Nut-based Milks and related foods: Your views on them?

[SpyderEdgeForever]

I notice that the food production market has begun to produce all sorts of nut-based milks and related products, such as almond milk, and while rice is not a nut, I will mention it, rice milks, and now cashew and peanut milk and others. What are your opinions on these and as far as health goes, do you think that under come conditions they are definitely better than animal based milks such as cow and goat milk? Obviously the nut milks would have no cholesterol in them.

I have had the almond and rice milks and they are pretty good, the almond milk tends to be a little thicker and tastier. There are also soy milks and there are rice and soy milk based ice cream.

One downside I have read about is that if you try to replace cow or other animal based milk in certain recipes, with the rice, soy, or nut milks, it may not come out the same because it is of a different composition.


And a related question: I am on the look out for a replacer for eggs when it comes to foods such as egg sandwiches and egg salads. Does anyone here know of any good and tasty egg replacers?

Thank you!

[The Meat man]

I am not lactose intolerant so I never drink almond/rice/soy milk, but I'm glad those options exist for the many unfortunate people who are lactose intolerant.

I can't say much about the nutritional values of one or the other, except that cow's milk is usually a lot higher in fat and protein and hence, in calories. That's not necessarily a bad thing though. Your body needs fat and protein.

[SpyderEdgeForever]

I am not lactose intolerant so I never drink almond/rice/soy milk, but I'm glad those options exist for the many unfortunate people who are lactose intolerant.

I can't say much about the nutritional values of one or the other, except that cow's milk is usually a lot higher in fat and protein and hence, in calories. That's not necessarily a bad thing though. Your body needs fat and protein.

That's a great point my friend, true.

By the way, MeatMan, I appreciate your posts and insights on here, I want you to know that. Thank you.

I notice that when it comes to foods and drinks there seems to almost always be both a downside and upside, except perhaps with water. Even then, I have read and been told that a person can even consume too much water if it is consumed too quickly; supposedly there have been cases where people actually died from over consumption of water or water at the wrong time.

[The Meat man]

I am not lactose intolerant so I never drink almond/rice/soy milk, but I'm glad those options exist for the many unfortunate people who are lactose intolerant.

I can't say much about the nutritional values of one or the other, except that cow's milk is usually a lot higher in fat and protein and hence, in calories. That's not necessarily a bad thing though. Your body needs fat and protein.

That's a great point my friend, true.

By the way, MeatMan, I appreciate your posts and insights on here, I want you to know that. Thank you.

I notice that when it comes to foods and drinks there seems to almost always be both a downside and upside, except perhaps with water. Even then, I have read and been told that a person can even consume too much water if it is consumed too quickly; supposedly there have been cases where people actually died from over consumption of water or water at the wrong time.

Thanks for the kind words SEF. I enjoy your posts also.

Drinking too much water can be especially dangerous if one is severely dehydrated or overheated. I suppose as with many things, moderation is the key, whether it is chocolate candy or water.

Speaking of food substitutes, my twin sister's husband is severely allergic to dairy and eggs. It's really amazing what substitutes they come up with to get around it. A few months ago we were together for a meal, and the dessert was chocolate cake made out of black beans, with avocado based icing, and I could hardly tell a difference! :eek: Healthy cake - what more could you want? :p

I think my sister uses flaxseed a lot as an egg substitute in recipes, but that probably isn't really what you're looking for.

[rodloos]

I haven't heard of any drawbacks for Almond milk other than the mentioned case of as an ingredient when cooking. One advantage to me is that is has a lot longer shelf life than cow milk. As a single guy I have a difficult time finishing off a container of milk before it spoils, but almond milk lasts so long I don't have to worry about it.

[tvenuto]

I'm glad they're readily available. I'm allergic to casein, the protein in milk and cheese. It doesn't cause anything terrible, like anaphylaxis, but rather acne, runny nose, worse seasonal allergies, general inflammation etc. Thus, I generally avoid dairy (except butter). There's some cashew milk ice cream out there that is totally awesome.

However I draw the line at soy, which contains higher levels of phytoestrogens. This might be due to soy itself, or the relatively low amount of fat in each bean, necessitating a huge amount of beans being required for a particular volume of "milk."

[jpm2]

Useless trivia... I figure I've drank about 8212.5 gallons of cow milk so far. Up to the age of around 20, it was raw.

[ugaarguy]

SEF, almonds alone take tremendous water resources to grow. Making almond "milk", which is mostly water, takes even more water. Unless you're allergic to something in dairy, I'm not convinced there's any health benefit either. Cholesterol in food doesn't increase your blood cholesterol levels. High levels of saturated fats in your diet are what raises your cholesterol. Many of the most flavorful nuts are high in saturated fats. The medium chain triglycerides found in coconut oil, and butter made from grass fed cow's milk, among other foods, are actually better fuel for your brain than carbs. Our bodies need good, healthy fats just like it needs healthy complex carbs, and healthy proteins.

