On Milk and Mylk

As someone who is severely allergic to milk, and who works in childcare, it regularly scares me how little people know about different milks and other dairy-alternative foods. People don't know what milks are what. Here's the run down. Milk Normal milk is from a cow. These cows have a whole lot of hormones and antibiotics pumped into them. This milk also contains lactose, casein, and is obviously not vegan. Lacotse Free Milk Lacotse free milk is exactly the same as the milk above EXCEPT that it has the enzyme that people use to break down lactose added to it. This milk is NOT soy milk, it is COW'S MILK with an additive. It is not casein free (so it will still cause me to stop breathing), and it is not vegan. A2 Milk A2 milk is also cows milk, but has only the A2 type of casein. Again, it is NOT vegan, and it is NOT lactose free. This milk is suitable for people who are just sensitive to casein type 1. It is also NOT suitable for people who are allergic to all casein types (like me) Soy Milk The most common non-dairy milk, this is what you can get pretty much anywhere. However, soy is typically genetically modified, highly sprayed, and is highly estrogenic, so it's not good for guys or for people who have a personal or family history of estrogen related cancers (i.e. breast cancer, ovarian cancer, etc). Personally, I will only get soy milk when I'm out and it's the only non-dairy option, given that I had ovarian cancer at age 10 and a breast cancer scare at age 21. Oat Milk This is milk that is made from oats. It is healthy, and is especially useful for people with cholesterol issues. However, this milk is not gluten free, so if you have gluten sensitivities, allergies, or coeliacs disease, then oat milk is not for you. Almond Milk This is a very low calorie milk, and is made from almonds (i.e. nuts). It's lactose free, casein free, and gluten free, so it's great for people like me. Stay away from the sweetened stuff, not only does it have more sugar, it tastes worse. This is however not a good choice if you work with kids or if you have a nut allergy. Rice Milk Until recently, this was my milk of choice. I chose to have one with chickpeas in it, for extra protein. Rice milk is hypo-allergenic, being gluten, dairy, and nut free. It is also vegan. If serving food for those with allergies or sensitivites, this is the best choice. It is however rather thin, and low in protein. The rice milk with chickpeas is less thin, and has more protein. The other thing I did was I mixed my rice milk with coconut milk (2/3 rice milk with 1/3 cocunut milk). Which brings me to the next point... Coconut Milk Not just the canned stuff, that I used before mixed with rice milk. You can now buy coconut milk mixed with rice milk. This is my milk of choice - it's gluten free, casein free, lactose free, vegan, and tastes pretty darn good. Coconut milk is higher in fat than any of the other non-dairy milks, so it might not be the best choice if you want to lose weight. However, coconut milk, although from saturated fat, is actually good for the heart and pretty much everything else. Quinoa Milk This is relatively new, and is about as high in protein as cow's milk. It is however more bitter than pretty much any other milks, so it doesn't work so well with sweet stuff. There is an ever growing selection of milk available, not only in health food stores, but also in the supermarket, so check them all out. And remember, READ THE INGREDIENTS AND NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION. What I need in a milk is not necessarily what you need in a milk. Make your own, informed decision. And on the title - a lot of people call all non-dairy milks mylk, to distinguish them.