Milk Alternatives

A Food Facts Special Report. First in a series.

Perhaps you have suspected for some time that you or someone you know might be suffering from a food allergy. It might have shown up in the form of a major reaction. Sometimes, there is a familiar feeling of indigestion or intestinal “uneasiness” that occurs when eating certain types of foods. Well, that could certainly be an indication of food sensitivities, at the very least.

Food allergies are very common. Milk, for example, is a standard food that many people are allergic to. Unfortunately, milk is a product that is present in many foods, especially bakery items. The good news is that milk is relatively simple to replace. Additionally, there are a number of substitutes that can be used when baking.

Milk Alternatives

Many people are aware of the arguments against drinking milk, including the common occurence of lactose intolerance. While milk products with reduced or no lactose are commonly available, it is useful to look further at milk alternatives.

Non-dairy milk is a good option. The good news is that most stores have a variety of non-dairy milk alternatives, including soy milks, rice milks and almond milks, both in non-refrigerated boxed products as well as refrigerated varieties. The bad news for many is that the selection of non-dairy milk alternatives in stores can be confusing.

Soymilk is, for the most part, the richest of non-dairy milk alternatives, contributing to density through fat, fiber and protein content, while still free of cholesterol and saturated fats. Soymilk is suitable for baking or cooking and can be enjoyed in many different ways. It’s also an easy way to add some protein to recipes, and it is the milk alternative many prefer for preparing dairy-free sauces and other types of milk-based food recipes.

For baking, you might want to consider using organic unsweetened soymilk. When preparing sauces, some cooks experienced with non-dairy alternatives prefer plain soymilk, since it has added carrageenan that acts to further stabilize the liquid.

Read The Food Ingredient Labels and Consult Independent Sources

When selecting a milk alternative, research the food nutrition and ingredient labels. You might be surprised at the the amount of sugar some products have. One well-known brand of soy milk has 19 grams of sugar per serving, which is the the equivalent of almost five teaspoons of sugar.

Refer to Food Facts for further information on avoidance ingredients within some popular recipes and foods that you can easily prepare.

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Prepared by Food Facts staff with supplemental information from Care 2 Make A Difference.