Whether you’re vegan, lactose intolerant, or avoiding dairy products for your digestive and skin health, there are several non-dairy milk alternatives for you to fill the milk-sized hole in your life. These substitutes are great in your coffee. Work seamlessly as baking alternatives. And will improve the quality of your life by avoiding all the harmful side effects induced by cow’s milk. Luckily, your diet restrictions and health choices don’t have to cut you off from your favorite milky treats. Try these non-dairy milk alternatives until you find the one you like the best:
1. Almond Milk
Photo courtesy of New Health Advisor
As my personal favorite, almond milk is great for its versatility and healthier nutrition facts. You can find unsweetened, sweetened, vanilla and chocolate varieties that taste amazing in coffee, smoothies, shakes, cereals and baking recipes. Even better, almond milk has more calcium than regular cow’s milk and is generally lower in calories than skim milk, unless you’re drinking the chocolate flavor.
2. Soy Milk
Photo courtesy of New Health Advisor
Soy Milk is incredibly popular at coffee shops and smoothie bars for its thick consistency and rich flavor. With 6 g of protein per cup, Soy Milk trumps cow’s milk in protein content and has 15% DV more calcium than its dairy-filled competitor.
3. Coconut Milk
Coconut has blown up recently as one of today’s most trendy ingredients from the popularity of coconut oil, coconut water and now coconut milk. Since this milk is so fragrant and creamy, it works as a great ingredient in rice, Thai and dessert dishes as well as being advertised in many of Starbucks’ new “secret menu” items, including the Pink and Orange Drinks.
4. Rice Milk
Rice milk is the most watery, thinned-out option in this article since it’s made from water and brown rice. Since it can’t act as a thickener like cow’s milk does, avoid using rice milk in your coffee, smoothies and baking dishes unless the recipe was specifically made for rice milk. Rice milk is, however, a sustainable option for people with many allergies such as lactose, dairy, soy and nuts.
5. Hemp Milk
The last alternative on this list comes from hemp nuts, water and brown rice syrup making it one of the earthiest tasting milk alternatives on the market. If you find the texture too grainy or chalky for normal consumption, try using it in grain-based recipes such as muffins, breads or even oatmeal.
