What you need to know about milk alternatives
Not everyone can eat dairy products, and those who can’t–dubbed “lactose intolerant”– must find alternative ways to satisfy those cravings for milk. For some, the…
If you’re not interested in dairy products, there are a number of milk alternatives to try. (Shutterstock)
Not everyone can eat dairy products, and those who can’t–dubbed “lactose intolerant”– must find alternative ways to satisfy those cravings for milk.
For some, the process isn’t difficult; who is going to miss milk anyway? But for others a cookie without a glass of milk is almost pointless.
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Thankfully, modern food technology has developed a number of milk alternatives for people who either can’t drink it or have cut it out of their diets for other reasons.
While these other beverages aren’t really defined as “milk,” they mimic the beverage through certain plant extracts that won’t aggravate food allergies or lactose intolerance.
What is lactose intolerance?
Almond milk is a healthy alternative to cow milk. (Photo: Shutterstock)
Lactose intolerance is the inability to digest milk sugar (lactose) found in milk and other dairy products. The Mayo Clinic indicates people with this condition lack lactase, an enzyme found in the intestines that is required to break down lactose.
Lactose intolerance can vary from person to person, and some people go their entire lives never knowing they have an issue.
Symptoms range from mild to severe, with the most common symptom that of bloating or gas. In more extreme cases, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal cramps are common, with most symptoms manifesting within 30 minutes of dairy intake.
Milk alternatives
For those who enjoy milk from a cow and have mild lactose intolerance or are avoiding milk because of how cows are treated with hormones and antibiotics, the first milk alternative to consider is cow milk that is processed to be lactose-free or organic milk that comes from cows not treated with commercial products.
But if you simply can’t have dairy, the milk alternatives at your disposal include:
- Soy milk: Soy milk was one of the first milk alternatives to hit mainstream grocery stores. Soy milk was popular because it has a similar nutrient profile to cow milk with 8 to 10 grams of protein per serving and is often fortified with calcium, vitamins A and D and riboflavin. Soy is not without its concerns, however, as natural estrogen-like compounds in the beans may interfere with a person’s natural hormone production, and soy remains one of the primary crops known to be a genetically modified organism (GMO).
- Almond milk: Almond milk is another popular item among milk alternatives, but compared to soy and regular milk it has significantly less protein. Medical News Today indicates almond does, however, have plenty of vitamin E, providing about 50 percent of the daily value in one serving (one cup) but is lacking in other vitamins, minerals and fatty acids present in dairy milk. Almond milk is not considered a suitable milk alternative for infants.
- Rice milk: The most hypoallergenic of all milk alternative, rice milk is very watery and must be fortified with calcium and other minerals. It is not ideal for baking because of its texture, but it is the most logical choice for people who have severe food allergies and/or lactose intolerance.
- Coconut milk: Coconut milk is the most similar milk alternative to dairy milk when it comes to texture, but it does not have a similar nutritional profile. Coconut milk is lower in calories but contains very little protein or calcium compared to cow milk.
- Hemp milk: Hemp milk is considered the second best among milk alternatives in regards to hypoallergenic properties. It has plentiful amounts of protein and fatty acids but lacks when it comes to calcium.
There are other milk alternatives out there too, including milks made from other nut products, potatoes, barley and sunflower, but the above are the most readily available to the consumer.
If you do need to, or decide to, purchase milk alternatives make sure you supplement your diet in other ways to make up for the calcium and vitamin D that you may be missing out on.
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