Milk Alternatives
I am sure you all know that milk alternatives are becoming more and more popular these days, but it is important to make an informed decision before choosing the right milk alternative for you.
Choosing the correct milk alternative is very dependent on you as an individual. It is important to ask yourself, why you are choosing a milk alternative? Is it for environmental reasons, religious or cultural reasons, dietary reasons, medical reasons or just to follow the current trend?
In order to choose the best milk alternative suited to you, it is important to speak to a registered dietitian to learn the differences between the various milk alternatives that are available on the market. It is vital to make an informed decision and this should be based on your reason for wanting a milk alternative, your current milk intake, your goal and if you are wanting milk to help increase your daily protein intake.
The range of milk alternatives these days is much greater than in the past, but I will give you a bit more insight into the most popular milk alternatives on the market currently.
o Soya Milk – Soya milk contains a higher amount of protein than other milk alternatives on the market. The protein content is in fact actually remarkably similar to normal cow’s milk.
o Oat Milk – Oat milk is quite a nice milk alternative too. It is lower in protein content when compared to soya milk and normal cow’s milk, but it is higher in protein when compared to almond, rice and coconut milk.
o Almond milk – Almond milk is one of the most popular milk alternatives and currently it is a bit of a trend to consume it. The unfortunate thing about almond milk is that it is actually very low in protein and quite pricey for what you are getting because if you have a look at the label, water is the first ingredient and the majority of almond milk is actually water. If you do decide to choose this milk alternative, always make sure that there is no added sugar in it and that it is fortified with calcium.
o Coconut milk – Coconut milk is also quite popular these days, but it is in fact also low in protein and high in calories and saturated fats which are the fats we want to limit in our diet.
o Rice milk – Rice milk is very low in protein and quite high in carbohydrates. Most of the rice milk is actually water.
If you are looking at a milk alternative because you are lactose intolerant, but you are still happy to include dairy in your diet, a great option is lactose free cow’s milk.
Lactose free cow’s milk is available in most shops these days. The wonderful thing about lactose free milk is that it still contains a high amount of protein, calcium and other important nutrients.
The only difference between normal cow’s milk and a lactose free cow’s milk is that the lactose has been removed, which is the natural sugar found in milk. This makes lactose free cow’s milk suitable for an individual with a lactose intolerance.
I hope this blog gives you a bit more insight into milk alternatives so that the next time you choose one, you can make an informed decision and choose the one that is most suitable for you.
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