Should I switch to almond milk ?
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Cows don't voluntarily make milk at all. Therefore, they do not do so with a purpose.
Intention doesn't really come from biology. You have to make some sort of claim for an intrinsic telos, which usually requires an appeal to something like an intention or even purposeful creator or defining force/structure within the universe (i.e., it starts seeming like a form of religion pretty easily). I have no problem with that, as I'm religious, but it's certainly not just science.
Pretty much nothing that humans eat (or with respect to more manufactured foods, make food they eat from) has as its sole or primary intrinsic "purpose" "to be eaten by humans." Even with vegetables, WE may intend tomatoes we grow to serve as food, but do seeds germinate with an intention of feeding humans? Therefore, to suggest this makes milk special makes no sense, IMO.
I get that many who are anti milk are also vegan, but it's especially weird that people insist that "cow's milk is for calves" and not "chicken legs are for chickens" or whatnot.17 -
katecrooker wrote: »Cow's milk is for baby cows.
Honey is for bees but it sure tastes good!
Nuts, fruit and vegetables are for their reproduction but man, they are even better than honey.11 -
xodreamariexo wrote: »It’s the exact same price at my grocery store so I’m wondering what are the benefits of switching to almond milk. Does unsweetened almond milk taste like milk?
Why not just live 'dangerously' and buy some...making some is easy too. If it's just a 'taste' thing you can be the judge...if you concern yourself with certain macros...do your research.
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just_Tomek wrote: »tinkerbellang83 wrote: »just_Tomek wrote: »Its NOT milk. Please stop calling it that. Its an almond / cashew / coconut infused water. Also instead of buying try making this at home. Stupid easy.
It costs around £5.50 for enough almonds to make around 2 litres of almond milk, it costs £3 for 2 x 1 litre of Almond Milk from the Supermarket. Stupid expensive is what it sounds like to me. That's without having to get the muslin and finding room to store it in the fridge.
Did you ever notice how much almonds are in the store bought milk? Maybe look into it and then talk? Not to mention that you will be actually drinking water and almonds only. Again look at the box of the store bought stuff.
You dont have to get the muslin, you can filter other ways.
You still have to store the store bought stuff in the fridge.
But if you prefer the store bought, why not. Convenience will always win.
I just want it as a lactose free low calorie alternative to milk because it gives me acid reflux so the store bought stuff is quite suitable and I have no need to look into it, as I said, I actually prefer Oat Milk anyway.
Yes convenience in this case wins, because it's more cost/time effective. Not sure what your problem is with that? Also the stuff I buy is usually UHT so doesn't need to be stored in the fridge.
OP was interested in a low calorie alternative so the store bought stuff also meets her requirements just fine.3 -
melodyvegan wrote: »katecrooker wrote: »Cow's milk is for baby cows.
Lol! Humans have been ingesting cow, goat and sheep milk (and in some places Yak and Water Buffalo) for millenia. That whole line of reasoning is *kitten*.
It's true though – cow's milk is for baby cows. The line of reasoning stands because it's what those of us in the sciences call "biology". I don't know who needs to hear this, but cows do not produce milk unless they are pregnant. A lot of people don't know this because it wouldn't benefit the narrative or profit margins of the dairy industry if we actually talked about how and why milk is produced.
Like all mammals, including humans and goats, cows produce milk to feed their babies. When their babies are weaned, they stop producing that milk. A cow's gestational period is 9.5 months and if left alone – without human intervention – she won't have another baby for a year or more. Nowadays, however, starting at age 1, cows are forcibly kept pregnant by the dairy industry. Once they give birth, they are impregnated again within 2 months and this repeats over the course of 4 years – at which point her body can no longer take anymore forced pregnancies, thus she can't produce milk, which means the industry can't make money off her so, she is killed. This is all done to ensure a constant supply of milk in order to take the milk intended for the baby and to sell it for a profit. It wouldn't be profitable otherwise. Small farms and large farms...it happens the same everywhere because it's biology and human intervention, folks. The average natural lifespan of a cow is 15-20 years.
Dairy farmers wouldn't deny it and I know several (who no longer participate in all this). It's just what happens. Cows don't make milk for humans. They make milk for their babies. Humans kill the baby (one way or another) and take the milk. Just because some humans have been ingesting milk for millenia, just because one can ingest it, doesn't change the fact of who it is actually intended for: baby cows.
Science is science. Let's not argue what actually happens biologically or how and why humans intervene.
I don't want to disagree with your post because much of it is correct.
