Leftover day!
I'm happy it was leftover day because I wanted to spend some time today researching and writing about milk alternatives.
SO! For breakfast I had a little granola with quinoa milk. I knew I was spending some hours out of the house, so I packed a big water bottle, fruit and carob cookies - all of which I finished! Good snack time.
For lunch I enjoyed some leftover rice crepes with apple butter and fruit. I also had a few cups of peppermint rose fennel tea! So good.
Dinner included the remaining stir fry from a few days ago, the leftover saag from last night and buckwheat roti. I know, I know! I said no more Indian food. BUT! Alas. It's leftover day!
Confessions:
I lacked on water again today, and I'm really feeling it (dry, sluggish). I hope that me chugging a lot of water before going to bed balances me out!
OK! Milk alternatives. The following is a list of the pros and cons of all of the milk alternatives I know, as well as my personal opinion on taste. Why choose a milk alternative? You may ask. Well, unfortunately, our regular cows milk is laced with antibiotics, random hormones, and isn't exactly low on cholesterol and saturated fats. This has been horror for greenhouse gas emissions, and is even leading to high dairy intolerance in many individuals.
Dairy intolerance? Yep. Mostly gastro-intestinal (diarrhea, gas, bloating, IBS, constipation etc.), but could also be present in the form of depression (for real?), weight gain (you don't say!), respiratory disorders (coughing, asthma, bronchitis), sinus issues, lethargy, skin disorders such as eczema and even a stressed out immune system causing an increase in infections.
WHAT?
I know, right? So this is why we have alternatives now. Not to mention the horror of milking farms. Have you ever googled what a dairy farm looks like? Thousands of cows just hooked up to machines, constantly being milked for the purpose of human enjoyment. Pregnant cows having their calves taken away at birth, so that humans can reap the benefits of the nutritious milk meant for the baby. Lovely. Let's stop the dairy industry shall we? There must be a better way!
Soy Milk
For years this was the most popular form of milk alternative. Packed with proteins and fibre, low in saturated fats and plant based, this was a great option for those that were dairy intolerant. Unfortunately, now, we've had reports of even soy being modified. Also, it's pretty high in sugar. Too bad, because it tastes ok! Works really well in protein shakes and cooking too!
Rice Milk
This is the most hypoallergenic of all the milk alternatives. AND it's pretty nutritious! Plenty of niacin, vitamin b6, magnesium. Also, some are fortified with iron and copper, which increase your red blood cell count. Good! Downside: VERY high in sugar, low in protein, and pretty much no calcium (unless you get the fortified kind!). Not good for diabetics. Rice milk, personally, I think has one of the best tastes of the alternatives, and is really compatible in most cooking/baking, AND I don't mind drinking it on it's own. This is rare, as I never reach for a cup of milk.
Almond Milk
Not entirely the greatest for those with allergies present, but it is high in magnesium which is great for your bones. It also is loaded with manganese, selenium (vital for immune system) and vitamin E - great for anti-oxidant qualities. Almond milk is a good source of protein, unsaturated fat (the good kind of fat), potassium, and it has one of the lowest sugar counts (surprisingly) of the milk alternatives. I suppose the downsides are just that it is highly allergenic. Especially if given to babies, it could actually increase the possibility of having a nut allergy develop later in life. I have not tried almond milk due to allergies myself - so if you have, please let me know what you think!
Quinoa Milk
This is really a "super-grain" and by far my favourite simply for the nutrient content. It is the only complete protein that derives from a plant! It is also high in magnesium, copper, fibre and manganese. Further, in comparison to the other options, quinoa is higher in calcium, phosphorus, iron, and zinc, is easy to digest, is gluten free, and can assist in prevention of many illnesses. It also acts as a "pre-biotic", feeding the good bacteria in your intestinal system. So what is the downside? Honestly, I have not found one yet. The only things I can think of, looking forward, it's a possibility that the big guys will get a hold of this and make it genetically modified somehow. As well, I found a recent article that mentioned how we in N.A. have been stealing quinoa from farmers...that's uncool. Support fair trade! I've used quinoa milk in various recipes and it has always worked out well. The taste is fairly nutty, and earthy, but once you've cooked it, then that goes away!
