As an advocate of a whole food plant based (WFPB) diet, I promote a diet dominated by whole and minimally processed plant foods. If you’d like to be able to differentiate between different degrees of food processing, you can watch from 27:33 – 35:24 of the Recapture Your Health with Delicious Plant Foods.
I consider all plant milks to be moderately processed foods which is why I never sing their praises. After weaning from human milk at around one year of age, we humans don’t require any type of milk for the rest our lives. Infants who are not breastfed must consume an infant formula prescribed by a pediatrician. Infants have unique nutrition requirements and should NEVER be given cow’s milk, goat milk or any plant-based milk. As an infant/child begins to consume enough calories from solid foods to support health and growth, no milk of any kind is needed in his/her diet.
Why I Don’t Totally Condemn Plant Milks
In my Pissin’ In The Wind article, I explain how extremely difficult it is for most people to transition to a WFPB diet. It requires radical dietary changes for most people. Milk is a commonly consumed beverage. Many people claim that they must have some kind of milk in their coffee or on their whole grain cereal. They also use milk in many recipes for creamy soups and sauces. For most people, just switching from cow’s milk to a plant milk is a big step. Asking people to give up milk entirely just adds another barrier to making a successful transition to a WFPB diet. My approach is to encourage people to switch from cow’s milk to a plant based milk, but I encourage them not get too many of their calories from milk. Most of our calories should come from more nutrient-dense foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes.
What Kind of Plant Based Milks Are Best?
I encourage people to read the ingredients list on the food label. Some plant-based milks have added oils. I would avoid these. I rarely use plant milks, so when I do need to purchase some for a recipe that calls for milk, I usually choose oat milk or almond milk. Dr. Tom Campbell – co writer of “The China Study” and son of T. Colin Campbell, is not a fan of oat milk. Although I have great respect for the Campbells, father and son, I’m ok with my use of oat milk because it is such a minimal part of my diet. If you’d like to know Dr. Tom Campbell’s thoughts on plant milks, click here.
Dairy Industry Struggling
The dairy industry is struggling for a variety of reasons. One of those reasons is the growing competition from an ever increasing variety of plant milks. As a dairy basher, I’m happy about this development. However, there is a cost of which we must be aware. It’s the financial and emotional cost to owners of small family-owned dairy farms. Many owners are closing their farms because they are being squeezed out by huge corporate dairy farms. These are hardworking people who have been farming their whole lives and closing their farms is devastating to them.
Oats to the Rescue in Rural Upstate New York
Halsa Foods, a Scandinavian oat-based yogurt company is partnering with High Meadows Dairy Farm of Hoosick Falls, NY to convert 300 acres of organic land to soon grow premium oats. The struggle of US dairy farmers inspired Halsa to start the project. The partnership not only will help the owners of the dairy farm but will also benefit the environment. According to Halsa, oats require much less water to work with, and Halsa oats are currently grown in Scandinavia with a zero water footprint. If you’d like to learn more about this project, checkout this article.
E Excerpt from Laurie Endicott Thomas’s amazing book Thin Diabetes – Fat Diabetes by clicking here!
Unsweetened almond, flax, oat milks are on the “good” list.
The switch was easy for me. My kids and wife are not agreeable with the change.
By nature, almond milk is “occasional” for me. Breakfast is most likely. I have water or mineral water with lunch/dinner.