Catching up?
– Vegan How To: Introduction (Why this series?)
– Part 1: How To Make The Transition
Part 2: Replacing Dairy Milk
Today I’d like to talk about one of the first changes that I made in my own personal journey – switching from cow’s milk to non-dairy milk. It was also one of the easiest changes I made thanks to a huge selection of non-dairy milks on the market. I’m always amazed when I see the mammoth wall of non-dairy milk in my grocery store. It’s taking over! There’s really something for everyone from almond milk to flax milk and everything in between.
And, boy, I’ve tried a lot. Here is a list of the non-dairy milks I’ve given a go:
- Soy milk
- Almond milk
- Hemp milk
- Oat milk
- Coconut milk
- Rice milk
- Almond-coconut milk
- Quinoa Milk
- Flax milk
I’ll admit, I’m not head over heels for all of them, but I have a few favourites that keep me more than happy.
My personal favourite non-dairy milks:
1. Almond Milk (Whole Foods 365 Organic)
2. Soy Milk (Edensoy Organic) – for the protein
Soy milk was the first milk I tried back in 2008/2009 and while I didn’t fall head over heels initially, it eventually grew on my taste buds with time. (Actually, it wasn’t the first time I had soy milk; I was allergic to cow’s milk formula when I was a baby and my mom had to put me on soy milk instead). Soy milk is also the only non-dairy milk (to my knowledge) that has a similar nutritional profile to cow’s milk. My go-to brand of soy milk, Edensoy Organic, has a whopping 12 grams of protein per 1 cup serving making it the soy milk with the highest protein content. The ingredient list is also impressive: just organic soybeans and purified water! It’s great for smoothies when you don’t want to add protein powder, but still want a kick of protein. To be honest, the flavour of it unsweetened isn’t my favourite, but when I mix it into other foods I don’t notice it as much. They also have sweetened varieties of course. No matter the brand you buy, look for organic, GMO-free soy milk whenever possible.
Here is a side-by-side comparison of Edensoy soy milk vs. 2% cow’s milk:
| Nutrition Facts (per 8 fl oz serving) |
Unsweetened Soy Milk (Edensoy) | 2% Cow’s milk |
| Calories | 120 cals | 122 cals |
| Total fat | 6 grams | 5 grams |
| Saturated fat | 1 gram | 3 grams |
| Cholesterol | 0 mg | 20 mg |
| Sodium | 5 mg | 100 mg |
| Potassium | 460 mg | 366 mg |
| Total carbohydrate | 5 grams | 11.5 grams |
| Dietary fibre | 0 gram | 0 gram |
| Sugars | 2 grams | 12 grams |
| Protein | 12 grams | 8 grams |
Almond milk. I obviously have a lot of love for this non-dairy milk and it seems to be taking over the world. Almond milk is creamy, deliciously nutty, and blends well into just about anything. My brand of choice is Whole Foods 365 as it is carrageenan free. Almond milk is very low in protein, so be sure to pair it with protein rich vegan foods like hemp seed, chia seed, beans/legumes, protein powder, etc.
Note: Please see my post, Carrageenan in Our Foods for a list of dairy and non-dairy products that contain this potentially harmful ingredient.
What about calcium?
A balanced vegan diet can actually be quite high in calcium even without a lick of dairy. My favourite example – 1 ounce of chia seeds (about 2.5 tbsp) has reportedly 300 mg of calcium. Other non-dairy foods high in calcium include: collard greens (357mg calcium), fortified soymilk (368 mg), black eyed peas (211 mg), firm tofu (204mg), calcium fortified OJ (200mg), blackstrap molasses (172mg), baked beans (154mg), kale (94mg), almonds (70mg) [per serving, source] Be sure to pair calcium rich foods with vitamin C and D rich foods for the best absorption. As extra insurance, I take calcium and vitamin D supplements daily. There are also fortified non-dairy milks on the market (I think these tend to be the refrigerated kind?), so that is an option too. Be sure to read your labels!
Sweetened or unsweetened?
When I started experimenting with non-dairy milk, I always bought the lightly sweetened option. I think this really helped with my transition. Once I got used to the change, I switched to unsweetened varieties. As I’ve said many times in the past, its amazing what the taste buds can get used to with time. If you are starting out, you might want to check out the lightly sweetened varieties to help with your transition. Another option is to make the transition gradual. Having cereal? Why not try subbing half the cow’s milk with non-dairy milk? Or try using creamy almond milk or coconut milk in a cup of tea. There are plenty of ways to gradually ease into the taste.
When I’m doing any savoury cooking, I always use unflavoured and unsweetened almond milk. Keep the vanilla flavoured milk for your sweet recipes and smoothies.
Ok, now I’ll pass it over to you guys!
Have you made the switch from cow’s milk to non-dairy? Was it difficult?
If you drink non-dairy milk, which varieties do you like the best?
