Is That Good Milk?

SOY, RICE, OR ALMOND?

I’m not a big fan of commercial milk replacements. My good friend Dena expressed her confusion: “I was surprised you don’t like soy and rice milk.  Aren’t dairy products considered evil, mucous producing?”

Well, yes and no. Let me explain.

Most commercial dairy products — most commercial animal products in general — are of very low quality. The factory farming that makes an overabundance of animal products available to us is a very defective system.

In the case of milk, one huge drawback of pasteurization is that while it kills potentially harmful bacteria, it also eliminates most of the good bacteria and enzymes that milk has in its raw state and makes it digestible. Oh… the price of modernization. As a result, more people than not suffer from some degree of intolerance to milk. This intolerance manifests as mucous buildup, digestive upsets, respiratory system malfunctions, and more — the infamous “lactose intolerance.”

This is where milk replacements enter the store shelves.

So why don’t I like them again? Well, the main reason is that they are not whole but commercially processed foods. I know, we don’t live in a perfect whole foods world and hey, I eat some processed food here and there too. But with milk replacements we tend to overdo, precisely because they are used to replace milk. Let’s take a closer look:

Soy milk
In my opinion, this is the worst of them all. The only reason why soy milk has been promoted as a health food is because there is an overproduction of soy that needs to be sold.

The Asian peoples that traditionally supplemented their diet with soy knew well that this was a “difficult” bean. Soy beans have plenty of anti-nutrients and enzyme inhibitors which is why they were never eaten fresh, always fermented. The fermentation process releases the anti-nutrients and softens the enzyme inhibitors while making the nutrients more digestible.

Old-fashion soy sauce, miso, tempeh, and natto (not very known in the West) are fermented soy products. Soy milk is not. In fact, from the way it is processed, you would think that the effort is in preserving the bad stuff and getting rid of the nutrients in soy. The end result is so awful that it always needs to be sweeten and flavored heavily in order to make it somewhat palatable.

Some Chinese have a tradition of making soy milk at home by soaking the beans and cooking them gently in a long, involved process. Commercial soy milk doesn’t resemble this food at all.

Rice milk
Again, it is highly processed and sweetened. It is more digestible than soy milk for sure, but it is mostly a source of carbs — as opposed to real milk, which provides proteins, fats, and carbs. It is not a very nutritious food and I definitely don’t recommend it if you want to lose weight.

Almond milk
This one would be my choice of these three. It has a better nutrient profile than rice milk and it’s more digestible than soy milk. If you want to try it, look for a brand without vegetable oil — you don’t need that.

Almond milk is easy to make at home, so try that when you have the time. You’ll save a lot of money and stay away from sweeteners, vegetable oils, and stabilizers you don’t need. Ah, and use raw almonds soaked overnight as opposed to roasted to make it.

Real milk
Real milk comes from grass-fed cows in small farm settings where their lives are respected — they’re given the space, the water, and the care they deserve. This milk is very nutrient dense, which is why some people can do with very little of it, although it is very important for growing children. Raw — non-pasteurized — milk contains the enzymes needed to be properly digested. Most lactose-intolerant people can tolerate raw milk. You can learn more about raw milk and where to get it here.

If raw milk is not an option for you, then pasteurized high-quality organic milk from grass-fed cows is next. Most health food stores carry a couple of good brands, and it’s very important to learn where your milk comes from. The way the cows are treated makes a world of difference in the quality of the milk.

At home we don’t drink straight milk, but use cultured raw dairy products like yogurt, kefir, and sour cream. They’ve been a great addition to our diet, specially for Scott, who thrives on a vegetarian diet.

*Asterisk! Dairy products like yogurt and cheese are cultured. Culturing reconstitutes some of the lost enzymes in pasteurized milk and also breaks down the lactose, which is why most people tolerate these better than straight milk.

Lactose intolerance may have a big genetic component as well. Research has shown that people whose ancestors didn’t have dairy in their diet, stop producing lactase — an enzyme essential for lactose digestion — before they become teenagers.

Goat milk
I haven’t found a lot of compelling research, but there seems to be a general consensus that goat milk is easier to digest than cow’s because the fat molecules of goat milk are smaller. I’ve also read that it has superior antibacterial properties and some practitioners use it for digestive cleansing purposes — but again, this has been done with cow milk too. Ideally, you want to have it raw  — just like cow’s.

Coconut milk
If you’ve ever had an Indian or Thai curry, then you’ve had coconut milk. Coconut milk is an essential ingredient in Southeast Asian and Caribbean cuisines, but there are many ways that you can use it too. You can make coconut milk at home, although a more realistic approach is to get it from the store. Luckily, it is very easy to find organic coconut milk with only guar gum — a thickener — added.

I use coconut milk in smoothies, cooking, and baking. For a while, I was obsessed about granola with coconut milk. That works well too.

Two words about coconut milk: First, the milk in that can is very thick, so mix it with water to get a consistency you like. Second, if you’re not familiar with it and want to give it a try, introduce it in your diet slowly. A few people might have an allergic reaction to it, and again, it is a very nutrient-dense food, so a little goes a long way.

Other nuts milk
You can make milk from pretty much any nut. Cashews, pecans, and Brazil nuts are popular choices. It takes patience and curiosity to get familiar with these, but some people have become masters at obtaining great milk from nuts and use it in a plethora of ways.

Hemp milk
Hemp and its products have become very popular amongst vegans because it offers a nut-free alternative to, well, nut milks. Hemp has a pretty complete profile of essential fatty acids — Omega 3′s, 6′s and 9′s and there are a couple of brands in the market that offer hemp milk without added sugar or other undesirable ingredients. As with any food, the way to learn what works for you is to experiment with it.

This post is part of Cheeseslave’s Real Food Wednesdays.

Tagged as: almond milk, coconut milk, nut milk, rice milk, soy milk