Milk Does a Body Good?

Due to the rise of allergies and declines in milk consumption, alternative milks have become a popular replacement and there are many brands and varieties. As a result, even Starbucks offers the top alternative milk drinks: soy, oat, almond and coconut milks.

Below is my review of popular gluten and dairy free alternative milk brands. In similar fashion to my review of gluten and dairy free breads, (https://liveglutenanddairyfree.com/com/?p=102) I bought every gluten free, dairy free alternative milk I could find. However, I have to add a disclaimer that I dislike the taste of almond milk despite trying different brands and trying to keep an open mind.  I find the taste bitter which changes the flavor of food negatively. Therefore, I will not be reviewing any almond milks since I don’t feel I can be objective.

It should be noted that WestSoy, Rice Dream, and Pacific Foods are sold on the shelf. Silk, Ripple and So Delicious are sold both on the shelf and in the refrigerator section. Califia is the only brand reviewed that is only sold refrigerated. In addition to being dairy free, all brands reviewed are also gluten free and organic or non-GMO. A popular brand I did not review is O Organics. I could not find any information on their site as to whether they are gluten free.

Alternative Milk – Soy, Oat, Coconut, Rice…..and Pea?

Soy Milk

Silk Original Soy Milk is as its name implies silky smooth. Unlike almond milk which can change the taste of the food it is added to, soy milk enhances the taste. This is my favorite alternative milk.

WestSoy Organic Soymilk tastes plain and has a mild soy taste

Oat Milk

Califia Oat Milk tastes plain and has a mild oatmeal taste

Dream Oat Milk is plain and watery like their rice milk

Not Reviewed

Pacific Foods Oat Milk Original is not gluten free

Silk Oat Yeah is not gluten free

Rice Milk

Rice Dream – This is the only rice milk I found. Rice milk is watery, like skim milk. For this reason, it may be good or bad depending on the food it is added to. I find it is too watery for coffee, yet it does not change the flavor of cereal. To put it another way, if almond milk changes the flavor of cereal and soy milk enhances it, then rice milk does not change it at all. 

Coconut Milk

Obviously, some coconut milk brands taste like coconut which like rice milk, can be good or bad, depending on what you add it to. It might sweeten tea or taste good on its own, yet might not be suitable for cereal. For this reason, I am rating the brands by how much they taste like coconut.

Silk Unsweetened Coconut Milk – of all three brands I sampled, this brand tastes the most like coconuts

So Delicious Coconut Milk has a mild coconut taste with chunks of coconut, similar to coconut water

Pacific Unsweetened Original Coconut Milk does not taste like coconut but more like rice milk

Pea Milk

Ripple – this a unique milk made with peas. I like the fact that for people who may not like the taste of the other alternative milks or may be allergic to them, this is a good substitute. It is smooth, thick and tastes similar to soy milk. And no, it does not taste like peas.

Got Milk?

If unlike me, you do like almond milk, most of these brands, Silk, Califia, and Pacific Foods, also make almond milk, along with Blue Diamond. Many of these brands also offer non-dairy yogurt, which I will review in a future post.

Another milk campaign, Got Milk? featured celebrities with milk mustaches. Yes, now those allergic/sensitive to dairy “got milk”- alternative milk that is. They are found of all places, in the dairy section.

Fun Food Fact

Like humans, cows only produce milk after they have given birth

Did You Know?

The greatest amount of milk produced in one year was 59,298 pounds by a Holstein cow named Robthom Sue Paddy. Milk is measured in pounds, not gallons (https://www.ilfbpartners.com/farm/dairy-fun-facts/)

Quote

“Fortified plant-based milks are delicious and contain all the calcium, protein, and vitamin D of dairy products but with none of the cholesterol, lactose, hormones, or cruelty found in cow’s milk” – Ingrid Newkirk