Milk, Almond Milk, Lactose Free Milk... help!

auntchellebelle

I love cereal and milk! I usually use 2% milk but looking to venture out to something different. I don't understand what makes almond milk better that regular milk. Can someone explain?

leggup

Almond/Soy Milk
Almost milk is made from almonds. Soy milk is made from soy beans.
Pros:
-Great if you're vegan
-Sweeter than regular milk
-Great if you're lactose intolerant
-Depending on the brand, it may be: lower calorie, lower fat, higher vitamin.
-You can get it pretty cheap if you buy the cartons that don't require refrigeration

Cons:
-Does not taste the same as milk.
-Some brands taste watery. Some taste too sweet.
-Cannot be used in all baking in place of milk
-Curdles in hot, milkly acidic coffee

Lactose-Free Milk
Lactose free milk is cow's milk with the lactase enzyme added, effectively pre-digesting the lactose for you.
Pros:
-Great if you're lactose intolerant
-Tastes exactly the same as regular milk
-Can be substituted for milk in all baking

Cons:
-More expensive than regular milk
-Not vegan
-Same nutrient profile as regular milk

auntchellebelle

britishbroccoli wrote: »

Almond/Soy Milk
Almost milk is made from almonds. Soy milk is made from soy beans.
Pros:
-Great if you're vegan
-Sweeter than regular milk
-Great if you're lactose intolerant
-Depending on the brand, it may be: lower calorie, lower fat, higher vitamin.
-You can get it pretty cheap if you buy the cartons that don't require refrigeration

Cons:
-Does not taste the same as milk.
-Some brands taste watery. Some taste too sweet.
-Cannot be used in all baking in place of milk
-Curdles in hot, milkly acidic coffee

Lactose-Free Milk
Lactose free milk is cow's milk with the lactase enzyme added, effectively pre-digesting the lactose for you.
Pros:
-Great if you're lactose intolerant
-Tastes exactly the same as regular milk
-Can be substituted for milk in all baking

Cons:
-More expensive than regular milk
-Not vegan
-Same nutrient profile as regular milk

Thank you for the input. I am the kind of person who has milk and cereal before bed. I was looking for something with a lot of nutrients in it. So lactose free milk is out.

apparations

I drink almond milk because I like it and it's easy to fit into my calorie goals. The only cows milk I really enjoy is homogenized, which is a lot more calories, and not really worth it if the only thing I'm using it for is protein shakes and coffee.

auntchellebelle

apparations wrote: »

I drink almond milk because I like it and it's easy to fit into my calorie goals. The only cows milk I really enjoy is homogenized, which is a lot more calories, and not really worth it if the only thing I'm using it for is protein shakes and coffee.

sweetened or unsweetened?

apparations

auntchellebelle wrote: »

apparations wrote: »

I drink almond milk because I like it and it's easy to fit into my calorie goals. The only cows milk I really enjoy is homogenized, which is a lot more calories, and not really worth it if the only thing I'm using it for is protein shakes and coffee.

sweetened or unsweetened?

I'm buying Silk Natural Almond Milk now which is slightly sweetened but not the vanilla kind. Unsweetened is even less calories, but doesn't taste as good to me.

BeTheChange352

I've never been a huge fan of milk in general but I like using almond milk for when I want cereal and such. One of the greatest benefits I've found about it is that it has a much longer shelf life than cow's milk, as in you can open it, leave it in your fridge and it will still be fine a couple of months later. That's great for me since I don't use it that often and it's more expensive.

