Milk substitute

 ( Imitation Foods ) 

In 2018, Benjamin Kemper wrote in the Smithsonian Magazine:

Linguistically speaking, using “milk” to refer to “the white juice of certain plants” (the second definition of milk in the Oxford American Dictionary) has a history that dates back centuries. The Latin root word of lettuce is lact, as in lactate, for its milky juice, which indicates that even the Romans had a fluid definition for milk. Ken Albala, professor of history at University of the Pacific and host of the podcast Food: A Cultural Culinary History, says that almond milk “shows up in pretty much every medieval cookbook.” Almonds, which originate in the Middle East, reached southern Europe with the Moors around the 8th century, and their milk—yes, medieval Europeans called it milk in their various languages and dialects—quickly became all the rage among aristocrats as far afield as Iceland.

In comparison with cow's milk, fortified milk substitutes have a comparable amount of calcium, however tend to fall behind in essential vitamin B12 and minerals such as iodine and iron. Legume milks, on average have comparable protein and energy levels to cow's milk, with grain milks, tree nut milks, and seed milks falling behind in this category.

Coconut milk is made by mixing water with the freshly grated white inside pulp of a ripe coconut. Though considered by some in the West as a substitute for dairy milk, coconut milk has been used as a traditional ingredient in , , Caribbean, and northern cuisines for centuries, if not millennia. It is also a source of calcium and vitamins C, E, B1, B3, B5, and B6. Coconut milk is usually very high in fat and calories, but low in protein, which makes it a good substitute for cream, as it can be whipped up in a similar fashion to decorate baked goods or .

Almond milk is produced from almonds by grinding almonds with water, then straining the pulp from the liquid. This procedure can be done at home. Almond milk is low in saturated fat and calories. The market demand for almond milk has grown continuously throughout the 2010s and 2020s; this is accredited to the increasing number of health-conscious consumers coupled with rising inclination to incorporate more plant-based foods into the diet. Macadamia nut milk, cashew milk and hazelnut milk are similar commercially available nut-based beverages, but they are not as popular as coconut milk or almond milk.

Soy milk is made from soybeans and contains about the same amount of protein as dairy milk. When enriched by the manufacturer, it may be a source of calcium and vitamin D and some B vitamins such as B12; however, this is not in all brands of soy milk. According to one study, soy protein may be a substitution for animal protein to prevent and control chronic kidney disease. Peanut milk and pea milk made from yellow pea protein are two other legume-based beverages that can serve as alternatives to soy milk. Pea milk would be the least allergenic of the three.

Some milk substitutes use cereal grains instead of nuts or legumes. Oat milk is a relatively recently developed plant-based milk substitute. Different preparations are available for either direct consumption or to use in coffee. Oat milk has a smooth oatmeal flavour and is often supplemented with calcium and vitamins to be a viable vegan mammalian milk replacement. Oat milk is marketed as an environment-friendly alternative to almond milk. Rice milk is mostly used for baking because of its sweet taste, but in case of a nut or soy allergy a grain milk processed from rice may be preferable. When fortified, this milk can be a source of calcium, vitamin B12, and vitamin D2. In spite of its low allergenic potential, it's sometimes medically necessary to limit or avoid rice milk. Due to the levels of inorganic arsenic in rice milk, the UK's Food Standards Agency recommends against feeding it to infants, toddlers and young children.

Popular seed-derived milk substitutes include hemp milk and flax milk. They are made by grinding seeds with water, which are then strained to yield a nutty, creamy flavored milk. Hemp milk is naturally rich in protein and amino acids. Chia seed milk and quinoa milk are also commercially available but these are less commonplace as they are considerably newer developments.

In yeast-derived milk products, sugar is mixed with yeast and the resulting fermentation process creates the whey and casein proteins (which are identical to those found in milk). This is then combined with plant-based sugars, fats, and minerals to reproduce the milk, which can then be used like regular milk, including cheesemaking. Milk substitutes produced in this way do not require the use of animals and compared to regular milk production are more efficient, produce fewer greenhouse gases and utilize less land (as no animals need to be fed, medicated, impregnated, milked, and slaughtered when no longer productive).

However many smaller scale, organic, gourmet or slow food focused non-dairy ice cream manufacturers create all their products using traditional, natural and only slightly altered methods. The preferred bases for non dairy ice creams are often coconut milk or plant cream, due to the higher fat and lower water content preventing the formation of .

Many parents are turning to plant based milk substitutes due to infant allergies and an increase in Veganism diets in recent years, as well as their perceived nutritional benefits. Infant formula are still the recommended alternate when breast milk is not possible. Soy-based formula and rice-based formula tend to be the most common plant based alternatives.

In the past, Soy formula were correlated with certain nutritional deficiencies in infants, but have since been supplemented with necessary vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. Other questions about nutritional detriments of soy-based formulae have arisen, including potential hormonal effects, but research does not support this outcome. Soy is also a common infant allergen.

Rice is one of the lesser allergenic alternatives, and hydrolyzed hypo-allergenic rice-based formulae has been developed which have also been fortified with necessary nutritional substitutes. However, rice milk formulae are still not recommended for young children as a second choice to cow's milk formula or breast milk due to arsenic levels.

For more information about choosing infant formulas, please consult your pediatrician and the guidelines recommended by associations such as The American Academy of Pediatrics.