However, cows (and most mammals) will continue to produce milk as long as they are "milked" once milk production begins. Generally that begins via a pregnancy (although I have known adoptive mothers who were able to produce milk without a pregnancy first). On our farm growing up, we continued to milk cows for years without them getting pregnant again. We also had them nurse and raise their calves even though that meant they produced little or no extra milk during that time. If the milk dried up, we would encourage another pregnancy (encourage by pasturing them with the bull). I'm pretty sure that's what farmers did for millennia before factory farming.
Personally, it took me over a year to stop producing milk after my child weaned. I could've been a fabulous wet nurse!16 -
As a long-term ovo-lacto vegetarian, I find that nonfat milk makes an excellent contribution to my fairly high daily protein goal, at a very reasonable calorie level. I put 3/4C of it, heated, in each of 2 daily cups of coffee, for around 12g total protein at a reasonable 128 calories, or about 10.7 calories per gram of protein. I consider things with 10 calories per protein gram good protein sources, in context of the range of foods I eat, so nonfat milk is close to that. The micronutrients are a good bonus, too. My Northern European genes seem to have made me very able to digest it without problems, even at age 64. On balance, for me, it's a win.
Different people's taste preferences and nutritional context are going to vary. Pretty much only you can decide what works best for you.2 -
Cows don't voluntarily make milk at all. Therefore, they do not do so with a purpose.
Intention doesn't really come from biology. You have to make some sort of claim for an intrinsic telos, which usually requires an appeal to something like an intention or even purposeful creator or defining force/structure within the universe (i.e., it starts seeming like a form of religion pretty easily). I have no problem with that, as I'm religious, but it's certainly not just science.
Pretty much nothing that humans eat (or with respect to more manufactured foods, make food they eat from) has as its sole or primary intrinsic "purpose" "to be eaten by humans." Even with vegetables, WE may intend tomatoes we grow to serve as food, but do seeds germinate with an intention of feeding humans? Therefore, to suggest this makes milk special makes no sense, IMO.
I get that many who are anti milk are also vegan, but it's especially weird that people insist that "cow's milk is for calves" and not "chicken legs are for chickens" or whatnot.
Well, the "reason" plants develop tasty fruits (which technically is what a tomato is) is so that animals will eat the fruit and disperse the seeds in their waste. That's the benefit for the genetic trait of producing a tastier/larger/more energy-dense fruit than another plant. So in a sense the seeds do germinate with the purpose of feeding animals.3 -
Your quote marks suggest that you actually agree with my broader point.0
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just_Tomek wrote: »debrakgoogins wrote: »just_Tomek wrote: »Its NOT milk. Please stop calling it that. Its an almond / cashew / coconut infused water. Also instead of buying try making this at home. Stupid easy.
Not sure I would stop calling it by the name that is on the label. Almond milk has been called milk since the 18th century.
Around here its almond / cashew beverage... right on the box.
It's mostly "almond milk" on the cartons I've seen in the US. Does Canada have some law about it? I wouldn't mind if we started calling it bruet of Almayn again, however.
Or there's this:
Am I the only one whose mind instantly sprang a picture of a teeny tiny milking stool and a teeny tiny milkmaid? 😂6 -
The "cow milk is for baby cows" argument is fine, if you're against the dairy industry. Which I totally understand. However if you aren't vegan it doesn't really make sense. Lots of things we eat aren't "intended" to be eaten.4
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It's a lot lower in calories. I have been meaning to get it for my oatmeal because of that but I love milk so much
It depends what you use milk for. If it's just to eat cereal or oatmeal or things like that it's fine but I would not drink a glass of almond milk, for example.
Lower in calories, but also lower in nutritional value.
Need to balance within the context of overall diet. 1% milk gives a big protein bang for the calories as an example.5 -
I would say yes because cows milk is not good for your health. It is full of puss and hormones, plant based is they way to go
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niamhdean97 wrote: »I would say yes because cows milk is not good for your health. It is full of puss and hormones, plant based is they way to go
Hormones and pus vs pesticides and/or trucked in bees to pollinate all of the almonds. I'll make my choice on what I think tastes better and what my body digests without issues as opposed to scare tactics.
Yes I dislike the taste of the vast majority of dairy products* and my body doesn't do the best job of digesting it, but let's not be alarmist.
*I'll eat ice cream and whipped cream but even with ice cream I'm not that person who has any desire to eat an entire pint. For fun and accuracy I weighed out my normal serving of ice cream - 76g which ended up being well under 200 calories for that specific brand and flavor.6 -
niamhdean97 wrote: »I would say yes because cows milk is not good for your health. It is full of puss and hormones, plant based is they way to go
Yet humans have been consuming dairy products for centuries and maybe millennia. Hmmm.11 -
just_Tomek wrote: »niamhdean97 wrote: »I would say yes because cows milk is not good for your health. It is full of puss and hormones, plant based is they way to go
Yet humans have been consuming dairy products for centuries and maybe millennia. Hmmm.
