Holy Cow! 5 Healthy Dairy-Milk Alternatives

I recently started getting these Earth Bar smoothies from my gym that are made with hemp milk. Since many of our clients are vegetarian and vegan, it got me thinking about other tasty and nutritious dairy-milk alternatives. After a little investigating, I've compiled some info about my favorites.

 

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Comments

[Alison Graham]

03:24 AM on 06/12/2010

Hi, I have got really interested in making smoothies myself. I found a website that is helpful http://www.bestbuysmoothiemaker.com which tells you all about the features to look for in a smoothie maker so you get the right model to make your smoothies at home (which means you know EXACTLY what goes into them and they are not heat treated (pasteurised) like some store-bought varieties and if you have special dietary needs, allergies or digestive problems, you can be sure to avoid any contamination with anything that can cause problems. Thanks for all the interesting information, I have not found Hemp Milk in the UK, I will ask at my local health food store.

[vanchick]

11:38 AM on 06/03/2010

Watch out for carrageenan though as it's in most almond milk (unless you make it yourself!) and causes stomach issues in some people! Who knew?!?

[levelshot]

09:40 AM on 06/03/2010

I never knew cow's milk was so bad for you until i tried 1% for the first time in almost a year with a bowl of cereal this past tuesday. Ever since, I've been mucusy, allergies flaring and feeling bloated. Never again will I drink cow's milk. BTW, we took our boys off milk 4 months ago and so far they haven't had anymore ear infections.

[cyclobenzaprine9]

06:01 PM on 06/02/2010

I've been looking everywhere for Hemp Dream. Local supermarkets don't carry it, Trader Joe's does not carry it, and my local Whole Foods doesn't either. =(

[simplify]

08:46 AM on 06/03/2010

Try YES Organic store if in your area

[lmo913]

04:13 PM on 06/03/2010

Have you asked the grocery manager at your local store if they might carry it? I've had great luck that way.

[cyclobenzaprine9]

05:59 PM on 06/02/2010

The best-tasting non-dairy "mylk" (as raw chef Ani Phyo likes to label her nut milks) is slightly-sweetened homemade soy milk. Soybeans are cheap and the recipe is simple. No weird, unrecognizeable chemicals/thickeners added. 100% raw and 100% wholesome. =)

[Amanda Donovan]

09:42 PM on 05/31/2010

i LOVE almond milk. it also has MUCH less sugar and calories than cow milk (as long as youre getting the unsweetened kind, which i like). its all we drink at home, though i must use cow milk in my coffee. non-dairy milk just isnt a reasonable facsimile in that particular case...

[peskime]

07:19 PM on 06/02/2010

love almond milk, need to try hemp and oat!

[Mama Grace]

03:37 PM on 05/31/2010

Oat milk? 4 g of protein per 8 oz, coming in second in amount of protein after soy (8g per 8 oz). It's naturally sweet - no added sugar. Plus you get some good fiber. It's the favorite milk alternative in my house.

[Lifencompass]

02:25 PM on 05/30/2010

Thumbs up!

[abuja19]

11:48 PM on 05/27/2010

To all you vegans and vegetarians I say this:
Coconut Milk has higher saturated fat content that Regular milk.

That is all.

[entreMundo]

05:46 AM on 05/29/2010

So? A little bit of natural saturated fat never hurt anyone – in fact, it's a key element in a healthy diet.

[abuja19]

08:19 PM on 05/29/2010

A 'little'? How about none? Why should I consider any of these alternatives to regular milk when I'm just fine with Regular milk?!?!?!?

[Lifencompass]

02:26 PM on 05/30/2010

It's not about fat...

[GailD]

03:30 PM on 05/26/2010

What about all of the delicious coconut milk products by So Delicious? Their coconut milk beverages, coffee creamer, and ice cream are amazing!

[DanaNewton]

06:16 PM on 05/26/2010

Love them! The chocolate almond brownie flavor is great, yum. They even give money to protect sea turtles!

[aproposofnothing]

04:49 AM on 05/27/2010

I only tried their milk and had a problem with the consistency. I love rice milk best, but it's too high calorie plus bland without flavoring. I like Almond best though I would end up drinking way too much of it. I'll still try their ice cream and creamer though!

[liarsclub75]

12:48 AM on 05/26/2010

I like the Rice Dream milk that is flavored with Carob. Hard to find except in health food stores though. We use Almond milk at home, no more cow's milk, except I keep a few cans of evaporated milk in my pantry.

[rougebaisers]

11:09 PM on 05/25/2010

Mmmmmmmm. Soy milk. doh!

[William1950]

10:07 PM on 05/25/2010

it's not soy milk, cause the soy plant does not have mamary glands does it....

[jsarets]

02:32 AM on 05/26/2010

Soybean tea.

[Crows]

06:24 AM on 05/26/2010

Well...depends if it's male or female...duh.

[LillyKelder]

09:26 PM on 05/25/2010

Almond milk is awesome though I'd like to try the hemp milk too.

[Hematite]

08:05 PM on 05/25/2010

All of these are good and all (except soy milk, maybe) have such long traditions of use that they really shouldn't be thought of as milk alternatives, but as foods in their own right that really can't be substituted for each other. You can't make cheese with coconut milk, and you can't make a pina colada with cows' milk.

BTW, the coconut milk photo is faked: what comes out of a ripe coconut is a clear watery liquid, not the milky stuff in the picture.

[entreMundo]

05:49 AM on 05/29/2010

Actually soy milk also has a long and highly esteemed history of use in Asia. Just returned from Southeast Asia and was psyched to see big vats of fresh, steaming soy milk available from street vendors at all hours – yum! (It's also in any 7-11 or convenience store in the region)