Dairy Free Milk ??

Milk alternatives aren’t just for vegans — although the explosion of options beyond just

almond and soy in recent years are an answered prayer for animal-free foodies.

So as you all know by now I am allergic to all things dairy. What a bummer right? Well its not so bad because there are actually ALOT of alternatives out there that are believe it or not.. HEALTHIER. 
I am not saying they are all healthy, just like with everything else I always suggest reading the ingredient label. Ingredients can be organic or genetically modified, natural or heavily processed, the fewer ingredients in the list and the more you recognize and can pronounce, the better. 

Milk (unless you're getting skim) contains cholesterol and skim milk is higher in lactose (sugar) than whole milk. There is no real health option when it comes to choosing dairy-based milk. All plants are free from cholesterol, and the body produces enough on its own so that we don’t need to take in excess cholesterol to maintain good health.

Honestly guys we don't even buy dairy milk anymore. Non-dairy milk works the same for us and we use it the same way you would cow's milk. Cereal, oatmeal, sauces, baking, soups, Shakeology and even ice cream. It taste pretty good on its own if you're a glass of milk in the morning kind of person.

Here is a list of some of the top Milk Alternatives 

Almond
30 calories, 2.5 g fat, 180 mg sodium, 2 g carbs, 0 g sugar, 1 g fiber, 1 g protein, 45% DV calcium (based on Almond Breeze)

Soy
80 calories, 4 g fat, 70 mg sodium, 3 g carbs, 1 g sugar, 2 g fiber, 7 g protein, 30% DV calcium (based on Silk)

Bonus: Soy is the only plant-based milk with protein content similar to dairy milk so it will be great in a post workout shake. 

Cashew
40 calories, 3 g fat, 120 mg sodium, 3 g carbs, 0 g sugar, 0 g fiber, 1 g protein, 30% DV calcium (based on Cashew Dream)

Hemp
80 calories, 8 g fat, 125 mg sodium, 1 g carbs, 0 g sugar, 0 g fiber, 2 g protein, 30% DV calcium (based on Living Harvest)

Flax
25 calories, 2.5 g fat, 80 g sodium, 1 g carbs, 0 g sugar, 0 g fiber, 0 g protein, 30% DV calcium (based on Good Karma)

Bonus:  Hemp and flax milk are rich in omega-3s, so they get bonus points for extra health benefits.

Coconut
45 calories, 4g fat, 0 mg sodium, 2 g carbs, 0 g sugar, 1 g fiber, 0 g protein, 10% DV calcium (based on SO Delicious)

Bonus: Coconut milk is high in fat so it’s a great alternative to cream in your coffee 

Rice
120 calories, 2.5 g fat, 100 mg sodium, 23 g carbs, 1 g sugar, 0 g fiber, 1 g protein, 2% DV calcium (based on Rice Dreams)

Bonus: Rice milk is good for people with both dairy and nut allergies, but keep in mind it’s high in carbohydrates, so pair it with protein-rich foods to keep your blood sugar stable.

Hazelnut
110 calories, 3.5 g fat, 120 g sodium, 19 g carbs, 2 g protein, 1 g fiber, 14 g sugar, 30% DV calcium (based on Pacific)

There are also several flavored non-dairy milks on the market and I would be doing you guys an injustice if I did not tell you about Nutchello <3 

There are 3 varieties, a dark chocolate walnut , toasted coconut+cashew and my favorite 
Caramel Almond+Cashew 
70 calories, 2 g fat, 190 mg sodium, 11 g protein, 0 fiber, 30% DV calcium
I add this into my shakes to switch it up, I also add it to my Ice Cream recipe( below) and it is delicious with Chai Tea. Pretty much anything really..  If you have tried this and have an awesome recipe idea please share it with me because at this point I purchase this in bulk.  

I mentioned Ice Cream Earlier so I wanted to give you guys my favorite FAVORITE recipe in the world !!  

This is the bees knees !!! It is so easy to make and so delicious. This is my goto recipe when I get in a sweet dessert mood. I pretty much always have bananas in the house and I don't eat them once they get brown spots on them.. So when they are more brown than yellow I just peel them and freeze them. 

I also freeze ice cube trays with almond milk which makes it really convenient for this recipe and my morning Shakeology.  I do not drink coffee but I think it would be pretty brilliant for Iced Coffee (I might be on to something) 

Ok back to the Ice Cream.  Here is a recipe from Beachbody.com that is pretty much spot on. This can be altered... basically you do not have to use Shakeology in this recipe at all if you don't want to, or if you do not have any.  Also you can leave out the Peanut butter if you're not in the mood.  So you will be left with Frozen Bananas and a milk of your choice :) Still yummy any which way you decide to make it.   

Prep time

5 mins

Total time

5 mins

Author: Beachbody

Recipe type: Dessert

Serves: 5 servings, about ½ cup each

Ingredients

• 1 cup any kind of milk (I prefer Vanilla Almond Milk, or Caramel Nutchello)
• 2 scoops Shakeology
• 2 medium frozen bananas (cut into chunks before freezing)
• 2 Tbsp. all-natural smooth peanut butter

Instructions

1. Place milk, Shakeology, bananas, and peanut butter in high-powered blender (such as a Vita-Mix); cover.
2. Blend on low for 5 seconds; increase power to high and continue blending for 30 seconds until smooth.
3. Pour mixture in a large glass bowl; cover.
4. Freeze for 4 hours, stirring every 30 minutes, before serving.

If you do not want to wait 4 hours before eating this delicious treat I would suggest using frozen milk or adding Ice cubes to give it more substance. 

Enjoy :)