Consumer Critique: Dairy Free Milk Alternatives

If you've recently discovered that you or a family member needs to go lactose-free or you have a friend that is lactose-free and you want to have options available, there are a lot of choices - more so than there were when I was growing up with a lactose-free friend! I recently had a chance to review several of the available options from Hain Celestial

• DREAM™ Ultimate Almond: Original Almond Beverage

New Ultimate Almond Beverages from DREAM™ are premium plant-based beverages made with more nuts for a rich, homemade taste. Crafted with simple, wholesome ingredients, they contain four times more almonds than other almond beverages and provide 5 grams of plant-based protein in every delicious serving.*

·        4 times more almonds – 20g in every serving*

·        5 grams of plant-based protein from almonds in every serving*

·        Made with real California almonds

·        Crafted with simple, wholesome ingredients

·        Lactose, dairy, gluten, soy & carrageenan free

·        Available in shelf-stable and refrigerated formats

*These beverages contain 20g almonds per serving. Almond Dream® Original Almond Beverage contains 5g almonds per serving. See Nutrition Information for daily value of protein.

• Rice DREAM™ Enriched Unsweetened Rice Drink

Rice DREAM™ Enriched Original Unsweetened Organic Rice Drink has a deliciously light and refreshing flavor with a hint of sweetness from rice (but no added sugar). It’s easy to digest and 99% fat-free with no cholesterol, and it’s enriched with calcium & vitamin D. So feel free to pour it on – on cereal or fruit, in your favorite smoothie, or just have a cold and satisfying glass.

·        #1 selling rice beverage in Natural Channels

·        Offers all the goodness of rice with no added sugars

·        It has a slight sweetness from the rice itself and is allergen friendly

·        Certified Organic by Quality Assurance International (QAI)

• Westsoy Organic Unsweetened Soymilk

USDA Organic Certified and Non-GMO Verified, Westsoy Organic Unsweetened Soymilk is made from whole organic soybeans. Smooth and creamy, with 9g of protein per serving, it’s deliciously nutrition and heart smart. Enjoy by the glassful, over cereal, or in your favorite recipe to add a delectable flavor and benefits of soy to your innutritious diet.

·        Contains no added ingredients

o   Only water and organic soybeans

·        Gluten Free

·        Low in saturated fat and cholesterol

·        9 grams of protein but no calcium

·        5 grams of fat, compared to 0 calories from fat in skim milk.

Honestly, your experience with milk alternatives is going to vary based on what you expect. If you expect a milk alternative to taste exactly like dairy milk, then you'll end up disappointed, because none of the options I've tried - from any brand - quite fits the bill. However, if you're open to trying new things, then there are lots of options that are delicious and appropriate for a variety of uses.

The unsweetened soymilk is the hardest for me to use. Honestly, I can't drink it plain, but it works just fine in my cereal or in recipes, so that's typically where I use it. Rice milk, however, has a really good taste, even if it's not sweetened - the rice leads just a little bit of sweetness even without sugar. Almond milk is also good, even unsweetened, as long as you like the slight taste of almonds - otherwise it is a really good addition to recipes that benefit from a slightly nutty taste.

Visit http://www.hain.com/brands/ to learn more about these products and their availability.