Delicious and Nutritious Milk Alternatives

[Rene]

Delicious and Nutritious Milk Alternatives

Sensational Substitutes

Milk good... milk bad. Though the dairy industry continues to preach the importance of milk, many enlightened doctors and nutritionists remain skeptical. They point out the higher rate of allergies in milk drinkers and the negative impact on the immune system as well as poor mineral absorption and the dangers in homogenized fats -- the list goes on and on. (To check out previous Daily Health News articles on the milk controversy, go to Daily Health News, June 30, 2003 and Daily Health News, July 1, 2003.)

The problem is that milk and milk products play an important role in our diets. Whether for breakfast cereal, or as an ingredient when cooking and baking, going milk-free can sometimes be more complicated than initially thought. Or is it? There are many alternatives available, and you may find many of them far more acceptable than the "original."

Coconut

James Haig, MA, certified nutritionist and coauthor of The Nutrition Solution: A Guide to Your Metabolic Type, has found that coconut milk is far and away the best milk alternative. "It's delicious, creamy and satisfying," he told me. He explained that most of the fat in coconut milk is from medium chain triglycerides (MCTs), which are metabolized quickly and less likely to wind up on your hips. Bodybuilders have long used MCTs as a source of calories when they are trying to get "ripped" for a contest. "Coconut milk is naturally low in carbohydrates and sugar, and the fat in coconut milk is actually good fat," said Haig.

Some Sweet Alternatives

There are three other milks that I drink regularly -- almond, oat and rice milk. All three are 100% lactose free and substitute well for low-fat or fat-free milk. They're great straight from the glass, poured on breakfast cereals or used in smoothies with frozen berries or bananas.

Almond milk is made from ground almonds and has a light, slightly nutty flavor. Oat milk comes from oat groats, barley, brown rice and soybeans. Rice milk comes from brown rice. Both oat and rice milk have a mild, slightly sweet flavor.

"I like the Pacific Brand almond and hazelnut milks because, even though they are sweetened with a little rice syrup, they don't contain safflower oil, which most of the others do," said Haig. "Safflower oil," he explained, "is a highly refined oil that contains a high amount of potentially problematic omega-6 fats."

Haig explained that while the protein in rice and almond milk isn't quite as high quality as that in cow's milk, rice and almond milk have none of the problems associated with homogenized, pasteurized cow's milk, either -- and they both have only 70 to 80 calories per 8-oz serving. Rice milk has the added benefits of being a potentially good source of calcium (150 mg per glass), assuming the drinker has sufficient stomach acid, and rice milk is an excellent source of vitamin D (120 IU). Oat milk has slightly more calories (110) but also has more protein (4 g per serving) than the other two.

And don't forget soy milk, which, at only 80 calories per cup, has become the poster child for dairy substitutes. While soy milk has 6.7 g of protein, its net protein utilization (NPU) -- the amount the body actually retains -- is quite low, so it is not actually a good source of protein. It does have a richer texture and flavor than most of the other dairy-free milk substitutes, plus it's a good source of magnesium.

Goat

A little less known are the goat's and sheep's milks. They're worth looking for! Goat's milk has a different but distinct taste that many people love. In comparison with cow's milk, goat's milk has lower fat and lower milk sugar and is also a lot less allergenic.

Sheep's milk is packed with more protein, minerals and vitamins than both cow's or goat's milk. It's also a lot less allergenic. A recent study in the UK found that 195 out of 206 participants were intolerant to cow's milk, but 99% of them tolerated sheep's milk just fine. "Sheep's milk is higher in fat than cow's milk," said Haig, "but both goat's and sheep's milk seem to be well tolerated by many people who cannot handle cow's milk. Both their milks and the cheeses made from them are wonderful."

Cooking with Replacements

When the recipe calls for milk, use almond, rice, oat or soy milk to replace milk in baked goods, curries and lighter cream soups and sauces.