And where are those humans now? Dead. Dairy will kill you, slowly. Over processed, plant based, packed with delish ingredients that did not see the test of time FTW!!!
Dear god I've been drinking water this whole time but everybody who has had water has died! Stop drinking water people!!!! 13 -
RelCanonical wrote: »just_Tomek wrote: »niamhdean97 wrote: »I would say yes because cows milk is not good for your health. It is full of puss and hormones, plant based is they way to go
Yet humans have been consuming dairy products for centuries and maybe millennia. Hmmm.
And where are those humans now? Dead. Dairy will kill you, slowly. Over processed, plant based, packed with delish ingredients that did not see the test of time FTW!!!
Dear god I've been drinking water this whole time but everybody who has had water has died! Stop drinking water people!!!!
Dihydrogen Monoxide kills...8 -
Theoldguy1 wrote: »It's a lot lower in calories. I have been meaning to get it for my oatmeal because of that but I love milk so much It depends what you use milk for. If it's just to eat cereal or oatmeal or things like that it's fine but I would not drink a glass of almond milk, for example.
Lower in calories, but also lower in nutritional value.
Need to balance within the context of overall diet. 1% milk gives a big protein bang for the calories as an example.
It's better than none, but I wouldn't call it "big." for me the 8 grams or so isn't worth the 100+ extra calories over unsweetened almond or cashew0 -
So back to the topic at hand, almond milk is a good low-calorie alternative to cow's milk, especially because you don't like the taste of cow's milk! But keep in mind that almond milk doesn't have as many nutrients as cow's milk, including that hefty 8g of protein per cup. If you're looking for a milk alternative, you might want to try soy milk as well! It's got slightly more calories than almond milk, but it's got 7g of protein per cup, it's pretty cheap and you might like the taste. Let us know!1
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just_Tomek wrote: »niamhdean97 wrote: »I would say yes because cows milk is not good for your health. It is full of puss and hormones, plant based is they way to go
Yet humans have been consuming dairy products for centuries and maybe millennia. Hmmm.
And where are those humans now? Dead. Dairy will kill you, slowly. Over processed, plant based, packed with delish ingredients that did not see the test of time FTW!!!
Though I mean to be fair, almond milk (or almond beverage as you'd prefer it called) has been used since at least the 13 century....it would appear those people are also dead. Or at least I hope they are because who in the world would want to live for that long?6 -
I like that almond milk takes less water to produce than cows milk and puts out no methane so I originally switched to it for the environmental impact. The fact that it's also lower calorie was a bonus when trying to lose weight. Now I prefer the savings of buying the shelf-stable box, only refrigerating when I'm ready to use it, and less goes to waste since the carton is smaller and it lasts longer in the fridge than cows milk.5
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I like that almond milk takes less water to produce than cows milk and puts out no methane so I originally switched to it for the environmental impact. The fact that it's also lower calorie was a bonus when trying to lose weight. Now I prefer the savings of buying the shelf-stable box, only refrigerating when I'm ready to use it, and less goes to waste since the carton is smaller and it lasts longer in the fridge than cows milk.
I've heard for years about the high water cost of producing almonds so had to look that up. Turns out you are right: https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-46654042
...Almond milk requires more water to produce than soy or oat milk. A single glass requires 74 litres (130 pints of water) - more than a typical shower. Rice milk is also comparatively thirsty, requiring 54 litres of water per glass.
However, it's worth noting that both almond and rice milk still require less water to produce than the typical glass of dairy milk.7 -
cwolfman13 wrote: »RelCanonical wrote: »just_Tomek wrote: »niamhdean97 wrote: »I would say yes because cows milk is not good for your health. It is full of puss and hormones, plant based is they way to go
Yet humans have been consuming dairy products for centuries and maybe millennia. Hmmm.
And where are those humans now? Dead. Dairy will kill you, slowly. Over processed, plant based, packed with delish ingredients that did not see the test of time FTW!!!
Dear god I've been drinking water this whole time but everybody who has had water has died! Stop drinking water people!!!!
Dihydrogen Monoxide kills...
Several thousand people annually, in the US alone.
Probably not very many of them are plant-based eaters, though.
(
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Back on topic - it does not have to be either or. My system relies on low calorie protein solutions and while I do not drink a lot of protein shakes I do use them in certain situations. However, when I want cereal, chocolate milk, sawmill gravy, etc I will definitely steal milk right from a calf's mouth.1
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extra_medium wrote: »Theoldguy1 wrote: »It's a lot lower in calories. I have been meaning to get it for my oatmeal because of that but I love milk so much It depends what you use milk for. If it's just to eat cereal or oatmeal or things like that it's fine but I would not drink a glass of almond milk, for example.