Do you prefer sweetened or unsweetened?
Coming up, a homemade nut milk bonanza!
My mother suffered from high-blood pressure for a long time so, we always had soy milk lying around. It was pretty exciting when she started sprucing things up with chocolate soy milk! I had a tough time getting my boyfriend to try it in coffee let alone cereal, but once he was brave enough (aka I forced it on him him, hehe) he discovered it was great :) I’ve just recently started venturing out trying different non-dairy milks and I loooove that coconut-almond hybrid! I have seen flax milk, but I have yet to try it out — what does it taste like?
I tried the unsweetened flax milk and didnt really care for it….maybe the sweetened kind would be better though!
Ah, ok :) I might give the vanilla a try in some oatmeal or cereal then — ty!
In love with Earth’s Own Almond Fresh almond milk! They also do an almond-coconut hybrid. Since trying it, I’ve never been able to go back to the non-refrigerated options.
Thanks for the calcium facts! I love having these stats on hand for when people challenge my vegan diet :)
I LOVE the Trader Joe’s almond milk, sweetened and unsweetened! I was never a big milk drinker, but love almond milk and will drink it like crazy. Even thinking about cow’s milk makes me cringe now!
Thank you for these posts, Angela, they are so helpful! I have managed to switch to soy milk fairly easily when I use it with other foods (in cereal, coffee, cooking, etc). But I still can’t get used to just drinking a glass of it. I love drinking milk with a variety of foods. Do you find that you’ve been able to get used to drinking soy/almond milk straight from the glass, or do you not drink glasses of it anymore?
Hi Whitney, Good question. I was never a big milk drinker (probably because I always suspected it upset my stomach). I only tended to have it in cereal or in tea. So out of habit, I’ve never been one to pour a glass of almond milk just to drink, although I do on occasion if I’m having cookies and want to pair it with a creamy drink. However, if I make homemade nut milk I almost always have a glass of it. It’s so creamy and a nice treat. More on that in another post though. :)
I’ve heard all kinds of opinions on which non-dairy milk is most like cow’s milk and to be honest I think it just depends on the person. My sister swears by coconut milk as a close replacement for dairy milk and I see another commenter recommended rice milk. Goodluck to you!
Ever since I’ve started following vegan blogs (like yours), I’ve realized that a lot of things I thought I knew about food were very wrong. I had no idea just how packed veggies were with nutrients that I thought I had to get from other sources (ie. meat, diary). I doubt I could become vegan due to my hardcore carnivore husband (haha), but I plan to incorporate more of these foods in my meals during the week. Thanks for this series – this is very informative! :)
I really like this article. Non-dairy milks were my first switch too and I haven’t tried one that I don’t like. My favorites are almond, coconut, and flax milks. I do have one question though – it was stated that one serving of chia seeds has 5 to 6 times the calcium of cow’s milk. I usually view one serving of chia seeds as 1 tablespoon which has around 9% of your daily value of calcium according to my nutrition facts label. I looked it up and 2% milk is around 30%. Were you meaning one cup of chia seeds? I’m not trying to be petty – I really loved this article otherwise – I just want to make sure there is no confusion. Thanks!
Thanks for clarifying Lindsey. What I meant to say was a 2 ounce serving of chia seeds. I just measured this on my scale and it was 5 tbsp. Sorry for the confusion – I will add this into my post to clarify.
No problem :) I love reading your blog and I make a ton of your recipes! This series is very much appreciated as I have a friend who I looking into becoming vegan as well (I already am). I am going to let her know about your blog.
I’m not currently on a path to a vegan diet but I have stopped buying cow’s milk. I seem to have some level of sensitivity to lactose so I could never really have full glasses of milk or bowls of cereal. I got tired of throwing out half of a one-litre because it went bad since I was only using it in tea. I made the switch from skim milk to unsweetened, plain almond milk (Almond Breeze shelf stable cartons) a couple months ago. I can now have cereal again. Hooray! I also enjoy having a glass of it now and then. Since I’m not vegan or vegetarian I don’t worry too much about the lack of protein in it.
I tried soy milk before but we just don’t get along that well. Like a lot of people, too much soy made me a bit gassy. I never loved the taste of it unless it was sweetened and flavoured either.
I haven’t tried other “milks” but the almond/coconut blend sounds tasty.
This post was so helpful! I have a hard time with vegan recipes because I am allergic to nuts. It’s nice to know soy milk is a good option. It seems with almond milk’s trendiness that I feel like I have less and less vegan options and it can be overwhelming when trying to use a nondairy milk.
Canned full fat coconut milk is my go to non dairy milk. So good!!
Growing up I was obsessed with cow’s milk- I would drink 3 or 4 glasses straight. Then I went to Cambodia and had a glass of milk there- and it was so gross, I’ve never been able to look at milk the same. My boyfriend is also lactose-intolerant, so it worked out well when we started dating 3 years ago for me to just stop buying milk.
