Alternative to Milk: These Products are Available

Alternatives to milk: lactose-free milk

There are more and more substitute products for milk, as many cannot tolerate milk or avoid animal products out of conviction. All these products have their own taste and special properties:

• If you cannot drink milk because of lactose intolerance, lactose-free milk is a good alternative.
• For production, the lactose is split into the original sugars glucose and galactose with the help of the enzyme lactase.
• In lactose-free products, there is usually a residue of lactose, but most lactose-intolerant people tolerate this milk well. However, if you cannot tolerate milk protein, lactose-free milk is not an alternative.

Almond milk instead of cow’s milk

• Almond milk is just water and almonds.
• To make it, warm water is poured over almond butter or ground almonds. The mixture steeps for several hours. Protein, fat, and fiber are extracted from the almonds. The milk is then bottled either sweetened or unsweetened.
• Depending on the number of almonds, almond milk is more or less beige and tastes nutty. The consistency is more watery than cow’s milk.

Alternative with soy

• Soymilk is made from soybeans – more specifically, the press cake that’s left over from making oil from soybeans.
• The pressed beans are soaked in water and mashed. The solid components are then separated from the milk by sieving.
• The taste of soy milk is reminiscent of the taste of beans and nuts. It is slightly yellowish and more like cow’s milk in consistency.

Hemp Milk: Creamy Substitute

• Hemp milk is made from finely ground hemp seeds and water. After mixing, salt is added and rice syrup or tapioca starch is usually added to bind it.
• The milk is free of lactose, milk protein, soy, cholesterol, and gluten. It’s a bit greyish, but creamier than almond milk, for example.
• As with many milk alternatives, the taste is slightly nutty.

Classic with oats

• Oat milk is the classic milk alternative.
• To make it, oat flakes are soaked in water and mashed. After a short draw, the mash is filtered.
• Oat milk contains no lactose, no milk protein, and no soy, but it does contain gluten. It is slightly greyish and tastes comparatively sweet and strongly of grain.

Rice Milk: Color like cow’s milk

• Rice milk is made from boiled, mashed rice and water. It contains a lot of carbohydrates and is lactose-free, milk-protein-free, and gluten-free.
• The color of the rice milk is more reminiscent of cow’s milk than other products. The taste is sweet and similar to cow’s milk. It’s a bit watery though.