Healthy Milk Alternatives

For those of you who are looking for cows milk alternatives nut, grain, seed and goats milk are great options. If you’re planning on baking, the best milk substitutes to use are almond, rice milk or coconut milk.

There are many varieties of dairy-free milks springing up which are fortified with calcium and vitamins E and D in your local health food store and supermarkets too.  Non-dairy milk such as almond, cashew nut or coconut can be simply made up at home by placing 1 cup nuts /flakes with 2 cups of filtered water in a blender then straining through a sieve.  They will keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can drink non-dairy milks anytime of the day and they don’t only have to be used in cooking.  Add them to lattes or on their own as a refreshing drink.

Combining nut milks with berries will provide the ultimate supershake as it provides many essential vitamins and minerals, protein and good fats and tempers release of sugar into the bloodstream.

Almond milk is my milk of choice when it comes to whipping up dairy free pancakes or baked goods. Being cholesterol free and containing no lactose, it’s perfect for people with dairy intolerances and a healthy alternative.  Almond milk is a better alternative to soy, because it has a smoother consistency and a less gritty, milder flavour which works well when bread making, baking cakes, biscuits and muffins.  And if you do use soy in baking it usually comes out just tasting, well, beanish!

Adding vanilla to the mix will also enhance almond milk’s taste. If you’re curious about goat’s milk why not try whole goat’s milk on your cereal to add a rich and creamy flavour, or try making your own yoghurt? It’s high in calcium and more digestible than regular cow’s milk but be aware it still contains lactose but in a lesser degree. If you’re planning on baking with it, for best results include it with ingredients which have an acidity such as berries or citrus fruits or try combining it with spices, this will help to denounce its tangy flavour when cooked.  It can also be used well in savoury recipes such as souffles and frittatas.

You can also supplement almond milk with a ¼ cup of coconut milk when making bread or baking cakes or muffins, resulting in a smoother, melt in your mouth experience, and keeps it moist for days, preventing drying or crumbling.

Puddings that call for full cream milk varieties or cream would suit substituting with rice milk which has a richer consistency and adds a distinct sweetness enhancing taste.  You don’t need to use as much and the outcome will be just as good.

When making pasta sauces, mash or cream based sauces, rice milk may be too sweet so the perfect option to use is cashew nut milk for a thicker consistency or almond milk for a thinner based sauce and it won’t overtake flavours and behaves itself when being added to other ingredients.

For smoothies or ice cream, coconut milk is best and has an excellent consistency and sweetness, ensuring you will have a creamy more luscious result.

Like any other food cooking and boiling of nut/seed and rice milks does contribute to a small loss of nutrients from within the food.  In which case for optimum nutritional benefits non dairy milks are best consumed raw.

Remember if you are lactose intolerant there are so many other alternatives for healthy milk that you never need to miss out on your favourite dishes.

For more healthy gluten, wheat, dairy, yeast and sugar-free recipes visit www.superchargedfood.com

See you next time  Lee