These days there seems to be a massive variety of non-dairy milks available on our supermarket shelves. But what prompted this sort of change in our thinking?
Lactose intolerance has been around for a long time but these non-dairy alternatives have only recently gained momentum and popularity.
Lactose intolerance affects only around 5 per cent of the Australian population, but up to a massive 50 per cent of the South American, African and Asian populations.
When a person is missing the enzyme called “lactase” they are unable to break down the natural sugars (lactose) that are found in dairy. Common symptoms include bloating, stomach pains or cramps and feeling sick, and usually occur shortly after consuming a food or drink that’s high in lactose.
Some of the new kids on the block are nut-milks (such as almond and macadamia), rice milk, oat milk, and coconut blended milk. Most of these are not as nutritionally beneficial as cow’s milk, so they are fortified with calcium and vitamins to make them healthier. It’s also important to look out for milks with no added sugar, as the sugar content can be quite high to make them palatable.
These milk varieties are better at some purposes than others. While rice milk is quite sweet, it is also quite watery, meaning it doesn’t go well with coffee. Almond milk however, is also quite sweet, but has a heavier mouthfeel, while soy is probably the best dairy alternative for coffee.
I encourage everyone to try these varied milk alternatives as they can be surprisingly good, even for an avid dairy drinker like myself! A bit of almond milk in my protein shake goes particularly well in the mornings.
If you would like to have a go at making your own almond milk, I’ll post a recipe below.
Home-made Almond Milk Recipe
Soak a cup of almonds in water overnight, then peel, rinse and drain.
Blitz in a food processor with four cups of water and a few stoned dried dates or a little agave nectar or honey if you would like a little sweetness.
Drape a muslin cloth over a wide jug or bowl and pour the mixture through.
Once it’s all in the muslin, squeeze the milk out of the cloth carefully and keep back the leftover pulp, which can be dried and pulsed even more in a food processor and made into almond flour to use in baking.
It’s then ready to drink! The milk will keep in the fridge for a few days, but stir just before each serving, as it will naturally separate over time.
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