Swiftlet66

Almond milk is not very thick. It's watery and can leave a weird aftertaste. It's low calorie and lots of nutrients are added since the processing procedures basically kills a lot of nutrients from the almonds themselves. If you're switching from cow milk which is fatty, I recommend soy milk first. It's thicker and has more substance. I can drink cow milk by itself but with both almond and soy milk, I need to eat with cereal or put in smoothies. You should try out different types to see which one you like best! I wouldn't say one is healthier than another though; they are merely alternatives to one another.

lemurcat12

I love dairy (although I don't really drink milk often and also prefer my coffee black). The rundown by britishbroccoli looks right to me. The reason some people prefer almond milk (and may even claim it's healthier) is because they are opposed to dairy or have lactose problems, and I guess some like to save the calories. For me, lowfat dairy is a fabulous source of protein for the calories, so that's not an issue (I like whole too, but don't prefer the taste in most of the dairy I eat, so more often go for the macros and calorie savings of the lower fat versions).

auntchellebelle

I was thinking about switching to skim milk for cereal to save calories. I may give the soy milk a try. I don't like my milk to be watery

Laurend224

auntchellebelle wrote: »

I was thinking about switching to skim milk for cereal to save calories. I may give the soy milk a try. I don't like my milk to be watery

You probably won't like soy milk then. I find it watery. We drink almond milk around here. The husband swells like a balloon with soy milk. Not tofu or soy ice cream, just the milk.

goddessofawesome

I just bought unsweetened vanilla almond milk today for a recipe I was making. I tried a sip to see what the big deal was. Eeew. Eeeeew. EEEEEEWWWW! Some things should just be left in their natural state and almonds are one of them. It was, to me, naaaasty. I might try it in my coffee just to try and use it up or just find other recipes to use it in but no way would I ever buy it to drink.

I drink raw milk from a nearby farm. Hands down the best milk I have ever had. We always go around milking time and the last batch I got was from the cows that were currently being milked (it was still warm!). I make homemade yogurt with it and also just tried my hand at cottage cheese which came out really good. Next up: butter and I might try to make regular cheese this winter.

sfbaumgarten

I switched from skim milk to unsweetened almond milk. Half the calories. I don't drink it plain, but I do have it with chocolate syrup or cereal.

chyzar

Some food for thought regarding almond milk, for anyone who is drinking it for health benefits:

http://www.thekitchn.com/why-i-stopped-drinking-almond-milk-started-drinking-regular-milk-again-197085

lemurcat12

goddessofawesome wrote: »

I drink raw milk from a nearby farm. Hands down the best milk I have ever had. We always go around milking time and the last batch I got was from the cows that were currently being milked (it was still warm!). I make homemade yogurt with it and also just tried my hand at cottage cheese which came out really good. Next up: butter and I might try to make regular cheese this winter.

I want to do all this. I may try it next year. I buy from a farm, but don't actually go out there to get it, which you apparently have to do to get it raw.

ksolksol

Something to consider is that almond milk does not have the protein that regular milk does. If you tolerate dairy and are not going vegan for ethical reasons, there may be no real reason to switch.

SuggaD

I love unsweetened vanilla almond milk. I drink it plain and bake with it. Tastes good to me and low calorie.

Oi_Sunshine

We use Earth's Own Almond Fresh or Coconut for our lactose intolerant people.
They're not a protein source like milk and come in sweetened or unsweetened. Unless you need to for lactose problems, don't bother switching. It's more expensive.

goddessofawesome

lemurcat12 wrote: »

goddessofawesome wrote: »

I drink raw milk from a nearby farm. Hands down the best milk I have ever had. We always go around milking time and the last batch I got was from the cows that were currently being milked (it was still warm!). I make homemade yogurt with it and also just tried my hand at cottage cheese which came out really good. Next up: butter and I might try to make regular cheese this winter.

I want to do all this. I may try it next year. I buy from a farm, but don't actually go out there to get it, which you apparently have to do to get it raw.

