As the concerns about lactose intolerance and milk allergies have been widening, which has led to people looking for different options. These days there are so many alternatives to the normal cow milk (goat milk, camel milk) and, a range of substitute milk, such as almond and soy milk that has been gaining quite a popularity.
Almond milk is an obvious choice for vegans and people with lactose allergies. Almond milk is 50% lower in calories than cow’s milk, it’s good for people trying to lose weight. Almond milk is made by grinding almonds and water together in a blender and then straining out the solids, leaving a tasty liquid behind. Almond milk is lower in calories than other kinds of milk as long as it is unsweetened. It’s also free of cholesterol, saturated fat, and is naturally lactose-free. With so many benefits of Almond milk, it surely is tempting to make this drink a part of your daily diet. However, this tasty drink is not that healthy as compared to dairy or soy milk.
Even though almonds are a good source of protein, almond milk is not; unless it is fortified. Unlike cow milk or soy milk, almond milk won’t give you all the nutrients. Almond milk is — ideally — just almonds and water, which gives you neither the well-known nutritional benefits of almonds (low in protein and good fat) nor milk (calcium). However, many of the brands available in the market are supplemented with calcium as well as vitamin D.
*Almonds are NUTS. And hence, almond milk could cause problems for people who are allergic to NUTS.
*Almonds are a goitrogenic food, which means that they contain substances that can negatively affect the function of your thyroid gland. Hence, people with thyroid must avoid it.
So if you’re looking for a truly healthy alternative, opt for soy, skim, or low-fat milk( low in calories that’s great for weight loss) and people who need an extra fat can go for whole milk.
Soy milk contains almost as much protein as cow’s milk, yet is lower in calories than whole milk and also to skim milk. It’s a good source of protein, vitamin A, B12, vitamin D, and potassium.
*Too much soy may be a problem for those with thyroid disease or other conditions. It’s best for thyroid patients to stay away from soy products.
Whole milk(Cow milk) can provide essential proteins and extra calories from fats, as well as vitamins and minerals for infants and the elderly. The health benefits you’ll get from cow’s milk come from its wide stockpile of nutrients, such as protein, calcium and vitamin B-12. All of these nutrients are extremely vital for growth and development of your body.
You don’t have to worry about fat if you opt for skim milk. While Fat-free milk or skim milk has all of the nutritional benefits of whole milk — a good source of protein, calcium, vitamins, and minerals — without the saturated fat and calories. Whole milk is less processed than skim, 1% and 2% milk. It has more natural and healthy nutrients and has fewer external ingredients added.
One cup of whole milk, with 3.25 percent fat contains:
- 146 calories
- 8 grams of fat
- 13 grams of carbohydrates
- 8 grams of protein
One cup of nonfat or skim milk contains:
- 86 calories
- 0 grams of fat
- 12 grams of carbohydrates
- 8 grams of protein
One cup of soy milk contains:
- 80-110 calories
- 3 to 4 grams of fat
- 6 to 7 grams of carbohydrates
- 5 to 7 grams of protein
One cup of almond milk contains:
- 50 to 60 calories
- 2.5 grams of fat
- 5 to 7 grams of carbohydrates
- 1 gram of protein
Milk is a natural product, and the more unaltered food you consume, the better it is for your body.
So, this is my view on whether to have almond or soy milk as a substitute to regular milk or not! I would love to know your opinion and what you think is better. Regular milk or its substitute? Please share your views in the comment section below.
Thanks for visiting my blog.
Stay healthy and happy!
I don’t drink milk per se but I do use raw cow and sheep milk to make yogurt. I don’t buy milk from supermarkets. That said you don’t need milk for calcium. Calcium is found in a host of green leafy vegetables, like collards, spinach, turnips, kale and so much more. For me, and I will only speak for me soy milk will never enter my palate. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. However, we all have unique bodies. What works for me won’t necessarily work for someone else. Hence the amazing confusion over what is healthy or not.
When it comes to milk, I stay with whole milk, however, I grew up not being able to drink more than half a glass of whole milk. The enzymes in milk would have me I the bathroom for almost 45 minutes. It would either have me constipated or the opposite. I do the alternative of soy milk for the benefit of getting the nutrients I need without the harshness from the enzymes in whole milk. I prefer soy milk over almond milk.
All great info, as the Vegetarian/Vegan trend continues. I am not a fan of nut milk/cheese substitutes, but, then I am not Vegetarian. Skim milk is the way we roll. My wife is allergic to almonds, so not going to happen in our house. Also, I understand that soy allergies are now starting to increase due to increased soy and tofu consumption. Best solution is to eat natural unprocessed products as much as you can. Cheers. Allan
I am in ketogenic diet which is more of a life style. Almond milk has less calories and way less sugar compare to regular cow milk. I didn’t know almond has a negative effect on tyroid. Thank for pointing out. I will do more research about it. Great article 👍
Almond milk has negative effects on hypothyroidism.. yes, it’s always good to research more on something you are concerned of… thanks for reading my post..😊
Good post. A lot of this is people hearing about allergies such as lactose or coeliac and thinking they should be too. Fad dieting. On a programme they said a litre of almond milk can have about two almonds in it. It’s expensive water. As Ron Swanson said ” Skim milk is water lying abou tbeing milk”. Whole milk or semi is best. People should get diagnosed if they think they have allergies.
Thank you… and I totally agree with you on the fact that almond milk is actually almond flavored water which people believe to be very healthy than traditional cow’s milk..