Hemp Milk
Hemp I love because of the taste - it's light and earthy. It is also packed with omega 3 and 6. Good fats! It naturally contains magnesium and manganese. And is usually fortified with calcium, vitamins A, D and B12, as well as riboflavin and folic acid. The downside - there is no protein. Not a good replacement to dairy, but fine to drink on it's own. It doesn't mix well in anything either. You really just have to have it by itself!
Coconut Milk
I've heard that coconut milk is the saviour for those allergic to milk, soy AND nuts as it's none of those! It's very high in potassium, magnesium and phosphorous. Phosphorous also assists in keeping your bones healthy! It's high in fibre naturally as well. It's highly edible, and can be used in any cooking/baking and just on it's own. The taste is excellent! So what's not to like? Personally, I simply don't think it offers enough nutrition. AND the carbon footprint is quite large on communities that we get coconut from. Not cool.
Flax Milk
I think I've found my next milk to try! Flax milk is free of the top eight allergens including soy - it doesn't even contain soy lecithin! (That ingredient appears in EVERYTHING now, much like sugar). It's essentially cold pressed flax seed oil. Jam packed with Omega 3's, super low calories, low in sugars, and fortified with vitamin A, D, B12, and calcium that rivals the regular dairy milk. For real? Yep. It's true. Cons? I couldn't find any. Seriously. This type of milk is still pretty new, and I think that research is still being done to determine the negative points. Future thinking, I think the only downside would be the protein content. Is it enough? Flax is naturally creamy, so I'm anticipating it to work well in foods too. Will keep you posted!
Oat Milk
Rich in naturally occurring nutrients that fight off disease, which is no surprise as it's oats! Higher in fibre than most milk alternatives, and high in vitamin E and folic acid. It is generally fortified with vitamins A, D, B12 and calcium. Too bad the sugar content is so high! And, it can be deadly for those with gluten allergies. Unfortunate as if I had to choose, this definitely is the best tasting! But we are staying away from gluten. If you find a gluten-free oat milk - let me know!
Whew! If you're still reading...thank you for staying with me! The bottom line: always, always read the label. Know what you're eating (and in this case, drinking!). Be wary of things that do not have labels. Check the sugar content. Lastly, don't be afraid to be adventurous with your food! Provided you've done the above. Enjoy!
I'm happy it was leftover day because I wanted to spend some time today researching and writing about milk alternatives.
SO! For breakfast I had a little granola with quinoa milk. I knew I was spending some hours out of the house, so I packed a big water bottle, fruit and carob cookies - all of which I finished! Good snack time.
For lunch I enjoyed some leftover rice crepes with apple butter and fruit. I also had a few cups of peppermint rose fennel tea! So good.
Dinner included the remaining stir fry from a few days ago, the leftover saag from last night and buckwheat roti. I know, I know! I said no more Indian food. BUT! Alas. It's leftover day!
Confessions:
I lacked on water again today, and I'm really feeling it (dry, sluggish). I hope that me chugging a lot of water before going to bed balances me out!
OK! Milk alternatives. The following is a list of the pros and cons of all of the milk alternatives I know, as well as my personal opinion on taste. Why choose a milk alternative? You may ask. Well, unfortunately, our regular cows milk is laced with antibiotics, random hormones, and isn't exactly low on cholesterol and saturated fats. This has been horror for greenhouse gas emissions, and is even leading to high dairy intolerance in many individuals.
Dairy intolerance? Yep. Mostly gastro-intestinal (diarrhea, gas, bloating, IBS, constipation etc.), but could also be present in the form of depression (for real?), weight gain (you don't say!), respiratory disorders (coughing, asthma, bronchitis), sinus issues, lethargy, skin disorders such as eczema and even a stressed out immune system causing an increase in infections.
WHAT?
I know, right? So this is why we have alternatives now. Not to mention the horror of milking farms. Have you ever googled what a dairy farm looks like? Thousands of cows just hooked up to machines, constantly being milked for the purpose of human enjoyment. Pregnant cows having their calves taken away at birth, so that humans can reap the benefits of the nutritious milk meant for the baby. Lovely. Let's stop the dairy industry shall we? There must be a better way!
Soy Milk
For years this was the most popular form of milk alternative. Packed with proteins and fibre, low in saturated fats and plant based, this was a great option for those that were dairy intolerant. Unfortunately, now, we've had reports of even soy being modified. Also, it's pretty high in sugar. Too bad, because it tastes ok! Works really well in protein shakes and cooking too!
