Should I switch to almond milk ?
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One benefit of almond milk is that it stays fresh for longer than dairy milk. I used to buy milk but used it rarely. It would go sour before I could use it up. I switched to almond milk for several reasons but one of my main reasons to use it is that it doesn't go sour as fast. I can keep a carton in my fridge and used it up all the way.2
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My daughter isn't a fan of cows milk, though she enjoys yogurt, cheese etc, just doesn't like it for drinking.
She uses unsweetened vanilla almond milk. She said she liked cashew better but it costs more so she uses the almond. She doesn't drink cups of it straight, she uses it in cereal or smoothies mostly. One container lasts her quite awhile.
TLDR: if you prefer it to cows milk, go for it.1 -
I use it to make pancakes and such for the calories. I suppose it makes me think it is something more then water with some juiced almonds. I don't care I like the pancakes made with it and don't want/need milk.1
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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. 0 -
Cow's milk is for baby cows.10
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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.
£5.50 worth of almonds will produce a beverage with way more almond taste than store bought.3 -
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 is an extremely well balanced food with an excellent mix of carbs, fat and protein. It also contains IGF1, which is fabulous for growing children as well as seniors and those trying to grow muscle.
As we age, we produce less lactase to break down the lactose in cow's milk. In these instances, dairy products from sheep or goats are a great alternative.
Nut milks, while having thier uses, are not a very good nutritional substitute for cow, sheep or goat milk.18 -
I never buy milk (beyond gross) and switch between soy, cashew, and oat milk. I have never had a problem subbing soy or cashew for regular milk in a recipe (and only get the chocolate oat milk bc its so darn good!)4
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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*.
I think a more accurate line of thought would be that some humans have been ingesting cow milk for millenia. Hence why there are population that have significantly higher incidences of lactose intolerance than others.7 -
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.7 -
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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