Milk Minus the Moo

Would you like a glass of chocolate soymilk with your after school snack? Have you ever had cereal with almond beverage? Would you like to try a vanilla rice shake? Moooove over, dairy cows, soybean, nut, and rice beverages are in town, and they’re making a splash.

No Moo is Cool!

More and more kids are discovering some cool things about nondairy drinks. First of all, they come in flavors—vanilla, carob, chocolate, mocha, strawberry, and other fruits. Just like cow’s milk, you can get no-fat, low-fat, regular, and vitamin-fortified varieties—important for growing kids. We all know that milk is a good source of calcium, which helps build strong bones, and most nondairy beverages have lots of calcium, too. Thus nondairy drinks are both nutritious and delicious!

Lots of people have trouble digesting cow milk and milk products. Lactose, a type of sugar found in milk and other dairy foods, is processed in the intestines by an enzyme called lactase. If your body doesn’t make enough lactase, you can get stomach pains, diarrhea, and gas when you drink milk or eat ice cream.  Soy, nut, and rice beverages and frozen desserts made from them don’t cause this problem.

Some people choose nondairy beverages because they are concerned about the negative impact raising lots of dairy cows has on the planet. The nine million-plus US dairy cows must be fed, and some of the land farmed to raise their food could be used to grow food for people. But lots of people drink nondairy beverages just because they taste good and they’re cool!

Soy, Nut, or Rice?

Soy “milk” is the most popular of the nondairy milk drinks on the market. It comes in more flavors than nut or rice milk, such as orange, berry, banana, and tropic fruits. Soybeans are the main ingredient.

Rice milk is lighter and sweeter than soy milk. Who needs soda when you can have vanilla rice milk? Almond milk is the most popular nut milk, but you can also find walnut, cashew, and hazelnut drinks. These are especially yummy on cereal or in a shake.

Speaking of yummy, here’s an easy recipe for you to try. Of course, talk to your parents about trying nondairy beverages, and then share a delicious shake today!

Fruity Nondairy Shake

1 cup of fruit: blueberries, strawberries, ripe banana, mango, blackberries, and raspberries work best

1 π cup soy beverage, vanilla, cold

1 6-oz container of soy yogurt, plain or vanilla

Place all ingredients into a blender or food processor and process for 1 minute. Pour into 2 glasses and enjoy!