Since the explosion of dairy alternatives on the market (such as soy, almond and coconut milk) more and more of my customers are asking about these drinks: the one who knows best, what works best for baking, which has the largest amount protein, etc.
Let me start by saying that cow’s milk is a food of high nutritional value. However, there are many reasons you may find an alternative for dairy products, the most common are allergies or lactose intolerance. Lactose intolerance is a common condition in which the body loses its ability to digest lactose, often causing bloating, flatulence, diarrhea and stomach.
pouring milk into a glass on blue textured background
Levels of lactose intolerance vary by individual. A person may be able to tolerate dairy age with low levels of lactose, such as yogurt and hard cheeses, but another may be unable to tolerate even a dash of milk products in your coffee. I personally eat yogurt daily, but have to get away from the fluid milk, soft cheeses and ice cream. People with real milk allergy strictly avoid milk products in any form. Others choose not to consume dairy products in order to follow a vegan diet, avoiding foods that come from an animal, including milk, cheese, eggs and honey.
Other reasons to avoid milk products is to avoid the ingestion of hormones and antibiotics in conventional milk, as a potential treatment for acne, or when after the popular diet “Paleo”.
In deciding not to consume dairy products, you should be able to compensate for the loss of nutrients elsewhere, especially calcium and vitamin D. Some alternatives to milk are similar to that of cow’s milk and provide many of the same nutrients while others may be lacking in certain areas. Use this list to help determine what alternative milk is best for you.
All beverages listed below are free of lactose.
Soy
Soy milk is probably the choice of the most popular and recognizable milk. It is made from the extract of soybean varieties and comes in sweetened, unsweetened and taste like chocolate and vanilla.
Soy milk is the most similar to cow milk nutritional profile, with 8 to 10 grams of protein per serving and often fortified with calcium, vitamins A and D and riboflavin.
Soy isoflavones have proven beneficial in the prevention of heart disease and at least 10 mg per day may reduce the recurrence of breast cancer by 25%.
Increased consumption of soy may be beneficial for menopausal women due to soy compounds that behave similar to estrogen that could reduce the natural decline in estrogen during menopause, therefore decreasing the common symptoms such as hot flashes.