Lower in calories, but also lower in nutritional value.
Need to balance within the context of overall diet. 1% milk gives a big protein bang for the calories as an example.
It's better than none, but I wouldn't call it "big." for me the 8 grams or so isn't worth the 100+ extra calories over unsweetened almond or cashew
A cup of skim milk (I know the person said 1%, but for oats I'd likely use skim) has 8 grams of protein and 83 cals. A cup of the low cal almond milk (which is basically flavored water with some supplements added) is 37 cals, so for me the protein difference would favor milk if I were using it for an otherwise lower protein breakfast like oats. (Aside, I don't buy milk now since I don't ever use it before it goes bad, but I bought it regularly years ago when my go-to breakfast was oats.)
In a smoothie, I similarly will use something with more protein, like greek yogurt or tofu, although I often also want more fat so will use homemade cashew milk. For me, if not using protein powder (which I generally don't), the very low cal almond milk wouldn't work in a smoothie, as it would not add the fat or protein I want.
Not at all suggesting people shouldn't prefer or choose almond milk (there are kinds that contain more almonds and thus have cals more like milk) for the reasons that have been expressed, but just giving some reasons why the lower cals might not outweigh the benefits of other beverages for all.1 -
Palm oil is in most of the commercial nut milks. Tell the orangutans whose homes are destroyed by fire with them in the trees...
Slash and burn is the technique used for agricultural production of palms for palm oil. Natural forests are being slash/burned at an alarming rate to feed the lust for palm oil in developed countries. Nothing good comes from this.
Orangutans are endangered. Cows aren't.
If you have to drink nut milks, please make them yourself at home.
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cmriverside wrote: »Palm oil is in most of the commercial nut milks. Tell the orangutans whose homes are destroyed by fire with them in the trees...
Slash and burn is the technique used for agricultural production of palms for palm oil. Natural forests are being slash/burned at an alarming rate to feed the lust for palm oil in developed countries. Nothing good comes from this.
Orangutans are endangered. Cows aren't.
If you have to drink nut milks, please make them yourself at home.
Does palm oil go by any other names? I checked the ingredients on my almond milk and didn't see it.1 -
RelCanonical wrote: »cmriverside wrote: »Palm oil is in most of the commercial nut milks. Tell the orangutans whose homes are destroyed by fire with them in the trees...
Slash and burn is the technique used for agricultural production of palms for palm oil. Natural forests are being slash/burned at an alarming rate to feed the lust for palm oil in developed countries. Nothing good comes from this.
Orangutans are endangered. Cows aren't.
If you have to drink nut milks, please make them yourself at home.
Does palm oil go by any other names? I checked the ingredients on my almond milk and didn't see it.
here:
https://www.ethicalconsumer.org/palm-oil/palm-oil-labelling
Look for these four words, and then if you see them you can take it further. It's tough. Chocolate, baked goods, frozen desserts, soaps - so many uses for palm oil. I get exhausted.:
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Personally I like oat milk, tastes good to me. Also in terms of environmental impact, I'm in the UK and oats grown in Sweden seem more sustainable.
Do like almond milk as well though, this morning I had porridge made with dark chocolate almond milk, topped with Apple and cinnamon. It was very successful 😊
As ever, depends on what you like and what you are trying to achieve.0 -
I just went to the nutritionist and she told me to switch from refrigerated coconut milk to cow's milk because I'm not getting enough protein.
No one can say what any person should do for themselves because everyone has their own needs, but that's where I am.5 -
cmriverside wrote: »Palm oil is in most of the commercial nut milks. Tell the orangutans whose homes are destroyed by fire with them in the trees...
Slash and burn is the technique used for agricultural production of palms for palm oil. Natural forests are being slash/burned at an alarming rate to feed the lust for palm oil in developed countries. Nothing good comes from this.
Orangutans are endangered. Cows aren't.
If you have to drink nut milks, please make them yourself at home.
Or buy an alternative milk without palm oil. A very quick google of the only brand that I (which is a pretty major brand) buy shows that they don't have palm oil in the almond, hazelnut, or hemp milks (I like the taste of hemp milk - I don't buy it for any of the "hemp is sooooooooooo good for you" reasons. The company is also local and It's an exceedingly good bet that the hazelnuts are as well given the state that I live in (a quick check at their website and yes, they're local hazelnuts). A quick look at another major national player shows that they too don't use palm oil, at least they don't in their almond milk.4
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