[Doc Dan]

Almond milk is great. Almond Breeze is the best and we drink a lot of it. I do not drink the kind with sugar. However, you have to be careful with almond, soy, and other milks. An Australian brand, Pacific something or other, has added vegetable oil (Almond breeze only has almonds). I also like soy milk. The best brand is Silk. It is creamy and a lot like the texture of cow's milk, though not exactly. It is very good. Again, I personally prefer the non-sugar variety. These milks are healthy and go well in cereal and other things you normally put milk in. You can even bake with them.

[bearfacedkiller]

I am a dairy nut. I consume tons of it. Milk, cheese and ice cream make up a lot of my calories. I am glad that fake dairy exists for those who can’t have dairy or choose not to consume it but for me there is no sustitute for the real thing. There is nothing like a tall glass of cold whole milk.

This may sound odd but I like a big glass of cold milk with a big bowl of spaghetti and tomato sauce. Yum!!!!

[MichaelScott]

I agree with ugaarguy, milk substitutes may be beneficial for those with dairy or lactose intolerance, but I can’t see any upside to replacing real milk and dairy with them. Except to their makers of course.

[SpyderEdgeForever]

I agree with ugaarguy, milk substitutes may be beneficial for those with dairy or lactose intolerance, but I can’t see any upside to replacing real milk and dairy with them. Except to their makers of course.

What is your opinion on goat milk and goat cheese as a long-term replacement for cow milk based products? Do you think it would be sufficient as in taste, protein content, and other attributes?

[JD Spydo]

I agree with ugaarguy, milk substitutes may be beneficial for those with dairy or lactose intolerance, but I can’t see any upside to replacing real milk and dairy with them. Except to their makers of course.

What is your opinion on goat milk and goat cheese as a long-term replacement for cow milk based products? Do you think it would be sufficient as in taste, protein content, and other attributes?

I absolutely love goat's milk and all the other products made with it like Yogurt, cheese and all the other great products that you can make with goat's milk. If I ever move to the country again I will make it a point to get at least a dozen goats and learn to harvest milk from the female goats. Like with any other farm animal there is a lot to learn about them. I have a very good lady friend who has done just that and she says it beats cow's milk any day of the week. I can drink even a gallon of goat's milk and not have any ill effects from it. I have an Amish source for it and I also have a great health food store that sells a lot of fresh goat milk related products. The Goat milk Yogurt is by far my #1 favorite. The cheeses are super.

[awa54]

I'm not on board with the flavor of goat milk and IMO, goat cheese is a hit or miss thing, as opposed to cow and sheep milk cheeses that I like almost universally (with the exception of "ripe" cheeses). Flavor-wise I'd take almond, rice or hemp "milk" over goats milk... however the water issue is a huge one, especially for US made almond milk, where much of the almonds are grown in water stressed areas, creating a double whammy of bad agriculture/water management practices.

And yes, dairy cattle do consume large amounts of water as well, but tend to be raised in areas with fewer water resource issues.

Being from Vermont, I favor the real deal, like BFK... make mine whole cows milk and if it ever becomes legal to sell in stores again, I'd go a step farther and buy raw, un-homogenized jersey milk.

[Chef_Pappa]

Coconut milk is the best replacement for darry that I have found. It is thick, rich and creamy but does have a distinct coconut flavor. Some people I know really enjoy the flavor in coffee or cereal. I prefer whole or raw (if I can get it) milk for those applications. I do, however enjoy the flavor in curries and stews. I have used it lots of "darry free" recipes from mashed potatoes to stroganoff to rice pudding. It can easily go savory or sweet. I could go on about it's virtues.
As for an egg replacement within the above stated context- I'd try avocado!

[bearfacedkiller]

While I do not see coconut milk as a replacement for dairy I do LOVE it, especially in coconut curry. I clearly remember the first time I went to a Thai restaurant. I got the green curry and have been in love with it ever since.

[redhawk44357]

Almond milk is disgusting,

[demoncase]

Most of them suck in coffee- I have a lactose intolerant veggie and also a vegan working for me, both of whom compare notes on what works for daily use and cooking, thus I have a second-hand knowledge on these.

The majority of nut milks settle out in hot drinks- so if you like your latte extra chunky then it's for you.
They also have rather more flavour typically than cow's milk and tend to be sweeter too.

Goat's milk is not for me- it's got a very yoghurty flavour for my palette and ruins the nice mid-roast Kenyan single-estate coffee I prefer at home......Doesn't do well with bargain-basement instant I drink at work either.

Goat's cheese is OK- but (to quote a famous UK Food Critic)- It tastes either all of goat or sour cream cheese, and not really much of anything else.

That said: Coconut milk and cream is a staple in our store cupboard- can't make good Thai or Malaysian food without it, and there's a whole bunch of Indian foods that need it. (Goan Fish Curry for one!)....But put it in my coffee and you've just made an enemy :)

[Doc Dan]

Many people drink Almond milk and soy milk because it is a healthy choice. However, a lot of Soy milk has a huge amount of sugar. The only no-sugar soy milk worth drinking is Silk. You can get this in Vanilla or plain. I do not know if they make no-sugar chocolate, or not. The texture and nutty taste are really good. The only almond milk worth drinking is Almond Breeze and they have no-sugar options, as well. These are my opinions, only. However, I have drank soy milk and almond milk in many countries and have arrived at the conclusion that these two American brands are the best.