Rice Milk
This is the most hypoallergenic of all the milk alternatives. AND it's pretty nutritious! Plenty of niacin, vitamin b6, magnesium. Also, some are fortified with iron and copper, which increase your red blood cell count. Good! Downside: VERY high in sugar, low in protein, and pretty much no calcium (unless you get the fortified kind!). Not good for diabetics. Rice milk, personally, I think has one of the best tastes of the alternatives, and is really compatible in most cooking/baking, AND I don't mind drinking it on it's own. This is rare, as I never reach for a cup of milk.
Almond Milk
Not entirely the greatest for those with allergies present, but it is high in magnesium which is great for your bones. It also is loaded with manganese, selenium (vital for immune system) and vitamin E - great for anti-oxidant qualities. Almond milk is a good source of protein, unsaturated fat (the good kind of fat), potassium, and it has one of the lowest sugar counts (surprisingly) of the milk alternatives. I suppose the downsides are just that it is highly allergenic. Especially if given to babies, it could actually increase the possibility of having a nut allergy develop later in life. I have not tried almond milk due to allergies myself - so if you have, please let me know what you think!
Quinoa Milk
This is really a "super-grain" and by far my favourite simply for the nutrient content. It is the only complete protein that derives from a plant! It is also high in magnesium, copper, fibre and manganese. Further, in comparison to the other options, quinoa is higher in calcium, phosphorus, iron, and zinc, is easy to digest, is gluten free, and can assist in prevention of many illnesses. It also acts as a "pre-biotic", feeding the good bacteria in your intestinal system. So what is the downside? Honestly, I have not found one yet. The only things I can think of, looking forward, it's a possibility that the big guys will get a hold of this and make it genetically modified somehow. As well, I found a recent article that mentioned how we in N.A. have been stealing quinoa from farmers...that's uncool. Support fair trade! I've used quinoa milk in various recipes and it has always worked out well. The taste is fairly nutty, and earthy, but once you've cooked it, then that goes away!
Hemp Milk
Hemp I love because of the taste - it's light and earthy. It is also packed with omega 3 and 6. Good fats! It naturally contains magnesium and manganese. And is usually fortified with calcium, vitamins A, D and B12, as well as riboflavin and folic acid. The downside - there is no protein. Not a good replacement to dairy, but fine to drink on it's own. It doesn't mix well in anything either. You really just have to have it by itself!
Coconut Milk
I've heard that coconut milk is the saviour for those allergic to milk, soy AND nuts as it's none of those! It's very high in potassium, magnesium and phosphorous. Phosphorous also assists in keeping your bones healthy! It's high in fibre naturally as well. It's highly edible, and can be used in any cooking/baking and just on it's own. The taste is excellent! So what's not to like? Personally, I simply don't think it offers enough nutrition. AND the carbon footprint is quite large on communities that we get coconut from. Not cool.
Flax Milk
I think I've found my next milk to try! Flax milk is free of the top eight allergens including soy - it doesn't even contain soy lecithin! (That ingredient appears in EVERYTHING now, much like sugar). It's essentially cold pressed flax seed oil. Jam packed with Omega 3's, super low calories, low in sugars, and fortified with vitamin A, D, B12, and calcium that rivals the regular dairy milk. For real? Yep. It's true. Cons? I couldn't find any. Seriously. This type of milk is still pretty new, and I think that research is still being done to determine the negative points. Future thinking, I think the only downside would be the protein content. Is it enough? Flax is naturally creamy, so I'm anticipating it to work well in foods too. Will keep you posted!
Oat Milk
Rich in naturally occurring nutrients that fight off disease, which is no surprise as it's oats! Higher in fibre than most milk alternatives, and high in vitamin E and folic acid. It is generally fortified with vitamins A, D, B12 and calcium. Too bad the sugar content is so high! And, it can be deadly for those with gluten allergies. Unfortunate as if I had to choose, this definitely is the best tasting! But we are staying away from gluten. If you find a gluten-free oat milk - let me know!
Whew! If you're still reading...thank you for staying with me! The bottom line: always, always read the label. Know what you're eating (and in this case, drinking!). Be wary of things that do not have labels. Check the sugar content. Lastly, don't be afraid to be adventurous with your food! Provided you've done the above. Enjoy!
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