One of my favorite commercials is the one for Lactaid.  You know, the one where the purported farmer explains that Lactaid comes from real cows.  And, since folks try to claim it’s not real milk, those things around him have to be dogs…

Well, I am not a Lactaid user.

But, over the years, I have been a 2%, a 1%, a ½%, and then a whole milk customer.  As my daughter vacillated in the choices of dairy nutrition for my grandson.

As for myself, when I buy milk, it’s the chocolate variety.  (I really do miss the best chocolate milk I ever tasted- Dellwood!  They’ve been gone forever.  Nowadays, my choice is Maola.)

But, I also need to buy a milk substitute that works for my meat meals.  Because my diet does not allow milk and meat to ever be combined.  So, for desserts (or for those friends who dilute their coffee with milk) after a meat meal, I need a viable substitute.   And, now, there’s a variety of choices.  Even so, many of them (even though they claim they are non-dairy), fail the test.

And, most of you have that problem.  Not because you keep kosher- but because some 65% of adults can’t digest lactose (the sugar in milk); others of you follow a vegan diet.

 

Which means soy milk, coconut milk, almond milk, rice milk, hemp milk, and oat milk are in your fridges or kitchen cabinets.   Which is a real problem, since many of them don’t taste the same as- and most lack the consistency of- milk.  And, then, there’s the nutritional angle- these alternative milks lack the protein, calcium, vitamins, and minerals that abound in natural milk.

If we are truly looking for a nutritional substitute for milk, with its 8 g of protein per glass and easily absorbed calcium- not to mention the fact that most US sold milk is “fortified” (i.e., these are added to the mix) with vitamins and minerals, then we need to do a fair amount of studying.

One easy switch (if you can find it) is goat’s or sheep’s milk.  Their flavors are different, but the protein, caloric content, and fat content are about the same.  And, they are also high in calcium.  Of course, in my case, these are non-starters; they are still dairy and, therefore, verboten during a meat meal.

Which brings up soy milk.  This has been available for a long time.  And, it’s fairly high in protein. (Some of the concoctions actually have more protein than regular milk.)  Plus a reasonable fat content (3 g- but only 0.5 g of saturated fact) and 1 g of sugar.  The negative?  A lot of folks are allergic to soy, and it may affect our hormone levels and our thyroid functionality.  (From my point of view, there are a fair number of varieties that are marked pareve- meaning they are dairy-free.)

Those allergic to soy (or need gluten-free choices) have been opting for pea milk.  It has equivalent protein levels (include 9 essential amino acids) to milk and is lower in sugar.  The problem is that many varieties of this milk are produced on the same lines as soy milk- so the product is really not gluten or nut- free.  (Note that many of the alternative beef products sold nowadays are derived from peas.)

If we aren’t worried about grains, then oat milk may cut it.  But, it has a low protein content (3 g), moderately high caloric levels (120) with 7 g of sugar and 2.5 g of fat- andis cholesterol free.  Oh, and it is high in fiber.   Most of the calories arise because oat milk is flavored.  And, it’s great for cooking- and is definitely pareve.

A sweeter choice is rice milk, with about 120 calories and 13 g of sugar.  But, it’s very low in protein (1 g) and has about 2 g of fat.  So, if you are diabetic- or pre-diabetic, this is not a great choice.  But, it’s also usually found to be pareve.

If nuts don’t put you off, almond milk is a good choice.  It’s low in calories (30 g, if unsweetened), but, like rice milk, sorely lacking in protein (1 g).  Unfortunately, almost every version of this milk is dairy.  (Please note that many vendors claim their products are non-dairy- yet the rabbinic authorities find that claim unsubstantiated and mark them [such as they do for Cool Whip]).

Coconut milk also works for cooking- but it’s very high in calories (120) and saturated fats (12 g with 10 unsaturated).  To my thinking, this is really more a substitute for cream than for milk.  (So, I do use if for cooking when I need a cream substitute for my meat meals.)

If you frequent a coffee shop, you probably see hemp milk a lot.  (I haven’t found it in conventional grocery stores; I need to go to “organic” shops or Trader Joe’s to find this variety.) Hemp milk is a pretty thick concoction (some call it creamy) and helps the baristas who feel they must provide you a coffee concoction with surface art.  The problem with hemp milk is that it lacks calcium, Vitamins B12 and D, plus its lower protein level (5 g)- and a ton of sugar (10 g).  On the plus side, it does contain omega acids in the right ratio.

There’s also flax milk- a low caloric option, with about 2.5 g of fat and virtually no sugar.  Folks tell me it’s creamy (I haven’t tasted it)- but unless it has been fortified with pea protein- it is totally lacking in that vital component.  (Once it’s fortified, it’s been tripled in caloric content to about 60 calories.)

Let me know which one(s) you like best.

 

Today is the 2nd day of Chanuka.  Tonight will be the third night and Christmas Eve.  Enjoy your holidays!