Before getting into the recipes for vegetable milks, we are going to investigate a little about why these milks are being the best option (or only option) to solve the problem of children and adults with allergies to pasteurized cow's milk and that every time it goes more on the rise.
Why drink non-dairy milk and not pasteurized cow's milk
While traditional cow's milk still dominates the market, research shows that non-dairy milk sales are growing, while cow's milk sales have declined. You just have to look at the refrigerator box at a grocery store to see that retailers are stocking more and more plant-based dairy products.
Consumers looking for healthy alternatives have many questions. How do you get milk from rice, almonds or other seeds? Is Almond Milk Healthy? What is the nutrient profile of plant-based dairy alternatives compared to cow's milk? Are Herbal Alternatives Really Milk?
Pasteurization of milk destroys essential nutrients
Although not many people know it, pasteurization of milk destroys essential nutrients in milk. The pasteurization of milk destroys the beneficial bacteria, along with the bad ones and destroys the enzymes essential for the absorption of nutrients, destroys all its phosphatase, which is essential for the absorption of calcium and calcium works with vitamin D, it is not only available through the sun, but is an essential nutrient in raw cream.
Heating any raw food destroys the active enzymes, so lipase (a unique enzyme found in milk and is needed to complete fat digestion) is released along with many other essential nutrients that pasteurization destroys.
Homogenization
Homogenization is a process that breaks down the fat globules in cream form into very small particles that are then not separated from the rest of the milk.
One of the reasons why milk homogenization became a common practice in treatment plants is that it allows cheap grade C milk (with little cream reaching the top) to be mixed with Grade B and Grade A of most valuable milk (with a lot of cream coming to the top) so that everything is labeled Grade A and priced accordingly.
There is no known health or nutritional advantage to homogenization, and science shows its harm only slightly. Some research suggests that this breakdown of lipid (fat) molecules creates a cascade of free radicals that can cause allergic reactions and, through complex metabolic processes, even heart disease.
(Others suggest that it is actually the heating of the milk protein in the water fraction of the milk, which provides allergic reactions, not homogenization.)
The allergies, asthma and digestive problems are two of the main reasons so you should seriously consider eliminating pasteurized cow 's milk, and start entering the vegetable milk since childhood, since children are those who are being more affected with milk, either in infant formula, and / or normal pasteurized liquid milk.
With all this, we are not saying that cow's milk should not be drunk, we are specifically talking about pasteurized, processed cow's milk, cow's milk that is extracted from cows that are injected with hormones and antibiotics and are commonly sick.
Free range cow's milk is not bad in itself if taken occasionally. Since it contains large amounts of calcium, it is not necessary to take it every day, in addition to its large amount of fat, it is essential to limit it.
Still, opting for plant-based milks is one of the best options you can choose, since they also contain excellent nutrients and calcium, although the latter in less quantity and you must then take them daily. Although soy has been proven to contain almost the same amount of calcium as cow's, just consider a good quality, organic soy milk.
In addition, plant-based milks are less heavy in fat and are usually compatible with almost all foods, unlike cow's, therefore easier to digest in this world saturated with foods that are difficult to process.
Vegetable milk
The slurries made with grains, seeds and nuts (with the exception of soybeans), contain great properties, but above all, they are made with natural ingredients that do not go through processes that eradicate their nutrients. Among the vegetable milks, the one made with almonds and the canary seed milk are good substitutes for breast milk.
The digestive system of children accepts them very well. Try to make them at home, it is healthier and cheaper, and you are contributing to family health. Here are some examples:
Brown rice vegetable milk
Properties: high content in carbohydrates and vegetable proteins.
Makes 1 liter.
Preparation time: 45 minutes.
Degree of difficulty: low.
Ingredients:
· 1 cup of brown rice.
· 1 liter of purified water.
· Cinnamon or piloncillo (in quantity to taste).
preparation:
1. Put the rice and water in a pot; boil for 40 to 55 minutes.
2. Blend the previous preparation and strain. Let cool and keep refrigerated.
3. Plant milks should not be consumed after five days.
Vegetable almond milk
Properties: Calcium, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, carbohydrates, Vitamins, A, E, B1, B2.
Makes 1 1/2 liters
Preparation time: 6 hours
Degree of difficulty: medium
· 3 cups oatmeal
· Water (as necessary)
· 36 peeled almonds
· Purified water (as necessary)
preparation:
1. In a bowl add the oats and water until covered; book for 6 hours.
2. After that time, for each cup of soaked oatmeal add 12 almonds without skin.
3. Blend the oatmeal mixture with almonds. If necessary, add more water to the preparation until the desired consistency is obtained.
4. It is excellent as a substitute for breast milk.
Sunflower seed vegetable milk
Properties: high content of phosphorus, magnesium, calcium, Vitamin E. Makes 1 1/2 liters
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Degree of difficulty: low
· 1/2 cup of sunflower seeds
· 3 cups of purified water
· 1/2 banana (for flavor)
preparation:
1. One night before, let the sunflower seeds soak in a glass of water.
2. The next morning, throw away the water where they were soaked.
3. Then, in the blender glass, place the soaked seeds and add, little by little, the three cups of water. Forcefully blend for 3 minutes.
4. If desired, banana can be added when the preparation is being blended.
5. It can be sweetened with brown sugar, honey or cinnamon. If banana is added, the preparation can last a day, otherwise, up to 3 days in refrigeration.
How to use vegetable milks
1. Like other preparations, the grouts can be used as a base to make other dishes. The almond and sunflower slurries are very good to make smoothies, also coconut milk and rice milk.
2. They can be used in the preparations replacing the dishes that usually use cow's milk as an ingredient.
3. They can also be eaten with cereals and oatmeal.
4. In chocolates or simply alone, sweetened with honey or dates.
Being healthy is really about being at a weight that is right for you. The best way to find out if you are at a healthy weight or if you need to lose or gain weight is to talk to a doctor or dietitian, who can compare your weight with healthy norms to help you set realistic goals.