It really is the best milk. There is a store in town that sells raw milk. For $10/gallon! I'm not sure I'd trust the freshness of it either. I get mine for $4/gallon and like I said, we go around milking time so I know it's fresh.

itzabellaa

When I went vegan I tried soy and rice milk first, and didn't really care much for those. I moved on to unsweetened almond milk and I like that best. I don't really drink it straight that often, mostly use it in recipes, with cereal, etc. so I can't say how it compares to cow's milk (been much too long anyway!), but I like it. Some brands I like more than others, so it might take a bit of trial and error. I'm sure if you wind up not liking almond milk, you could find something else, they make so many different things now.

debubbie

I like the Silk sweetened vanilla almond milk, but I love the dark chocolate almond milk by Silk!

BodyByButter

I drink regular skim milk with breakfast. But, I cook up four days worth of steel cut oats at a time and add a splash of almond milk to it when I warm it in the morning. I like it that way but never drink it straight.

holyfenix

I drank almond milk for a bit after being a milk drinker for life. Its good but has almost no protein in it. Sure its super low in calories but Milk doesn't have a ton and has anywhere from 8-12 grams of protein per glass depending on percentage. Again it just depends on your goals.

Charlottesometimes23

I drink lactose free skim UHT milk not because I'm lactose intolerant, but for the taste. The fact that the lactose has been broken down releases the glucose, and it has a rich, slightly sweet taste.

alfiedn

I use almond milk and coconut milk that I make myself. Homemade is easy if you have a blender, although you do need something to strain with (I've heard of people using old t-shirts, but I have a bag special for this purpose). I have never enjoyed cows milk and it goes bad in my house because no one uses it.

I much prefer the almond milk that I make. It's a bit silt filled and does separate and it tastes really nutty, which I love. I find it to be naturally sweet enough, but I've also always used unsweetened almond and soy milk prior to this. This is the milk I would use on cereal.

Coconut milk (home-made and sometimes otherwise) does have a fairly high fat content. I like this milk in smoothies, but I don't love to drink it and tend to use it less often and in more masked recipes (I love it with coconut butter and cantaloupe as a smoothie). This milk separates a lot and gets a very thick cream/fat layer on top as it sits.

I have used both of these milks as substitutes in baking and had the results turn out fine in my case.

One thing to watch out with these home-made is that they don't have the calcium additives that so many of the store bought brands have. So, if you are relying on milk for your calcium, I do not recommend using these. I do think that home made almond milk may have slightly more protein than store bought, but I really have no evidence to back that up. I just feel parts of the nut do get through. I cannot pretend it has as much as cows milk, however!

I use milk mostly for smoothies, overnight oats, and recipes. I don't often drink it straight, but will use it on granola and berries occasionally.

DancingMoosie

I have looked at most labels of the milk substitutes(almond, rice, ancient grain, coconut, hemp, soy) on the shelf at my grocery. It is disappointing that most have little to no protein. I have a hard time hitting my protein goal anyway, so taking it out of my milk is no good. I do not like cow milk, and have had lactose issues in the past. My usual is the Silk organic unsweetened soy milk (green box-80cal, 7g protein, 30%dv calcium) or sometimes the 8th continent original(80 cal, 8g protein, 30%dv calcium). Both can also be used in cooking, which is a bonus. I don't like to be stuck with vanilla flavored and then want to make some hamburger helper;)

healthygreek

I tried a lot of almond milks. My favorite is Blue Diamond unsweetened vanilla (Almond Breeze).
Of course there is only 1g of protein but 45% calcium

Francl27

I don't mind almond milk plain or in smoothies but I find it absolutely vile with cereal!

tavenne323

I put regular (not vanilla) almond milk in my cereal and just about everything else. If I'm baking something, I try to just get away with water. I don't like drinking the almond milk straight, but I do love coconut milk plain (not flavored).

Hollywood_Porky

I tried Silk Almond Milk Unsweetened Vanilla - gave me the worst gas I could've ever imagined. I was so glad to go back to Lactaid Whole Milk. No problems at all.

bunniesrus2014

I use almond milk when I want to just have a glass of milk but for everything else I use lactaid. They both have nutrients that are good - almond milk has more calcium. I never tried almond milk in anything like cereal because I don't know if I would like the combination.