Milk Substitutions????

army_munchkin

Hey all!!! I have a question about milk substitutions, I have seen alot ot people drinking Soy, Rice, or Almond milk instead of Dairy milk, however I did some research to see what nutritional values these substitutions offer. What I found was while all of the above mentioned options are lower in calories, they are also lower in other nutritional value such as calcium. Even Skim milk is only some 20 calories more per 8 oz but the other nutritional info bury's the substitiutions.

What are your thoughts?????

erickirb

the only things I consider Cow's milk substitutes are Soy Milk and goat's milk as they are high in protein as well. Alternatives to Milk would include almond, rice, and hemp milk but these don't offer nearly as much if any protein, which I consider the biggest benefit of milk. Most are fortified with similar nutrients that milk has.

TealStar13

I drink soy milk because it's better on my stomach. Also, my trainer said that soy milk is really good for females.

CoryIda

I am allergic to milk and have a serious infatuation with almond milk. It's one of my favorite things on the planet. It is creamy, mild flavored, and works really well in recipes.

EmilyAnn89

My family drinks Silk Very Vanilla Fortified Soy Milk.

Mainly because I've tried to take down our intake of meat and dairy products.

http://silksoymilk.com/products/simply-silk/very-vanilla

nisharae

My favorite is Almond Breeze unsweetened vanilla.. Its the bomb, a little hard to find, but amazing!!!... mix with a little cinnamon and yummmm... and only 40 cals a glass.... I'll get my nutrients elsewhere....

oddyogi

I'm allergic to dairy or lactose intolerant (not sure which.. I was allergic when I was a kid to dairy, eggs, corn, and beans), and I drink Lactaid milk. It's real milk, with an enzyme to aid digestion. It tastes exactly like real milk which I like, and they have low fat and non fat versions. Before I found Lactaid, I drank soy milk. Almond milk always left an aftertaste in my mouth. It's all up to personal preference I guess.

Soy milk is good, but it promotes estrogen (and hinders testosterone), and could possibly lower your metabolism.

Along this topic, does anyone know of any good lactose free cheese? I am MISSING my cheese so much!

erickirb

Soy milk is good, but it promotes estrogen (and hinders testosterone), and could possibly lower your metabolism.

Only in very large quantities can soy cause these issue. More than I could ever possibly eat/drink

lilRicki

I love almond chocolate milk, and that's why i take a woman's one a day vitamin...I don't have ANY dairy in my diet so I monitor my calcium intake very closely. If I'm low even after taking my one a day, I have a calcium vitamin with vitamin D and magnisium for proper absorbtion

lilRicki

Along this topic, does anyone know of any good lactose free cheese? I am MISSING my cheese so much!

Just "soy loaf"...they've changed the formula a bit so it's more like cheese, but the loaf still doesn't taste like the real thing. I like the veggie slices for grilled "cheese" sandwiches though...

jrlenig

I will completely disagree with you trainer soy milk is not good for all females, females who do not produce enough estrogen benefit from soy, and I SAY THIS BECAUSE but there is also a great deal of soy is almost everything that you yourself do not make( to name a few bread, crackers, some meats, almost all margarine, there are many more(my daughter has food allergies so we are super label readers), and I DO NOT suggest soy milk for young females in particular ones who have not hit puberty.

And cheese alternatives, try Daiya(shredded mozz and cheddar cheeses) and Tofutti(sliced "American and Provolone) , both great products

jmyers1230

Along this topic, does anyone know of any good lactose free cheese? I am MISSING my cheese so much!

If you read the labels on Kraft brand cheeses, they say 0g lactose per serving. Kraft sells the lactose byproduct to Abbott labs to be used in baby formula (my dad works for Abbott). I'm not sure if there is a minimal amount of lactose that is low enough that they can print that. I'm only partially lactose intolerant so cheese usually doesn't bother my stomach anyway (but milk kills me and ice cream is questionable).

Mindful_Trent

I don't drink milk to get calcium or protein (or other nutrients) - I get more than enough protein from other sources, and I couldn't drink enough milk in a day to get all my calcium (or at least I wouldn't want to - I want those calories for food!), so I take calcium supplements. I'd like to be able to get all my calcium naturally from other sources...something I'm working on!

I use milk in recipes and in cereal and occasionally as a drink, but since I'm not drinking it for the nutrients, I have no problem substituting almond milk (my favorite) for cow's milk when I have some available. There are a few recipes almond milk wouldn't work as a substitute in (like making yogurt) but most of the time it does just fine.

For anyone interested in looking up sources of various nutrients - here is a site with comprehensive lists of all the common nutrients. You can view a list sorted alphabetically or in decending order by how much of the nutrient that food has in it. The list has some processed foods in it (like cereal) but I find them to still be very helpful. http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/Data/SR18/nutrlist/sr18list.html

bjberry

Even Skim milk is only some 20 calories more per 8 oz but the other nutritional info bury's the substitiutions.

My "Great Value" (Walmart) Fat Free Milk has 30% calcium per cup (240 ml). And it tastes really good. Maybe they have it in a lactaid version? Great question, by the way.