Comments on: Guest Post: Straight From the Cow’s Mouth: Pros and Cons of Milk Alternatives

By: Eva

Eva — Wed, 11 May 2011 22:16:36 +0000

Great post!
It’s interesting how different the availability is in different countries though! In France, it’s hard to find anything fortified with B12 for example (because nearly all plant milks are organic, and therefore adding “unnaturally” produced stuff is not allowed). Not even multivitamin juice seems to have it. Weird! In Germany, soy-rice-milk is very common in most supermarkets, as is oatmilk (there are two really great brands, Oatly (which is swedish) and Kölln.
And the post just answered my question what to do with the unpeeled (whatever the correct word is…) hemp seeds I still have here. The peeled ones are cool in nearly everything, but the unpeeled ones always have these hard shells that scratch horribly in your throat :D

By: Courtney

Courtney — Sun, 08 May 2011 04:11:12 +0000

I have been drinking hemp milk for a couple of months now and I love it! I recently posted my own ‘Ode to Hemp Milk’ on my blog. I really love it!

By: Laura

Laura — Sun, 08 May 2011 03:36:05 +0000

We have been drinking local goat milk from a farm our friends own. It is just nice to know exactly where the milk comes from and how it is processed.

By: Kristina @ spabettie

Kristina @ spabettie — Fri, 06 May 2011 19:51:01 +0000

this is an extremely informative post. I cut out dairy when I started following the anti inflammatory diet for health reasons. we have tried many alternatives out there, our favorites being hazelnut, hemp and coconut.

thanks, Renee for this great post, and thank you to Sayward for sharing!

By: Michelle

Michelle — Fri, 06 May 2011 16:02:20 +0000

This post was great. A post like this comparing the various types of flour would be awesome. Wheat, rice, coconut, oat, spelt, etc.

By: natashia

natashia — Fri, 06 May 2011 13:04:53 +0000

annie – more than neglectful, I would also say that that interpretation shows an extreme level of ignorance wrt the biological requirements of infants. I also think it sounds like a misinterpretation of what being vegan is about. I am not a vegan, but my understanding is that it is primarily about avoiding any possible exploitation and cruelty of animals. If the mother in question believed that breast feeding her child was exploiting, or cruel, towards herself (the mother) then she had bigger problems than a misinterpretation of an appropriate vegan diet for a young child. It’s a very sad story

By: Annie

Annie — Fri, 06 May 2011 12:37:28 +0000

Oh, also, my Mum used to make ‘banana milk’ when my sister and I were little. It’s really just mashed banana watered down and with a pinch of cinamon, but it’s great on cereal.

By: Annie

Annie — Fri, 06 May 2011 12:29:01 +0000

Health Food stores in my area have started selling (Brown) Rice and Chickpea milk (as in, in one carton). Combined, it’s a complete protein source (all the essential amino acids), it tastes pretty good and it’s not too pricey – as same as the really fancy soy milks.
I think a combination of altmilks works best, in cooking, coffees/tea, plain drinking and any other use.
Home made altmilks are awesome, as you make your own mixes suited to your diet/nutritional needs. I find almond a good base and add any of: sunflower seeds, pepitas (pumpkin seeds), flax seeds, sesame seeds, pretty much any other nut (although I’ve had nothing but trouble with walnuts, we’re definately not mates in making milk, oats, brown rice or barley.
The human milk argument is interesting.
A few years ago, I read in the paper about a baby who died of malnutrition because the mother was feeding the baby a vegan diet, and in her opinion, her breastmilk was not vegan. What the hell? Each their own, but in my opinion (and the Supreme Court of South Australia), that’s not vegan – it’s neglectful.

By: natashia

natashia — Fri, 06 May 2011 08:31:15 +0000

I think it’s interesting that human milk has not come up in this discussion. As a breast feeding mother of a toddler (32 mths) this is something I think a lot about.
Recently there was quite a strong public response to the ice cream parlour in the UK making breast milk ice cream (which I’m sure everyone knows about), and it’s definitely something to think about. human milk for humans – it is actually the most appropriate milk for us and really shouldn’t be controversial at all. Every other milk-drinking species drinks it’s own milk, why shouldn’t we? (although obviously the adults no longer consume milk). I think the real question is whether we/I can get our heads around this one, and whether we/I would be willing to engage in the sacrifice/effort that would be required to continue to provide breast milk to our families, beyond simply feeding our babies until they wean.

By: daoine o'

daoine o' — Fri, 06 May 2011 05:46:11 +0000

i use ‘so delicious’ brand coconut milk, but it does have a few more ingredients (other than vitamins and minerals) added than other alt-milks, which may turn some folks off. i use it in my coffee, tea, hot cereals, cooking, baking, everything. i think it’s great.

and ‘silk’ brand now makes a dark chocolate *almond* milk (not soy, even tho it’s silk) that is to…die…for. it’s just like the chocolate milk you’d buy as a kid, but sooooooooo much better for you.

it’s also the only alt-milk my other half will use, and he guards it jealously!