Should I switch to almond milk ?
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Is anyone concerned that almond milk is meant to be worse for the environment than cow's milk?1
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I did buy my first half gallon of almond milk. I actually think it tastes amazing and could even drink it plain which is so weird since I think cows milk is disgusting lol. I’ve used it for smoothies, cereal, and chocolate milk. But wondering how it would hold up as a substitute for cow milk in cooking such as creamy pastas or boxed recipes that call for milk0
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I've heard that argument before, but I don't know about it. Because while almonds certainly do take up water and use pesticides...so do cows and the plants that are necessary to feed them. And I say this as someone who consumes cow dairy and doesn't intend to stop.
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Is anyone concerned that almond milk is meant to be worse for the environment than cow's milk?
While almond growing in California is extremely water intensive and thus bad for the planet; cow's milk worse.
From your link:
(this isn’t to say cow’s milk, which takes about 100 litres of water to produce 100ml of milk, is more environmentally friendly...
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See also: 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.5 -
I don't drink cow milk or plant-based "milk" and don't eat cereal.
Tea for the win!
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kshama2001 wrote: »I don't drink cow milk or plant-based "milk" and don't eat cereal.
Tea for the win!
But the carbon footprint of shipping that tea! I'll stick with primarily drinking water
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kshama2001 wrote: »Is anyone concerned that almond milk is meant to be worse for the environment than cow's milk?
While almond growing in California is extremely water intensive and thus bad for the planet; cow's milk worse.
From your link:
(this isn’t to say cow’s milk, which takes about 100 litres of water to produce 100ml of milk, is more environmentally friendly...
***
See also: 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.
The problem with this type of analysis is that almond milk is mostly produced in CA, and apparently takes a toll on honeybees, whereas cow's milk can be easily sourced locally and unlike CA, where I live has no drought problem (if anything, the opposite).
It's also why I prefer nut milks that actually include the nuts (ideally homemade) -- although that means they are not low cal.
But there are drawbacks with everything we eat, so I don't think it's wrong to prefer the low cal store-bought almond milk.
As noted before I don't really use milk, other than homemade cashew milk in a smoothie. I do like other forms of dairy, like cottage cheese, greek yogurt, and (more indulgently) ice cream and cheese in general.0 -
kshama2001 wrote: »Is anyone concerned that almond milk is meant to be worse for the environment than cow's milk?
While almond growing in California is extremely water intensive and thus bad for the planet; cow's milk worse.
From your link:
(this isn’t to say cow’s milk, which takes about 100 litres of water to produce 100ml of milk, is more environmentally friendly...
***
See also: 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.
The problem with this type of analysis is that almond milk is mostly produced in CA, and apparently takes a toll on honeybees, whereas cow's milk can be easily sourced locally and unlike CA, where I live has no drought problem (if anything, the opposite).
It's also why I prefer nut milks that actually include the nuts (ideally homemade) -- although that means they are not low cal.
But there are drawbacks with everything we eat, so I don't think it's wrong to prefer the low cal store-bought almond milk.
As noted before I don't really use milk, other than homemade cashew milk in a smoothie. I do like other forms of dairy, like cottage cheese, greek yogurt, and (more indulgently) ice cream and cheese in general.
I was curious about the connection (my first thought was do almond trees displace other crops that honey bees rely on?) and found articles indicating that almond trees actually depend on pollinators like honey bees, but that fungicides sprayed on the trees appear to be harming the bees. This seems like a problem that the almond growers will be forced to solve (presumably by finding ways to combat fungi that are less harmful to honey bees), if they are depending on bees to pollinate their crops.
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cmriverside wrote: »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.:
None of this in the brand I use in the UK/Ireland either.1 -
just_Tomek wrote: »Most excellent. The 0% feels and tastes like regular 2% milk.
1cup serving = 80cal
Per Serving Protein Sugar Calcium Lactose
fairlife® ultra-filtered fat free milk
13g 6g 380mg No
regular milk
8g 12g 276mg Yes
almond milk
1g 7g 451mg No
And therein lies just one of the problems for me. You would not have been able to get five year old me to drink that (and would have wasted money in the process) and my current 32 year old self is also not going to drink it. I think the taste of milk is gross and that's ok. People are allowed to not like milk in the same way people are allowed to not like the taste of raisins, mayonnaise, oysters, mushrooms, or anything else.2 -
Personally, the unsweetened almond milk, original, is what I use for my homemade smoothies. If I want it sweet, one tbsp. of Splenda does the trick. I know Splenda is also an acquired taste but growing up with diabetics I used it for everything that wasn’t as sweet as I wanted.0
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No. It’s a scam. Almonds don’t even have breast. Can can you milk one?2
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allother94 wrote: »No. It’s a scam. Almonds don’t even have breast. Can can you milk one?
https://youtu.be/nPKYgHtnMJQ 1 -
just_Tomek wrote: »Most excellent. The 0% feels and tastes like regular 2% milk.
