What instead of milk? Plant alternatives |

In this article you will find answers to the following questions:

• What do milk substitutes taste like?
• Can you order, for example, a soy drink in popular cafes?
• What really needs to be excluded from the diet?
• Is it worth giving up milk if it is not necessary?

Interestingly, checking our alternatives can be quite fun and an idea for an unusual culinary journey, because it often turns out that most plant flavors – we or our family members – have not yet known. Who knows, maybe then our dairy-free diet will be a good solution, allowing for a completely natural, balanced diet plan in terms of macronutrients (such as calcium or iron) after excluding dairy (animal) products.

Milk – a few facts to get you started

The most popular, most common in Europe and the best associated taste is cow’s milk. The range of products made on the basis of goat’s milk also has its audience. The reasons why the consumption of this type of animal products is most often abandoned are:

• allergy to cow’s milk proteins,
• lactose intolerance (differences between allergy and intolerance described in our article),
• changing the diet to vegan,
• skin problems after consuming dairy products (rash, stains, etc.),
• chronic flatulence and constipation,
• high cholesterol.

Some of the above are symptoms related to excess milk in the diet. Then it is often enough to slightly limit the intake … well, what? Because milk is not only a white liquid bought in a carton, bag or directly “from the cow”, but also a wide range of related products:

• butter,
• white, yellow and blue cheese,
• cream, buttermilk, kefir,
• natural and fruit yoghurts,
• sweets and other products with milk listed high in the composition.

This means that when shopping in the store you need to spend a little more time choosing products, paying attention to the “key words” among all listed in the composition: lactose, whey, whole and skimmed milk powder, milk proteins, milk fat.

Vegetable milk – different in taste or healthier?

The easiest solution is to go to the vegan shelf. Fortunately, large supermarkets and even discounters (where Poles like to shop most often – e.g. according to this survey) more and more often already have suitable places containing only such articles. 

It is worth doing it, if only for a trial. Why? The taste offered by plant-based milk is completely different than the traditional “3,2%” known to us. Actually, it’s hard to talk about one pattern, because there are at least a few products, more about it in a moment.

Reflecting on the ecological aspects is timely, so scientists from Oxford have also decided to take a look at how milk consumption affects the environment around us. The determinant was one glass of milk, all year round, every day. In order to provide it to man in the form of an animal (cow) product, production consumed 650 m² of land and 255 liters of water. The plant drink generated three times lower greenhouse gas emissionsand the water consumption was reduced to 54 liters of water (rice milk) and 74 liters (almond milk).

The most popular milk substitutes

Answering the question “what instead of milk?” it is good to first consider whether it is necessary to urgently look for a substitute at all. The advantage of dairy (animal) products is their wide availability and low price. When analyzing the composition, one can often find a valuable source of calcium, vitamins B, E, D and A, and amino acids, including casein available in proteins.

Of course, if someone is allergic or becomes intolerant – it is perfectly justified. In the case of vegans, the matter is also beyond dispute. However, in other situations, milk very often appears as a component of a professionally prescribed diet, here the need for changes is not so urgent, especially as plant-based milk is not the cheapest.

However, there are times when you need to, and there are times when it’s just worth trying something new. The most popular and widely known is soy milk (a soy drink), which you may have already tried. We encourage you to view the interesting and still current thread on our forum: https://.pl/forum/Mleko-sojowe-czy-normalne ?. 

In search of less popular and known alternatives, please visit our overview:

Almond milk

Almond milk can be said to be the latest craze in fashion, but it has been well known to the world since the Middle Ages! Almond milk (although the correct term should be “almond plant drink”) comes in different qualities – it all depends on the producer and the almonds used, as well as the additives.

Its main advantage is its low calorific value (approx. 24 kcal in 100 ml) and low fat content (less than 1,5% in milk).). Due to the presence of phosphorus, calcium is better absorbed, available in fortified drinks, i.e. additionally enriched. Vitamins D, B2, B12 and E are also a strong point of almond milk.

Oat milk

Calories in oat milk are also not frightening, although there are noticeably more of them than in the almond variety (54 kcal per 100 ml). During the research it was shown that Replacing the consumption of about 1 liter of cow’s milk with oat, over 4 weeks, resulted in a reduction in cholesterol levels by about 4%.

Oat milk is also a valuable source of fiber (up to 2 grams in a glass) and the ability to distract the body from consuming saturated fat. Thanks to fortification, calcium and vitamins D and A appear in it, so you can additionally note its beneficial effect on the immune system.

Millet milk

This variety is very rare in stores, but importantly, you can also prepare a portion of millet on your own. Three glasses of water, 1,5 cups of dry millet, a handful of soaked and previously peeled almonds and a tablespoon of coconut shavings are enough. You have to put everything in a blender, then drain it – the drink is millet milk, and the mass is a great base for cookies.

Calories in 100 ml are exactly the same as in oat milk. This is a great product for people with celiac disease and gluten-free diets. The composition also includes valuable elements, including copper, silicon, iron and calcium. The taste of the milk remains neutral and the contents will be especially valuable for people with anemia.

Rice milk

Two times more carbohydrates than in cow’s milk and 47 kcal per 100 ml? That’s what rice milk is like! Besides, it is a great source of selenium and manganese, as well as vitamin B. There is no lactose, cholesterol and gluten here.

Instead, there are the so-called phytosterols: oryzanol and sitosterol. What does it mean? That rice milk should be used especially by those who have problems with the circulatory system. The only problem is that the taste is very different from the traditional one, it is quite specific to say the least, and not everyone will like it. Another difference is the consistency – emulsion, requiring shaking before drinking.

Vegetable drink in a cafe. Can be?

Finally, a little curiosity for coffee lovers who would like to change something in their diet, interested in this material. Of course you have to remember that the taste of coffee with vegetable milk will be completely differentthan in the case of the classic cow used by baristas. Is it worse? This is an individual thing, but nothing prevents you from trying it yourself.

We reviewed the most popular chains in Poland:

• Costa Coffee British coffee shop chain, known since 1971, in Poland offers a unique blend of coconut milk, which is light in taste, but devoid of sweetness.
• McDonald’s This is not the favorite place of our Dieticians;), but the popular Mac’s offer includes, among others, lattes with a soy drink.
• Starbucks a cult place for vegans and hipsters, and one of the world’s most popular cafe chains. For years, Starbucks has been offering soy, almond and coconut milk, as well as a plant-based oat drink.

These are only three places, but if you would like a full overview of plant alternatives available on the market – write in the comments, we will prepare it in a more detailed version!

Meanwhile, let us know which plant-based milk is your favorite. Have you tried, or do you want to try? Do you know other options? We encourage you because it is a really interesting experience 🙂