Almond Milk vs. Soy Non-Fat

[nelliec]

Which of these non-dairy milks do you think would be the healthiest?

Westsoy non-fat plain: 0 fat grams. Ingredients list: filtered water, organic soymilk with whole organic soybeans, organic dehydrated cane juice, soy protein concentrate, natural flavors, tricalcium phosphate, sea salt, carrageenan, vitamin A palmitate, vitamin D2, and riboflavin

Blue Diamond Almond Breeze: 3 grams fat, 0 sat., 0 trans fat. Ingredients listed are purified water, almonds, tapioca starch, calcium carbonate, sea salt, potassium citrate, carrageenan, soy lecithin, natural flavor, vitamin A palmitate, vitamin D2 and D-Alpha tocopherol (natural vitamin E).

So far, I have not found any rice milk which does not have added oil.

Thanks much......

NellieC

[JeffN]

Which of these non-dairy milks do you think would be the healthiest?

Westsoy non-fat plain: 0 fat grams. Ingredients list: filtered water, organic soymilk with whole organic soybeans, organic dehydrated cane juice, soy protein concentrate, natural flavors, tricalcium phosphate, sea salt, carrageenan, vitamin A palmitate, vitamin D2, and riboflavin

Blue Diamond Almond Breeze: 3 grams fat, 0 sat., 0 trans fat. Ingredients listed are purified water, almonds, tapioca starch, calcium carbonate, sea salt, potassium citrate, carrageenan, soy lecithin, natural flavor, vitamin A palmitate, vitamin D2 and D-Alpha tocopherol (natural vitamin E).

So far, I have not found any rice milk which does not have added oil.

Thanks much......

NellieC

Hi Nellie

To properly analyze them, I would need to see both the Nutrition Facts Label and the Ingredient list as there is more to the analysis then just fat. If you could provide the serving size, the calories per serving, the "Calories from fat", the sodium (in mgs) and the sugars (in gms), that would help. Grams of fat, by itself, doesn't tell the whole picture.

And, for most of these type of products, it comes down to choosing the one that is closest to the guidelines as I do not think there is anyone that makes them all 100%. Which of the ones that are closest that you choose, would be up to you as far as your own health/medical issues and/or preferences.

Also, I would consider these milks, which ever one you end up choosing, more of a "condiment" than a "food" and would encourage you to think of them the same way. So,using a small amount in your cereal or as part of another dish or recipe is fine, but I would recommend against consuming several servings a day.

In Health
Jeff

[Quiver0f10]

Have you tried making your own rice milk? It's really easy, and you can control what goes into it. Not only that, but it's dirt cheap compared to store-bought.

(1 cup cooked brown rice, 4 cups water; blend and strain if desired. Vanilla and sweeteners and salt are all optional; I skip them.)

I second this! I don't like soy and almond has too much fat. Rice is perfect

[nelliec]

Jeff wrote:

To properly analyze them, I would need to see both the Nutrition Facts Label and the Ingredient list as there is more to the analysis then just fat. If you could provide the serving size, the calories per serving, the "Calories from fat", the sodium (in mgs) and the sugars (in gms), that would help. Grams of fat, by itself, doesn't tell the whole picture.

Jeff:

The nutrition facts for the Westsoy plain non-fat milk are:

Serving size: 1 cup
Calories per serving: 70
Calories from fat: 0
Total fat: 0
Sat. fat: 0
Trans fat: 0
Poly fat: 0
Mono fat: 0
Sodium: 105 mg
Sugars: 9 gr
Protein: 6 gr

Almond Breeze Unsweetened Almond Milk:

Serving size: 1 cup, 8 fl. oz.
Calories: 40
Calories from fat: 30
Total fat: 3 gr
Sat. fat: 0
Trans fat: 0
Sodium: 180
Sugars: 0
Protein 1 gr

I am presently using the Almond Breeze, but wondered if I should switch to the non-fat soy milk because of the total fat (3 gr) in the almond milk. I only use it on my cereal in the morning, and very rarely a small amt. for cooking.

Thanks much for your response....

NellieC

[nelliec]

Have you tried making your own rice milk? It's really easy, and you can control what goes into it. Not only that, but it's dirt cheap compared to store-bought.

(1 cup cooked brown rice, 4 cups water; blend and strain if desired. Vanilla and sweeteners and salt are all optional; I skip them.)

