apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Not that great of an article. Totally ignores things like casein protein in milk being linked to various diseases, and the fact that getting 25 grams of soy protein a day isn't easy, and in fact, can be somewhat harmful and unhealthy, especially for men (though the article does mention, albeit briefly, the inverse effects soy can have on post-menopausal women).

I'm glad they mentioned excessive processing and sweeteners. It's very possible to find brands that don't sweeten or sweeten with 'better' ingredients, but it definitely takes a label check. I think EdenSoy is the best brand of soy milk for this reason. Also, soybeans are one of the most heavily treated (pesticides) crops in the world. Given that, why buy or eat a soy product that isn't certified organic?

My personal preference is to alternate between almond milk and hemp milk. Almond milk can be found unsweetened in the Pacific brand and is light tasting.

They don't mention that goats' milk is naturally homogenous, thus taking out one of the processing steps of cows' milk. They also don't talk about raw vs pasteurized... Goats' milk can also be found locally and is more immediately palatable raw and fresh by those used to more traditional grocery store milk.

Love love love enriched almond milk! We have hazelnut milk right now, too. My husband, a high consumer of cow's milk until very recently has also taken to rice milk. All it took was an extended camping trip with boxed enriched rice milk to open his eyes to the great alternatives around us. Better for us and better for the animals.

I agree that soy is worse really, the rainforest is cut down to grow it! If you want an alternative to cow's milk try goat's milk, almond milk, rice milk...

Sian, it's my understanding that 80% or more of the soybeans grown are used to feed livestock (such as dairy cows and goats), not to make soy milk. And aside from crop growing, the rainforest is also cut down to provide grazing land for cattle. There are definitely questions that need to be asked about soy production, but claiming that soy milk is a main cause of deforestation muddies the water.

The article is really great for what it is- a review of nutritional information- but I do think there are more important aspects to choosing a milk, such as environmental impact and animal rights, that aren't mentioned. Not enough space, or perhaps it would be too controversial, but it would be nice to see a really comprehensive article that speaks to those topics in addition to the nutritional information.

Personally, I think plain milk is disgusting. I cannot drink the stuff. I have nothing against dairy but it's just the taste of milk that makes me gag. So I opt for unsweetened soy milk. I can drink that without a problem. I'm also a fan of rice milk and I haven't tried goat, almond, or hemp milk.

I am not able to drink cow's milk - and had used soy milk for a long time, until someone suggested I try almond. I am happy with either. I really only put it on cereal, anyhow. I drink chocolate soy milk occasionally. What I've noticed since switching from soy to almond (and it probably has more to do with the almond milk not being "enriched") my fingernails are way weaker, and splitting. I think the calcium is less in almond than the Silk Soy I had been drinking. I'm considering switching back once I get through with the containers of almond in the pantry.

When I was growing up, my parents and I spent one summer month (usually July or August) every year, living in a small town.
We made friends with neighbours who had a cow. They sent her out every morning to graze in a pasture, and around 5pm all the cows would come back from the pasture, walking through the main street of the town, each cow knowing her own house gate to go to. So every evening I'd go to the neighbours' and get a fresh bottle of milk, still warm from the cow. It was perfect! And absolutely no health complaints.