1cup serving = 80cal
Per Serving Protein Sugar Calcium Lactose
fairlife® ultra-filtered fat free milk
13g 6g 380mg No
regular milk
8g 12g 276mg Yes
almond milk
1g 7g 451mg No
And therein lies just one of the problems for me. You would not have been able to get five year old me to drink that (and would have wasted money in the process) and my current 32 year old self is also not going to drink it. I think the taste of milk is gross and that's ok. People are allowed to not like milk in the same way people are allowed to not like the taste of raisins, mayonnaise, oysters, mushrooms, or anything else.
Including the OP
I guess @Just_tomek just really likes Milk
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tinkerbellang83 wrote: »just_Tomek wrote: »Most excellent. The 0% feels and tastes like regular 2% milk.
1cup serving = 80cal
Per Serving Protein Sugar Calcium Lactose
fairlife® ultra-filtered fat free milk
13g 6g 380mg No
regular milk
8g 12g 276mg Yes
almond milk
1g 7g 451mg No
And therein lies just one of the problems for me. You would not have been able to get five year old me to drink that (and would have wasted money in the process) and my current 32 year old self is also not going to drink it. I think the taste of milk is gross and that's ok. People are allowed to not like milk in the same way people are allowed to not like the taste of raisins, mayonnaise, oysters, mushrooms, or anything else.
Including the OP
I guess @Just_tomek just really likes Milk
I think the problem is that OP set up the thread as if it were about switching to almond milk for health or some other reason (and it's common enough for people to get the idea that there is something unhealthy about milk or that almond milk is important to consume for health reasons, both of which I think are silly and incorrect ideas). OP initially asked about the benefits of almond milk and if it tasted like milk.
Had she said "I dislike the taste of milk, how does almond milk taste and does it work well in oatmeal and smoothies and recipes," no one would likely be telling her that milk is preferable.
On the whole, I think people have explained the differences pretty well and what they prefer, and that it really is just a matter of personal preference and what one is looking for from the milk (dairy or non).6 -
just_Tomek wrote: »tinkerbellang83 wrote: »just_Tomek wrote: »Most excellent. The 0% feels and tastes like regular 2% milk.
1cup serving = 80cal
Per Serving Protein Sugar Calcium Lactose
fairlife® ultra-filtered fat free milk
13g 6g 380mg No
regular milk
8g 12g 276mg Yes
almond milk
1g 7g 451mg No
And therein lies just one of the problems for me. You would not have been able to get five year old me to drink that (and would have wasted money in the process) and my current 32 year old self is also not going to drink it. I think the taste of milk is gross and that's ok. People are allowed to not like milk in the same way people are allowed to not like the taste of raisins, mayonnaise, oysters, mushrooms, or anything else.
Including the OP
I guess @Just_tomek just really likes Milk
I do like milk and I also like almond / cashew milk beverages
My point here was that it should not be called milk. Thats all.
But as pointed out it is called almond milk and has been for a long time. I wish people wouldn't say "impactful," but they do, the battle is lost, there's no point in tilting at windmills. Some poster around here was claiming that greek yogurt should be used only for yogurts from Greece, but that's not the case either (and will remain not the case for those of us not in the EU, anyway).
(In truth I'm a descriptionist, not a prescriptionist anyway, but I have certain pet peeves.)5 -
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.
The dairy industry is trying to make it illegal to call almond milk, milk. I'm empathetic to the lost profits and the struggles of independent dairy farmers but, the term milk is accurate and appropriate to describe nut and oat milk5 -
I made the decision to stop drinking cow's milk and switch to almond milk and don't taste the difference. Reading The Cheese Trap by Dr Neal Bernard convinced me to stop eating dairy products. I view it from an evolutionary standpoint; What is cow's milk intended to do? A baby calf learns how to eat by trial and error. So cow's milk is designed to be a reward for a calf teaching itself how to eat, become addictive, and take an animal that weighs about 50lbs, and turn it into an animal that weighs 500 lbs. Dr Bernard opines that milk and cheese are scientifically more addictive than heroin. So I came off dairy products and don't miss it.0
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