What’s your take on coconut milk?
I mostly use it for cooking or in some recipes… I don’t know whether people have it as an alternative to cow’s milk. As, it’s high in fat and cholesterol content.. it’s very good for thyroid though 😊
Thanks for visiting my blog..😊
I found this post to be very interesting. I started making smoothies daily with skim milk then changed to soy and almond milk. I think your perspective is helpful and very worth reading. I never thought almond milk could be bad for health. I use soy now. I am subscribing to your blog.
Almond milk is not bad for health, unless one has thyroid.. Almond milk is not that nutritious as compared to cow’s milk.. thank you so much for reading my post and appreciating the content 😊
As a nutrition student, so many of my colleagues are terrified of milk or dairy. Personally, I find that whole milk is so satiating and filled with the protein to support my active lifestyle. Thank you for suggesting that cows milk can be a beneficial part to any healthy diet. Best, Carly xx
Nice 👍🏽 post! Keep it up.
Thank you so much 😊😊😊
I normally do both! I really like regular whole milk, but sometimes I drink others!
That’s good… that way you would be getting the goodness of both ..thanks for visiting 😊
We followed #LCHF lifestyle for a year and I lost 22kg, my blood glucose (Im diabetic) came down to 6.1 and I had oodles of energy. Cutting out fat is cutting out the fuel that burns fat. Learn about ketosis, maybe?
Wowww..that’s actually awesome..and I totally agree with you. Having controlled amounts of fat in our diet is very important 😊
🙂
You’re most welcome friend anytime💐 n you deserve definitely you have written incredible beautiful knowledgeable blog,cheers!
Nice descriptive share, keep inspiring n keep blogging friend💐
Awwwee…thank you..thank you..thanks for appreciating.. I am really motivated and happy😊😊😊
Nice information as always with your posts
Thank you so much
Nice post ! I actually love drinking milk or any milk products are my favorite! To avoid fat I thought to try almond milk which are supplemented with additional vitamin D and Calcium but didn’t like the taste! Your post is very interesting and informative! Thanks
I don’t like drinking milk but love having all the milk based recipes..kheer is just my favorite… you could have skim milk, if the fat content is your concern..
Thank you for visiting my blog..and honestly , i loved your blog..😊
Aw Thank you so much 😍
😊😊😊
What ?
I don’t drink milk (I’m lactose intolerant so without the alternatives growing up, I just never drank it and now it’s gross to me) but I do use almond creamer for my coffee. I had no idea about the dangers of those with thyroid issues though. I have a friend with thyroid issues who comes over often for coffee-might need to keep something different on hand for her. Thanks fo another informative post!
I know! Lactose intolerance is quite an issue but just going for almond or soy milk with a thought that it’s a healthy alternative to whole milk is just not that good .. my husband had thyroid 2 years back and then I got to know that almond, soy , broccoli etc are best to be avoided for good…
Thanks for visiting my blog..😊😊😊
I hate milk too. The smell and taste of cow milk makes me gag. Then I also learned that soy and almond milk were not the best milk either (hormones disruptor, overly processed, too many added ingredients…).
Then I discovered camel milk. The pasteurized version found in supermarkets smells nothing (yay!) and is only slightly salty tasting. It is a bit watery too. I find it boring as a plain drink but excellent in milkshakes.
And it’s a whole food. It says it all.
Ahhh!! I know.. many people hate cow milk and even I cannot have it as a drink stand alone… camel milk is actually good alternative to cow’s milk…is it easily available? Never thought of looking for it but now will see😍
Thanks for giving your feedback..I really appreciate 😊😊😊
Seems like you are in India. There is camel milk supplier named Aadvik (aadvikfoods.com) in your country. Try the whole milk version. Milk powder is not great. I make smoothies/milkshakes daily. Also good in tea, and cakes and hot chocolate.
Much lower in calorie than cow milk.
Next time you come to Dubai, remember to try Emirati camel milk ice cream! 😉
I aam in Seattle(Washington) but thanks for your information on camel milk and the site you mentioned could be a great benefir for a friend of mine in india, they really struggle to find it easily.
In the US, you have Desert Farm that supplies whole camel milk. They are not everywhere but you may have a chance in CA, WA or OR states. They also ship.
that’s amazing! thank you for the information..
I always prefer whole milk without adding anything in it😊. Very useful information 👍
That’s really good… taking warm milk at night is good for digestion.. 😊
Nice topic and very good information you have given..
Thanks
I believe we don’t necessarily need milk. We are the only mammals that still continue to consume milk after infancy. Other mammals no longer drink it once they are weened off their mothers. I honestly hate milk. My mom says refused to drink it after I was weened off breast milk. I don’t like it in my cereal. I can’t stand the sight or smell of it. It honestly disgusts me. I don’t drink milk as an adult and I don’t substitute. I will drink almond milk on occasion because I like it as a base in my protein shakes, but other than that. I don’t prefer milk in any form.
haha… Now that’s a different thing when you hate having milk! To be honest, even I don’t like having milk stand alone but i do like different recipes made with milk like rice pudding, curd etc. I really respect your choice and Ofcourse! something is better than nothing…. Atleast you like Almond milk and It’s a good choice for people who hate having milk. Thanks for your honest comment..
No problem!! I’ll still put it in things, but I never buy it unless it’s a in a recipe that requires it. It’s very rare though.