Rather than feel deprived without regular milk, consider it an adventure to use different milks for different foods and moods. Sweet one day, subtle the next. Have fun while improving your health.

Carole Jackson; Bottom Line's Daily Health News


Sources...

Sensational Substitutes

James M. Haig, MA, certified nutritional consultant. He is founder and editor of the newsletter Metabolic News and coauthor and editor of "The Nutrition Solution: A Guide to Your Metabolic Type" (North Atlantic).

From my Recipe Collection (BlueOpal) it is really very simple to make and in the quanity you can use. Very nice for breakfast cereal, etc:


Nutty Crème Topping

[http://www.imbris.net/~mastent/wheatfre.html]

Makes 1 cup
This mock whipped cream is free of both dairy and soy. Be sure to make it ahead of time so it can thicken and chill in the refrigerator. We've included this recipe for your pleasure in celebrating special occasions. Top creations of your own, or drop dollops on top of warm Simple Simon Maple Cake (recipe at the end of the Wheat-Free Page)

NOTE: Brazil nuts with their brown outer coating produce a topping that is speckled in appearance. Not to worry - the creamy texture is delightful!


· 1/2 cup raw Brazil nuts
· 1/3 cup boiling water Pinch of salt
· 1-2 tablespoons honey
· 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice or a pinch of unbuffered vitamin C crystals, to taste, optional


Grind the nuts to a fine powder in a blender. Add boiling water and salt, and blend for 90 seconds or until smooth. Add honey and lemon juice or vitamin C and blend again for 3-5 minutes until very smooth. Pour into a small bowl, cover, and chill 2 hours or more. Use like whipped cream to top desserts. Will keep a few days, refrigerated.

Coconut Cream

Makes 3/4 cup—Dairy-free

This rich-tasting coconut cream makes a scrumptious frosting .......


· 1/4 cup unfiltered apple juice
· 1 Tbs. agar-agar flakes
· 1 tsp. kudzu
· 1 cup coconut milk
· 2 Tbs. maple syrup


In small saucepan, mix apple juice and agar-agar flakes. Let stand for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in medium bowl, dissolve kudzu in 2 tablespoons water. Whisk in coconut milk and maple syrup, then whisk into apple juice mixture. Bring mixture to slow simmer over low heat, whisking constantly, about 4 minutes. Cook, whisking often, until agar-agar is completely dissolved, about 10 minutes (do not boil).

Pour into shallow dish and cool to room temperature. Press Coconut Cream through fine-meshed sieve before using.

Nut Milk

[http://www.nomilk.com/nutmilks.txt]

You can make nut milk.

Put 1/2-cup raw pecans, almonds, cashews, walnuts, Brazil nuts, etc., into a blender container. Process until ground. Add 1/2-cup water and process at low speed for a few seconds, then turn blender to high. Blend for a couple of minutes, and then add 1 1/2 cups water. Blend well.

If milk is grainy (almonds and some other nuts and seeds are, but none on the above list), strain through a few layers of cheesecloth. Use the pulp in your next batch of bread.

Store in the refrigerator. This is really good stuff, but has quite a bit of fat. Nuts are good food though, and no cholesterol. [Some nuts, in fact, help to lower cholesterol and we do need all of the fats contained in the nuts when we have these DD's & are underweight.]

Hope you like it. Marilyn Gioannini, Author of "The Complete Food Allergy Cookbook"

All-Natural Almond Milk

1 1/2 cups of raw almonds, soaked in water overnight
4 cups of filtered or spring water
3-5 dates (optional)

Blend 1 1/2 cups of raw almonds that have been soaked overnight in 4 cups of water. Blend with dates if you like your milk with a hint of sweetness. Strain once to remove almond granules. The result is a delicious, creamy milk that is free of harmful vegetable oil, concentrated sweeteners, and the problems associated with cow's milk and soy. It can be stored safely for 3-4 days in the refrigerator.

From [http://drbenkim.com]