since it made from a grain. Nevertheless, it didn’t appeal to me. Since I disliked it so much, I only tried one brand. It costs about $2.50 for a quart.

• Rice Dream- I’ve heard from people who prefer rice milk that the Rice Dream brand is their favorite. It has 120 calories and 10 grams of sugar.   http://www.tastethedream.com/

Coconut Milk: This isn’t the same as the coconut milk you’re used to seeing in small cans on the shelf. This is found in the refrigerated section of the supermarket. So far I’ve only been able to find it at whole foods. I was intrigued and decided to try it. It costs about $4.99 for a half gallon.

• So Delicious Coconut Milk – It really is So Delicious. This was the closet alternative I’ve found to actual milk. It has a slight coconut taste, but it’s not overwhelming. The original version has 80 calories and 6 grams of sugar. A trivial thing I found about coconut milk is that the color is white, like cow’s milk; psychologically that makes it more appealing. I’m not a huge fan of coconut in general and that’s really the only reason this one isn’t my favorite.                  http://www.turtlemountain.com/

Hemp Milk: This conjures up mixed emotions for some people. They hear hemp and immediately think of marijuana and they either get really excited at the thought or really afraid. I only recently tried this and was pleasantly surprised. It costs about $3.99 for a quart.

• Living Harvest Tempt Hemp Milk- Like most alternative milk options, this has an aftertaste, and one that I can’t quite describe but it’s not a bad taste. It is however, incredibly smooth and again, very similar to cow’s milk in taste and color. With 100 calories and 6 grams of sugar, it measures up nicely to the other milk options.  http://www.worldpantry.com/

Most milk alternatives can easily be used in recipes that call for cow’s milk, but check the website and package for more information. I love to use almond milk when cooking, as it adds a light sweetness to certain dishes. Coconut and hemp milk are my next favorites, but I use them sparingly as they are a little more expensive. Also, most of these come in a variety of flavors, usually original, vanilla and chocolate as well as sweetened and unsweetened versions. The unsweetened versions have 0 grams of sugar. I like to mix unsweetened with sweetened to lessen my sugar intake.

When shopping for milk alternatives it important to remember that no matter how similar to milk it tastes, you won’t match the taste exactly. Whatever your reason for eliminating or decreasing your milk intake, it's best to approach the change with an open mind. You have to be prepared to try something new and be disciplined enough to want to make the switch.