Cow's Milk Alternatives

With all of the information out there about the dangers of cow milk (growth hormones, antibiotics) what should you use instead? Nowadays, there is a plethora of other choices out there if you don't want to consume dairy.

People prefer to use non-dairy milks because:

• Lactose intolerance or milk allergy;
• There is no casein in them; and
• They have less saturated fat in them than dairy milk.

Generally, most of these dairy milk substitutes are priced similarly or even lower than cow's milk. You can get a carton of soymilk for about $3.00 at most retailers. Often, alternative milks are on sale, too. Milk's prices usually fluctuate (usually up) with that of petroleum because of the high petroleum cost in dairy production. Rice, legume, and hemp farmers have different cost structures but it is almost always lower.

Soy Milk

Soy milk is made from soybeans, oil and water. It can be made at home with a soy milk machine. Soy milk is also widely available in American grocery stores and comes in a variety of flavors, most notably vanilla, chocolate and original, with light versions of each available.

The protein and fat content is somewhat similar between dairy milk and soy milk. Soy milk doesn't have much digestible calcium but most, if not all, soy milk companies enrich their product with calcium carbonate as well as vitamin D. The American Heart Association found that soy milk has high levels of polyunsaturated fats, fiber, vitamins, and minerals and a low saturated fat content

Goat's Milk

In a July 2007 article, Science Daily reported that goat's milk has been proven to be more beneficial to humans than cow's milk. Comparatively, goat's milk prevents more diseases and aids in digestion, two claims that are not affiliated with cow's milk.