I’m with you on almond milk (love everything PC- best brand name), and almond-coconut milk. I typically stay away from soy cause I find it leaves a gross film on my tongue. I remember a few years ago when hemp milk was the big rage (on a bunch of blogs) and I tried it a few times. It was ok but way too expensive to buy on a regular basis.
Original Enriched Rice Dream rice milk is by far the favorite at our house. The littlest kid drinks it straight up and I like that it leaves no soy-y taste when used in food and said food can be sent in school lunches (no nuts rule prevents us from using almond milk).
Otherwise, I’m a big fan of Unsweetened Eden Soy milk.
Thanks you so much for the tips Angela! I haven’t made the switch from cow-milk to non-diary milk yet – it’s not until recently I cut out meat, so I am still adjusting and trying to take it slow like you did. BUt so far I am absolutely loving it! And I have also stopped counting calories ever since I switched to a vegetarian diet, which is absolutely amazing. And I can honestly say that it is thanks to you and your blog that I made the decision about becoming a vegetarian and hopefully in time vegan. It’s like I have fallen in love with food again! But I was actually wondering if you could do a post about how to tell your family and friends when you go from a “normal” eater to a vegetarian/vegan eater. My friends and especially my family seems to have a lot of trouble accepting my decicsion, which has made it a little hard from time to time. So if you have any tips please do pass them along! :)
When I was giving up dairy milk, I drank the Kirkland brand organic rice milk. It is great because it tastes like dairy milk, though it is more watery. It is really refreshing and low in fat. It is one of my favorite non-dairy milks to this day. I also use unsweetened almond milk. Sometimes I buy the sweetened (only because it is organic and the unsweetened one I like isn’t always available in organic) and it seems so sweet compared to the unsweetened. Even the unsweetened vanilla seems sweet if you’ve gotten used to unsweetened unflavored! I’ve also tried a few of the ones that you listed. Oat milk is another favorite.
I like Blue Diamond Almond milk. What would you use to substitute Evaporated milk in a recipe? It’s for a crock pot potato casserole and pudding recipe. Suggestions?
I was never a big cow’s milk drinker – it always made me feel horrible (turns out I’m lactose intolerant). I switched to Silk Soy when I moved out for college and then when almond milk came along, I tried that…but that’s how I found out I was allergic to almonds (I guess I had somehow avoided almond for 25 years – ha). I now drink Silk unsweetened organic soy pretty regularly. I like coconut milk but I live in a tiny, tiny little town and they don’t sell it within 30 miles of me! I tried making coconut milk in my Vitamix this past weekend and it was so-so. I’d rather have the soy – lower in calories, tastier, and has calcium which I know I lack. It takes me a month to go through a carton so I’m not too worried about the hormonal effects.
Have you ever tried Silk Pure Almond? I personally love almond milk and flax milk and even way before I was dairy-free, I really hated cow’s milk. I used to drink Almond Breeze, but now I can’t stand it. Silk’s almond milk is so much more creamy!
I don’t think I have! I will have to keep my eyes peeled for it.
I prefer unsweetened soymilk for savory recipes and sometimes in smoothies for protein. However, Almond Breeze Unsweetened is my non-dairy milk LOVE :)
I used to buy soymilk but now I am on the almond milk train. I love the nutty flavor and it is so versatile in almost everything! I love tomato soup and was pretty sad when I realized that I couldn’t make it creamy. I tried it with soymilk but it wasn’t the same. Almond milk to the rescue! I just used original flavor of Silk’s almond milk and it was heaven! Also, on a side note, I noticed lately some comments are saying it’ll be hard for them to be vegetarian/vegan because of their significant others. Mine is a HARDCORE carnivore but it does not stop me! It helps that he doesn’t care what I eat, but no one has control over how you live your life :-) If you truly want it you will make it happen. Reach out here or on other blogs or even through other friends! Make it a ‘challenge’ for everyone for a day, week, month, etc. Even when cooking for a family, if your family likes bacon in their beans cook ie regularly but leave a single serving portion for you without them. It gets easier and easier. Trust me! I’m the only vegetarian/aspiring vegan in a house of 3 men who eat meat like it’s going out of style. Believe in yourself :-) You can do it!
I really love coconut milk for shakes and ice coffee’s and soy or almond for cooking. But I am also a huge coffee drinker and I just have not found a great non dairy option for a latte macchiato or a cappucino. Anyone have some better experience with that?
I never drink it straight up, but my absolute favorite is unsweetened vanilla almond milk, closely followed by unsweetened coconut milk. They’re perfect to pour over oatmeal or ceral, and a bit in cup of hot tea is just delightful! I have found that in addition to coconut milk, oat milk works wonderfully in homemade ice creams because of its thick and creamy texture.