For the non dairy milk drinkers why non dairy, unless you are lactose intolerant or vegan? A lot of people that I know are drinking almond milk, oat milk, rice milk, etc. People I have asked say it is healthier, but when I look at nutrition labels, seems like dairy milk is better for you. Dairy milk really only has three ingredients, milk, Vitamin A and D while non dairy milk will have more than three, lots of time added sugar, stabilizers, etc. Dairy milk has more protein, but more sugar, naturally in the milk itself though. So I am left wondering if you do drink non dairy milk, why?
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Iâm not lactose intolerant, but I do sometimes get a little extra gas from milk. I use almond milk in my recovery shakes mainly to help keep the overall calories in line a little better. Iâve already got my carbs from fruit, protein powder, and fat from peanut butter. Dairy milk seems over the top. The almond milk I use has 30 calories per serving, so I go with that. Overall the shake has ~500 calories, so swapping out for whole milk (what iâve got in the fridge for kids) would add another 200-250 calories. If Iâm not making a smoothie and want a quick recovery drink though, chocolate syrup and steal some of my kids whole milk since the almond milk has basically no protein in it.
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pretty much thisâŚnot strictly intolerant either but it definitely makes me feel weird/gross/blocked sinus etc. Be lost on me if you think drinking alternative milks provide any health benefit over water
I thought for like 10+ years that I had allergies - mild stuffy nose. I also started getting what the woo woo people call âbrain fogâ for lack of a better term. I finally traced the later to the half and half I was putting in my coffee. The brain fog would set in mid-morning after about the 3rd coffee. Then I would repeat the process with an after lunch coffee.
After quitting milk for the brain fog I noticed that my stuffy nose went away and my sense of smell was much better.
I donât get any lactose intolerance symptoms. I eat yogurt sometimes. It doesnât seem to affect me as much. A small amount of cheese doesnât affect me either.
We make home made hemp milk at home. It has a nice nutritional profile. Good protein and healthy omega 3 fats. We also like unsweetened oat milk - bought at the grocery store.
Almond milk lasts way longer in the fridge, after opening. Sealed, even longer.
I got tired of pouring out spoiled milk.
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Mix of reasons:
- The smell of spoiled milk or milk I think may, slightly, possibly, be close to spoiling freaks me out.
- Iâm not fully lactose intolerant but if I have a ton Iâll feel crappy and Iâd rather spend my âallowanceâ on yogurt, cheese, and icecream.
- Environmental impacts (tend to avoid almond milk for the same reason if I can).
I tend to rotate between flax, oat, and soy milks.
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According to the Almond Farmers/Profiteers of America, maybe.
I trust my nose. I can smell spoiled food from a mile away and have drank 3-4 week old (opened) almond milk with zero issues.
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I think that saying that alternative milks are healthier is a bit of a misnomer. Healthier than what? Healthier for who? The only thing that almond milk has in common with milk is the way it is packaged and marketed. These types of products may satisfy the same use case for a consumer but the nutrient content/density varies a lot across the spectrum of things out in the market.
Milk has nutritional properties that might or might not be right for your body and diet, same as the alternative milk-type beverages. Looking at what is in the carton and deciding deciding what you want to ingest seems like the right idea. Probably more people on this forum looking at that information that in the general public.
Almond milk has significantly less calories than milk, including less fat and sugar, but it also has less carbs and protein. Basically doesnât have much of anything in it at all, which is why a lot of manufacturers use carrageenan to give it some body but that also causes digestive issues for some people. Could be a good choice if you like something to mix in your coffee and are trying to run a calorie deficit for the day but a poor choice for a recovery drink.
Soy milk has more going on, including B-12 and potassium, but is also a common allergen. The fermented versions can be really good and the protein to fat ratio is more like 1% milk. Coconut milk is all kinds of tasty (imho) but it relatively high in saturated fat and doesnât really have much nutritional content outside of that.
Some people donât like milk or it doesnât make them feel awesome, donât see any reason to drink it if that is the case. There are some really great plant based protein powders out there and different ways to get the same nutrition.
Iâve got no issues with plant based milk-type beverages but I do think they are marketed in ways that can be misleading and that there are people out there who donât understand how nutrient-free some of these products are.
Edited to add that I was drinking an organic chocolate banana flavored almond non-dairy beverage with plant protein while typing 
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I just think itâs super strange to be basically nursing off of a cow. Leave that stuff for the calf and drink water!
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For me, the principal reasons for drinking soy milk â which is what I do â are
1 environmental impact: less forest turned into pasture, less water demand, fewer CO2 emissions [I should add that I am in Australia, so soy is local not from the Amazon; and water is a big issue];
2 ethics: we donât need to impart suffering onto cows to get a protein-rich milk-like drink that goes onto cereal and into smoothies.
However, I do eat real cheese and diary yoghurt, so this shift is only partial [so far].
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If I was a baby cow then it would be fine to consume a lot of milk. Iâm not, so I only have a little in tea or coffee from time to time.
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Several Years ago I developed severe skin issues. Looking at all possible sources of inflammation, I found that American dairy contains an extra side chain on the casein molecule that is purported to be pro-inflammatory. Years later and things have settled down, but if I start to consume something other than A1 milk, my skin breaks out. Also lactose intolerant, and unfortunately there doesnât seem to be any lactose free A1 milk.
All I know is Alton Brownâs recipe for overnight oats is killer, and it uses almond milk and coconut milk. And chia seeds. And flaxseed meal. And maple syrup.
That means youâre allergic to milk. Most the population is but doesnât realize it.
I drink fairlife milk with no lactose just because that brand tastes good to me.
Because I choose toâŚ
âŚand milk makes me a little gassy sometimes. I do have cream in my coffee on occasion though.
Almond milk is cheaper. Sad but true in Canada
Fairly certain, almond milk is cheaper to produce, compared to animal one.
Almond milk is not cheaper than milk in the UK, and a lot more expensive than soy milk.
Also growing almonds takes a lot of water. Nearly all almonds are grown in California, and there isnât that much water in the first place, so there is actually a fairly high environmental impact (but localised).
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Anyway, I drink soy milk because I like the taste. Also to keep saturated fats down. And you can leave it out of the fridge for a bit, and it doesnât go off.
I drank dairy milk all my life, pints of it as a kid and on cereal, as well as in coffee and tea.
Developed an inability to drink it without becoming unwell about 4 years ago - completely out of the blue.
Actually thought I was genuinely unwell until my GP made the connection and cutting out milk stopped the âproblemsâ pretty quickly.
I donât like the taste of either coconut, almond or soya milk so have settled on oat milk as being the best alternative for me - the âOatilyâ non barista brand is the one I have found most palatable for home use.
They have a âbaristaâ version which has a small amount of rapeseed oil in it - to allow for better foaming when making cappuccinos etc.
The regular version is just water, oats and salt.
I have no insight as to whether it is âhealthierâ than dairy but it tastes ok and allows me to continue having coffee and tea so itâs all good 