Serene:

No, I haven't tried making my own rice milk yet, but it sounds as if it's fairly easy to do and I definitely think I will try it. You're right about it being cheaper than the store-bought! Thanks for the nudge in the right direction!

NellieC

[JeffN]

I am presently using the Almond Breeze, but wondered if I should switch to the non-fat soy milk because of the total fat (3 gr) in the almond milk. I only use it on my cereal in the morning, and very rarely a small amt. for cooking.

Thanks much for your response....

NellieC

This is a toss up.

One has less sodium but more calories and sugar and is made from soy, and the other has more fat and sodium but less calories and less sugars and no soy.

If i had to choose, I would probably go with the Almond Breeze or use the recipe above for rice milk, which I have done and it is simple and easy and tastes good.

Either way, think of this as a condiment.

In Health
Jeff

[Clary]

Have you tried making your own rice milk? It's really easy, and you can control what goes into it. Not only that, but it's dirt cheap compared to store-bought.

(1 cup cooked brown rice, 4 cups water; blend and strain if desired. Vanilla and sweeteners and salt are all optional; I skip them.)

Serene, I can't tell you how many times I have jotted down or printed off "make your own milk" suggestions/recipes from this board with the intent of trying them, only to not be able to find where I put them when I am ready to give them a test! I've even researched and posted rice milk recipes, and shared them with others. I'm not much of a recipe user and haven't yet created a good way to keep track of any I copy.

Today, when I read your directions, I got right up from the computer and hauled my pot of cooked brown rice/rye (2 parts rice to 1 part rye) out of the fridge, and measured out one cup, plopped it in the VitaMix with the 4 cups of water, and whirred away. After tasting, I added the tiniest tiniest shake of Redmond's Real Salt--a few grains, and blended it in. After another taste I added an unmeasured very small shake of Wisdom brand Sweetleaf Stevia Plus, probably less than 1/4 teaspoon, and blended that in.

I strained the mixture through the very fine screen mesh strainer that comes with Champion Juicers. I was very surprised at the amt. of "bran" (?) that was in the mix--which validates how much our grains add fiber to our diets. It looked almost like a "cream of wheat" cereal.

Oh, yes, when I cook my grains, beans, etc. I most always include some chopped up kelp. I didn't want to wait for a new pot of rice to cook to test this out, so I used the rice/rye mixture, chopped kelp and all. There was no hint of the kelp taste or appearance in the blended rice milk.

The "Rice Milk" is sooooo DELICIOUS and creamy--better than any commercial "milk" I have tasted out of a carton or bottle; and three hours or so later, it has not separated.

Learning to do something new like this --and actually doing it--that turns out so well, is a BIG treat.

So here is a BIG THANKS to you for posting your recipe.

EDIT:
Let us know if you try making your own rice milk, nelliec. I'm glad you started the thread!

[boardn10]

You're welcome!

One other suggestion Dr. McDougall makes, and I've liked it, but you have to use it right away, is to blend a banana with water, and pour it over cereal for "banana milk".

Wow, that sounds yummy!!!!!!!!!!!

I have found Almond Dream milk to be the best in terms of calories, fat, etc. It only has a few ingredients. I will make my own rice milk once we get a new blender.

I thought Stevia was not a good thing to eat? I wouldn't add salt for myself. I never use salt or any sweetener other than maybe vanilla....which is rare.

For anyone looking for Almond milk the Almond Dream is the best I have found because of few ingredients and can be found in large containers!

[boardn10]

Once we get a new blender, I'll often be making my own rice and banana milk!

However, which milk to buy is confusing if I buy packaged milk. I thought soy was bad now, or at least in excess. If I have two bowls of cereal a day using low fay soy milk, is that considered excess? I know dr. McDougall said a little on cereal or some tofu once in a while is okay...but how much milk.

I have been using tihs Almond milk that has hardly any ingredients other than almonds, milk and maybe a few more (I forget), but it seems healthier than the soy milks...so why so many soy milks on the Mcdougall list but no Almond milks on the main list. Also, there aren't many rice milks listed. I use Rice Dream but I realize with 10 grams of sugar, it must be rich.

So, is there an ideal packaged milk? Almond? Rice? Low Fat Soy? I hear cancer has protective benefits for cancer and also if used in excess, it can feed cancer. Sometimes I have two bowls of cereal a day.

