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

savvyfantastic

If you aren't lactose intolerant and are looking for something with a diverse nutrient profile I would suggest sticking with milk. Other milks may have their place in terms of being lower calories (eg unsweetened almond milk) but nutritionally there isn't really a benefit. If it's a change of taste you're looking for, that will really be about finding the right brand for you- I think some brands of soy/almond milk taste like dirt water, but some I love.

I also note you have dismissed the comment re lactose free milk having a similar nutrient profile as regular milk as being a bad thing because you want something with 'lots of nutrients'- regular milk has a lot of nutrients, macro and micro. Where lactose (a sugar) is removed there may be some differences as far as the carbohydrate content but I think the poster MAY have broadly been referring to the macronutrient profile, which for some may not suit their individual macronutrient goals.

I can't have dairy because my entire body breaks out in eczema but if I could I would be all up in that. I used to source my dairy products from a local producer and the difference was noticeable. Perhaps that could be a starting place instead of changing the food source?

christinet2013

I was never much of a milk drinker to begin with, but I recently went dairy free to see of I could clear up some skin issues (acne in my late 20s - WTF?). It worked. If you have any issues (digestion or skin), it may be worth a try to go dairy free for a bit and see if it works for you. Its a common allergy and most people never figure it out - mainly because CHEESE, but milk affects you too. My favorites are by Almond Breeze. I use different varieties for different food combos and Ive enjoyed them all.

auntchellebelle

I bought Silk Soy Milk in the vanilla flavor. It is delicious! I can drink it without adding anything. I have never been a big milk drinker but this changed my mind.

neanderthin

Give goat milk a try.

HeidiCooksSupper

Hubby prefers unsweetened almond milk. I like unsweetened soy milk. Both are harder to find than the sweetened versions but Trader Joe's can be relied on to have them. We stopped with cow's milk because we each starting to react badly (GERD). This is common as people age. For awhile we were using Lactaid but even that was giving us discomfort but we still buy it for medicating our cat. Our fridge is crowded. Use what you like and doesn't give you a tummy ache but watch out for the added sugars in many of the soy-, almond-, etc. milks.

takumaku

Lactose-Free and Regular milk, my body does not like, so I stick with unsweetened Almond milk.

jessthep1rate

I don't see much of a reason to switch from cow's milk to anything else unless you're having a problem with the lactose or dairy in it. My boyfriend is allergic to dairy so I have gotten away from cow's milk since we started dating about 4 years ago. We used to use almond milk and soy milk somewhat interchangeably, but since I started to get more serious about nutrition, I dropped the almond milk because of its low protein content, and now we use soy only. There is also rice milk, flax milk, cashew milk, and all kinds of weird stuff... so far, almond and soy are the only ones that taste decent to me. :P

Also FYI, "lactose-free" milk is really just regular milk with lactase enzyme added to it... so it's really no different than just having regular milk and popping a Lactaid or similar supplement.

ETA: If you do wind up going the soy milk route, I have found that Whole Foods's 365 brand plain soy milk has the best flavor compared to Silk and other store brands, and most times is cheaper than Silk unless Silk is on sale.

Ulwaz

coconut milk by alpro is my fav

emkelsall

Charlottesometimes23 wrote: »

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.

I am lactose intolerant. I had to add chocolate syrup to lactose free milk when I first started drinking it because it tasted so "wrong" because it was sweet. Now that I am used to it, I can drink it straight

kimny72

I live alone and got tired of the stupid milk being sour all of a sudden whenever I went to use it! So I switched to almond milk which I can get a solid 10+ days out of. I still sometimes get regular milk when I know I will use it up fast because I think it tastes better and has more protein.

ncfitbit

I love the taste of Almond Breeze Unsweetened Almond milk, but I'm not a big milk drinker so I just use it mainly to drink with my protein powder without adding too many calories and to cut the calories of cream in my coffee.

uclaxtina

I used to drink 2% milk like you but for the past few years I have been drinking Silk Vanilla Soy milk and I love it with cereal or in my coffee. It's slightly sweet; not too sweet. I find it doesn't curdle in hot coffee and gives my coffee a slight froth which I like.

silencioesoro

I'm lactose intolerant, I was originally using Silk Soy, but switched mid-spring. I don't look at the nutrients much, but I know it has more calcium which helps me. I drink the sweetened light.

The problem is that you won't get as much milk as a regular jug will provide. You have to really look at the brands to see which ones you enjoy the taste/consistency.

mykaylis

auntchellebelle wrote: »

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.

lactose free milk has the *exact* same nutrients are regular milk. if you tolerate milk well, there is no reason to pay the extra money to get it with the lactose altered. if you do not tolerate milk well, this may be a good choice to try.

almond milk is a very poor replacement for cow milk in terms of nutrient profiles. it has its own nutrients, but in no way similar to the cow's milk you're used to. cow's milk can be used as a breast milk substitute at the age of one year, almond milk cannot due to insufficient nutrient profile (particularly protein).

they do make soy milk that has comparable macronutrient profiles. unsweetened unflavoured soy milk is best, brand is a matter of personal opinion.