September 15, 2007

Milk Alternatives

Go back to: How Animal Milk Is Harmful

Milk Alternatives
Soy, rice and almond are the most common milk substitutes, some also include chocolate and vanilla flavors as well as fortified with vitamin. B12 Below is a comparison of the three most common alternatives as well as the top brands in each, and links on more alternative information!

Soy milk - Soy milk is healthy, cheap, and easy to find and use. From a nutritional perspective, soy milk has almost as much protein as dairy milk, less fat, no cholesterol, and, since most soy milks are fortified, is a comparable source of calcium.

Rice milk - Rice milk is not as thick as soy or dairy milks, and has a somewhat translucent consistency. Because it is slightly sweet, rice milk works well in dessert recipes and is not suited for savory or salty dishes, such as mashed potatoes. Compared to soy and almond milk, rice milk has a lot less protein.

Almond milk - Milk made from almonds or other nuts has a creamy consistency and a nutty taste perfect for making fruit smoothies or other creamy drinks and desserts. Be sure to shake your almond milk well before using.

Hemp milk - The thickest of them all, but very tasty. Great for oatmeal, hemp shakes, and pretty much everything else! Has good nutrients, although soy milk is the best as far as nutrients. Also has the most sugar out of them all, and is the most expensive.

Oat milk - Similar to almond milk in consistency, a bit too powder and salty. But is good for cereal and oatmeal.

In baking
Substitute soymilk, rice milk or almond milk for milk. You won’t even be able to tell the difference in most recipes, including breads, muffins, cakes, cookies, puddings and other creamy desserts.
In cereal, oatmeal, and beverages:
Any milk substitute will work fine, so it’s really a matter of personal taste. For some rice milk is a bit too sweet & thin for on cereal, but you may find that the sweetness of the rice milk just enhances the taste of a bowl of cereal. For extra flavor, try using vanilla flavored soymilk on your cereal!
Cooking:
Regular or unsweetened soymilk will work best in recipes such as pasta sauces, cream sauces, mashed potatoes, salad dressings and other savory recipes that call for milk. Although a thick soy cream is best for creamy recipes such as alfredo sauce, a reasonable facsimile can be made with a basic soy roux. You can find soy cream at well stocked natural foods stores.

Replacing buttermilk:
Tofu Buttermilk
Other: If a recipe calls for buttermilk, add one tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a cup of soymilk to replace buttermilk and mix well. It’s not quite as robust as buttermilk, but will have a similar flavor.

Other forms of milk alternatives:
Coconut milk
Hazelnut milk
Quinoa milk
Banana milk
Peanut milk

Brands and guides:
Plant milks
Shop at My Vegan Store for dry milk mixes and soy milk makers, plus more
Silk Soymilk
Galaxy Dairy Alternatives
Vance's Dairy-free
Almond Breeze
Pacific Rice
Rice Dream
WestSoy
Better Than Milk Soy Beverage Mix
EdenSoy Organic Soymilk
VitaSoy
Alpro Soya Milk (as well as other dairy alternatives)
List of milk alternatives
Milk recipes at Wikibooks
Milk recipes at Vegweb.com
More milk recipes
Guide to non-dairy milks
Benefits of soy milk
Comparsion: Which is the Best Alternative Milk for You?

E-mail me if you know of any other alternatives that are missing!