Fun fact: through the age of seventeen, I drank a glass of chocolate milk every single day.
This was pre-introduction-to-coffee, so I’m thinking the chocolate was my younger method of getting a morning dose of caffeine. I would down that daily glass alongside cinnamon toast for breakfast, and then I’d jump in my dad’s car to make it into school just before the first period bell rang.
The chocolate addition was mostly a way of counteracting my dislike of the taste of milk alone – chocolate was something I could always get behind. A bottle of Hershey’s syrup was a refrigerator staple while I was growing up [I cringe to think how I considered that substance to be chocolate, but I'm sure my mom was simply glad to get her pasta-loving daughter to eat some protein].
milky oats: cook oats as usual, spoon into bowl, add nut butter, drizzle with milk of choice. like cereal, only better.
When I left for college, I figured it was time to outgrow the chocolate milk. As a seventeen year old in the city, I was trying new foods practically every day, and the childhood staple was easily forgotten. Now and again, when visiting my parents, I would decide to stir up a glass, but slowly, milk became a thing of the past.
Fast forward a few years: I began to learn about nutrition, and I began to learn about the dairy industry. And it all became a bit murky.
sometimes i eat cereal for dessert. weetabix biscuit [love these even if it makes me a grandmother], walnut butter, frozen blueberries, almond milk.
I have serious qualms with the conventional dairy industry, and I try hard not to send my dollars in their direction [and I prefer that most of my food come from the ground anyway]. I do enjoy good organic cheeses and trust in Fage’s commitment to sustainable farming. But what about milk?
Coupling the added expense of organic milk with my choice to “eat mostly plants,” I chose to switch to alternative forms of “milk.” Soy, almond, and hemp because my three go-to varieties. I use all of them regularly – to cook oats, to make sauces, to bake [well, that last one isn't exactly a regularity].
Still, I really can’t decide which milk is best. While I know I get plenty of protein in my mostly vegetarian lifestyle, I can’t deny the existence of it in soy milk over other varieties. From an ingredients perspective though, nut milks make me happiest.
But truthfully, I’m not sure anyone knows which is best. And perhaps that’s ok: enjoying every type might be the most balanced choice of all.
What’s your take? Are you a regular milk drinker? Do you go for the alternatives?
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I’ve got to try those milky oats! They look amazing. I’m a new-found-nut-milk-drinker! Love almond milk
I drank strawberry Nesquik every night before bed until middle school, and even though it’s kind of gross, I still love the stuff. I never cared for cow’s milk in anything but cereal, but now I love almond milk!
Weetabix do NOT make you a grandma, and they’re delicious with all kinds of alternative milk!
I use milk for coffee and soy milk for tea, but otherwise don’t use it (I get dairy from yogurts). I grew up eating Weetabix so your grandmother comment made me smile… I always associate Weetabix with kids!
I like almond milk, but the low protein count turns me off. I can’t get it unsweetened here either. I’ve tried oat milk once and wasn’t a fan- went through a rice milk phase, but for taste, I like soy best. Unsweetened and unflavoured.
I am a milk drinker, but I recently switched to organic milk to decrease the hormones that I put into my body (actually organic dairy in general). Personally, I have noticed a big change in the way I feel and in the way my skin looks!
Good post topic! I used to HATE plain milk when I was age 0-18 (in-my-cereal was another story). These days, I use unsweetened vanilla almond milk but there is barely any nutritional value in it. Plain, unsweetened soy milk has more protein, so that’s a plus, but I rarely buy it.
I enjoy a variety of milk, including cow’s milk. When I am running long runs I CRAVE good old chcoolate milk, and I always give in to that craving!
I’m pretty much on board with you, in that I don’t like the taste or “regular” milk but appreciated the protein and texture addition to my oats, etc. However, if it’s “real” milk, it’s hormone free, and I eat Fage and Oikos more often than anything else dairy-wise (as in, daily).
I used to love unsweetened soy milk and used it as a sub for “regular” for everything, but an intolerance to soy recently cut that out (so sad…). I use almond milk, as I think I get enough protein from other sources to validate the use, but I miss the soy. Sigh…
Regular milk upsets my stomach, so I tend to avoid it now; I grew up basically drinking 4 cups a day though. Now I tend to stick to almond milk because I don’t really like the taste of hemp, and I try to limit my soy intake.
i like milk but ive never been a huge milk drinker? chocolate milk- now that is another story
I have recently discovered Quinoa milk – can’t beat the protein in that! miss you xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx!
love this post! i’ve been wanting to do a post on milk because it is SO photogenic (lol).
i also drank a lot of milk growing up, either soy (my mom loves soy) or nonfat milk. i cannot stomach whole milk or even lowfat – way too rich. i love the taste of vanilla soymilk, almond milk, rice milk is pretty good too…. yeah, i guess i’m a milk person:) hehe
…but i haven’t had chocolate milk in forever! ah i might need to do something about that. you’re never too old in my opinion
<3
I grew up drinking milk right from the source, our cow on our farm in Ukrainian!
But in the U.S., I am reluctant to drink even skim milk that’s not organic. I’m yet to try hemp milk, but I do like almond and soy.
I did the chocolate milk thing in high school too! Sometimes it was the quickest thing I could grab while rushing to school (and I hated milk too!)
I am not against milk consumption, but I prefer to get my calcium and dairy from yogurt, cottage cheese, and cheese, and never buy milk. I am interested in trying milk alternatives, but haven’t made up my mind which one to try yet.
haha milk…i adore milk products… i LOVE CHEESE and i occassionally will drink cream(i know dense lol) and use cream in most my dinner sauces and things. i have a cheese collection in my fidge i think i have some 6 different types at the moment. its like everyone elses nut butter collections but mine is cheese!
I grew up on Nesquick Strawberry milk. We always had at least four cartons of skim milk present in our fridge growing up, as my dad had a glass with each of his balanced, diabetic-friendly meals. As I kid, I didn’t appreciate the watery taste of that particular variety of dairy, so I dressed it up with a tablespoon of that artificial strawberry stuff.
Nowadays, I prefer a broad variety of dairy/dairy alternatives. I do love soy and almond milk quite a bit and prefer it to regular milk. I’ve recently discovered coconut milk, though, and love how it tastes added to my morning oatmeal.
As for cheese, that was the hardest part of once being vegan. I don’t know how I went 9 months without that incredible stuff. I love cheese in all of its incredible flavors and varieties.
I really don’t drink regular milk much anymore but still eat cheese and yogurt. I just like the taste of soymilk better. I used to like the strawberry syrup when I was little. Now I don’t even think I’d like it