CLOSE UP: Dairy-Free Milk

If you’ve ever thought, considered, or purchased dairy-free milk this will be a good post for you!  I consider this information a bit of an emergency situation.  Even if you’re not dairy-free, this info will help when you’re buying other ingredients on your shopping list. 

Almost everything I write about stems from conversations with Wafiq.  In this scenario – he sees me buying groceries, asks me questions about them, gives me feedback, and makes me realize what type of questions other people might have when they’re buying groceries.

It’s no mystery to you that I focus hard on ingredients.  I don’t say that casually – literally, every single food item I put in my grocery cart, I’ve at least glanced at the ingredients.

Non-dairy milk is especially UNIQUE.  A lot of people think since they’ve cut out dairy (& usually gluten if they’re on that journey) they’re “healthy”.  They casually put the carton of almond milk in their shopping cart & walk away feeling… healthy.

But, since cutting out dairy myself, there are a few things I’ve learned about alternative milk options.  One of them being SUGAR.  Full, yet obvious DISCLOSURE, I am not a doctor in any degree to the name.  Simply my own research.  SUGAR could arguably be worse than DAIRY.  So supplementing sugar to make dairy-free milk taste good doesn’t sound like a healthy alternative, right?

In my opinion, this is a trick food companies are trying to pull on us, & it’s frustrating.  Because while YOU are trying your best to be healthy, follow a new diet, be proud (woohoo!) – these companies are trying to kiss you on the cheek while stabbing you in the back.

The best way for payback? Be smarter than those companies.  AND WE ARE SMARTER THAN THEM.

There are plenty of dairy-free milk options on the market that are NOT filled with sugar or other unknown, icky ingredients.  The only thing you need to do?  Read the label.  And don’t stop when you see 5 labels in a row that look horrible, thinking they must all be that way.  Not true.  Let those 5 labels anger you!  All these companies are trying to pull a fast one by me??  Hell. No.

Let’s read the labels together.  Here are 3 random dairy free milk options that I found at the store Friday night & quickly took some pictures of the labels.  Very blurry so I also typed what I saw…

Dairy Free Milk, Ingredients:

So Delicious Dairy Free Coconut Milk:  Here’s an example of one that you’ll see a lot of – SUGAR FREE, soy-free & dairy-free!  Although there’s no sugar, there are 13 other ingredients.  The second ingredient being Guar Gum.  Tricalcium Phosphate, then Magnesium Phosphate.  I’m not saying those ingredients are bad, frankly speaking, I don’t know what a lot of them are, but that’s exactly why I try sticking to ingredients that I do know.  Call me crazy, I’d rather eat the ingredients I know rather than ingredients with a big question mark… When I learn what Guar Gum is, I’ll decide if it’s something I’m interested in ingesting. You know?

Califia Almondmilk:  Oooo this milk has the best packaging AND it’s found in the cooler section next to the dairy milk.  I used to buy it because of the pretty bottle.  It’s soy free, dairy free, gluten free, carrageenan free… And I notice no sugars!  The only thing here is the Calcium Carbonate, sunflower Lecithin, Potassium Citrate, Natural Flavors, Locus Bean Gum, Gellan Gum… WTF are those things?  Especially the natural flavors, what is that exactly?  Again, I’m not a doctor & honestly don’t even know what several of those ingredients are… But if there’s an option to eat ingredients I know, I’ll take it.

MALK:  I had to give you a good example too so you know there’s hope.  Look at this stellar piece of artwork.  All three MALK bottles had an ingredients list that I understood top to bottom.  From the first ingredient to the last.  And this brand isn’t the only one!  There’s several, you just have to find them!  I mean you tell me – how does Filtered Water, Organic Sprouted Almonds, and Himalayan Salt sound as an ingredient list compare to the others listed above?

Forager Unsweetened Plain Cashewmilk:  This is my personal favorite dairy-free milk & it’s the one I used in all my pictures in this post.  Ingredients: Filtered Water, Cashews, Coconut Cream Tapioca Starch, Gluten-Free Oats, Sea Salt. YES!  YES!  I’m trying (& feel like I’ve tried) all the dairy-free milk’s since going dairy-free & this milk, in particular, is my favorite by a landslide.  Nothing compares.  I don’t miss dairy milk anymore, I’m happy right here with this milk & will make sure I grab it every single time I’m at the store. Obviously, not a sponsored post, just very much obsessed.

Specifically with dairy-free milk, you’ll most likely find all the brands with GOOD ingredients in the cooler section of the grocery store near the real milk.  If you’re used to sweetened dairy-free milk & truly feel like you can’t pass on that sugar – try finding milk w a natural sugar used as the sweetener (maple syrup, honey, ect.).  And of course, I’d encourage you to eventually try (& hopefully get used to) an unsweetened option.

NOW, the last part of this puzzle.  This dairy-free milk story typically translates to ALL “healthy” foods.  Just because it might say “all natural”, “gluten free” “sugar-free” or “dairy free” on the packaging, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t read the label.  You would be incredibly surprised what kinds of extra ingredients sneak into “healthy” food choices.

And the last thing I can say to help encourage you to read the labels – DON’T GIVE UP.  When you first do this exercise at the grocery store you might feel like everything you’re buying has 4,309 ingredients & it’s too hard to find anything that doesn’t.  NOT TRUE.  Remember, we’re smarter than these food companies you guys.  Fuck them!  Be as stubborn as me.  It’s a matter of principle more than anything else.  Keep looking, find the labels you understand, and you’ll slowly find food you love with ingredients that you know.  And start small, focus on your pasta sauce the first trip.  Add your milk next time.  Then maybe peanut butter.  And before you know it, you’ll have a clean food list every time you go to the grocery store!

Holy shit did I love writing this, feels like we’re beating THEM! I could go on forever, believe it or not I cut this post short…

(One more thing, keep this in mind when you think you’re being super healthy at Starbucks with your coffee & almond mix combo – those guys love SUGAR!)

Have a great week!

Be thoughtful

Xx