[Suebee]

This is my opinion and yes, I do have cancer--it isn't hypothetical--I've had it for 17 years. I use soy milk--full-fat. Why? Because it DOES contain omega-3 fats, omega-9, omega-6 and I happen to think that is healthy. The balance of fats in soy milk is better than almond milk, which is mostly just omega-6. Soy has been shown to have a beneficial effect on bones and those few studies that show a negative effect on cancer, do so with REPRODUCTIVE cancers and with highly PROCESSED soy products, such as fake soy meats and isolated products that some women take to offset hot flashes. All the chinese and korean grocers sell soy milk---they do use this stuff and not just on cereal! All the almond milks, rice milks out there that I have seen have added Vitamin A palmitate, which IS bad for the bones--it weakens them. All low-fat soy milks I've seen have added sugar, another bone weakener. Certainly making your own almond milk would be healthier or even the banana milk, if you wish. I can't see putting banana milk in hot herbal beverages such as I like in winter. Most soy studies show a beneficial protective effect against cancers, even for breast and prostate cancers. Why? Because the pseudo-estrogen of soy fills the "hormone receptors" keeping out the real dangerous culprits promoted by eating animal products, such as milk products and meats.

[JeffN]

Because it DOES contain omega-3 fats, omega-9, omega-6 and I happen to think that is healthy. The balance of fats in soy milk is better than almond milk, which is mostly just omega-6. Soy has been shown to have a beneficial effect on bones and those few studies that show a negative effect on cancer, do so with REPRODUCTIVE cancers and with highly PROCESSED soy products, such as fake soy meats and isolated products that some women take to offset hot flashes. All the chinese and korean grocers sell soy milk---they do use this stuff and not just on cereal!

Lets not forget that the average intake of soy in these countries is around 2 ounces per day. They do not consume large amounts of soy.

Also, omega 9 is not essential and abundant in our diets, soy does have omega 3s, and the ratio of 6:3 is better than in almonds, but the ratio is less than ideal at around 7.5:1.

All the almond milks, rice milks out there that I have seen have added Vitamin A palmitate, which IS bad for the bones--it weakens them. .

The amount of Vit A added to the Almond Breeze is small and nowhere near the amount shown to increase fracture risks. This is not a concern. A serving contributes around 10%. While I prefer getting our nutrients from real foods, a certain percent of the population, including women, are actually low in Vit A and could benefit from the addition.

In Health
Jeff

[duke]

Hi everyone,

I wanted to add my 2 cents here. I started drinking soy milk(2 cups a day) about a year ago. I had my TSH(thyroid test) taken in November and it was 4.1, which is somewhat high. My doctor who is nutritonally aware said I should stop the Soy Milk and test it again in February. It went back to 2.3 which is in range. He jokingly asked me to start drinking the soy milk again and see if it would go back up. I actually liked the soy milk better than the Rice Dream which I am now using but only on cereal.

Duke

[boardn10]

I jump around between almond, rice and soy milk. Mostly rice and almond and also want to start making my own rice milk with brown rice at home. I am really looking forward to trying the banana milk on my cereal! Maybe I can do that in our food processor.

I NEVER drink any of this milk other than on some cereal.

[Suebee]

Well I went out and bought some Almond Breeze, since Jeff said the Vitamin A palmitate in it isn't enough to worry about, although he's just posted that one shouldn't take ANY vitamin A or beta-carotene, etc. Also, I always thought Vitamin A palmitate was an animal form. But it is lower in calories than soy milk AND another poster on a different thread said soy milk raised his TSH. I'm already on thyroid hormone--hmmmm. Will have to try to see what happens if I drop soy. Also I think I have a mild soy allergy, but then again, the blood test for allergies I took said I was allergic to almonds just about as much! And I don't want to use the rice milk which is heavily processed WHITE rice, plus oil, plus sweetener--at about 120-130 calories a glass! I don't like rice beverage I make myself--we've tried that experiment. Could make my own almond or cashew milk, but it's a lot of work.

[JeffN]

since Jeff said the Vitamin A palmitate in it isn't enough to worry about, although he's just posted that one shouldn't take ANY vitamin A or beta-carotene, etc. Also, I always thought Vitamin A palmitate was an animal form.

The amount is very low, less than 10% of ones need, which is much different that the amount used in many mutlivtamin supplements, of which the study I posted today, reviewed. Some supplements have the RDA or 5-10x the RDA. This is 10% of the RDA

For the record, I have never said anyone should never do anything just that all decisions should be made intelligently based on the available evidence both good and bad. I posted more of the bad evidence today.

As far as I know, Vit A Palmitate can be from a vegan source.

In Health
Jeff