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No Cow’s Milk: These are The Best (and Worst) Milk Alternatives

Animal suffering, high water consumption and a bad CO2 balance: More and more people are switching from cow’s milk to plant-based milk. But are the cow’s milk alternatives really that much more sustainable?

Instead of cow’s milk: plant-based milk is trendy

The life cycle assessment for the production of cow’s milk does not come off too well. In addition to factory farming and the general animal suffering, this is another reason for many people to switch to plant-based milk. In addition, a Nobel Prize winner warns of cancer from beef and milk. Babies are particularly at risk.

The move away from animal milk is a general trend – sales of milk alternatives such as almond milk, soy milk or oat milk continue to increase from year to year. But do milk alternatives really do better than conventional cow’s milk in terms of sustainability?

Cow’s milk alternative: rainforest clearing for soy milk?

Soy milk is considered the most common and popular alternative to cow’s milk. However, also as the most controversial. However, the ecological balance also leaves a lot to be desired here. Around 35 million tons of soy are imported into the EU every year, 50 percent of which comes from Brazil. However, the rain forests suffer from the fact that these huge quantities of soya are transported to Europe.

At the expense of the rainforests in South America, huge fields are being planted specifically for soybean cultivation. However, it should be mentioned here that soy is not primarily used for plant-based soy products, but mainly as fodder for animals in Europe. According to the manufacturer Alpro, soy in plant drinks and similar products is made in Europe and Canada.

Oat milk performs best

Probably the most sustainable cow’s milk alternative is oat milk. The grain is mainly sourced from regional farms and, in contrast to the other dairy products and alternatives, uses relatively little water. In addition, due to the regional or at least European cultivation, the transport routes are much shorter than, for example, with almond milk. According to the Albert Schweizer Foundation, oat milk uses only 40 percent of the energy for production compared to semi-skimmed cow’s milk and at the same time requires 80 percent less space.

Almonds from California have a bad ecological balance

Most of the water is definitely used in the production of almond milk. Since about 80 percent of the almonds used come from the Californian desert and therefore extra large areas are cultivated for this, the water consumption is extremely high. In addition, almond trees per se require a relatively large amount of water. Thus, the water consumption of almond milk is about 17 times higher than that of cow’s milk. However, about a tenth fewer greenhouse gases are released in return.

The exotic: coconut milk as an alternative

Very popular, especially in Asian curries and other dishes, but not yet established as a pure milk substitute: coconut milk. According to every second coconut product contains harmful substances such as mineral oil, plasticizers or chlorate. In addition, coconut products have a pretty bad CO2 balance because of the long transport routes. This effect is intensified by the fact that the coconut palm grows quite slowly and is not very productive. Overall, the coconut milk can not score in terms of sustainability.

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Cow’s Milk For Babies: Can Infants Drink Cow’s Milk?

Young parents are often unsure whether babies are allowed to drink cow’s milk. We will show you whether cow’s milk is suitable for infants.

Can infants drink cow’s milk?

The first year of life for an infant consists of three feeding phases:
At first, your baby only feeds on breast milk or industrially produced infant formula.
In the course of this, the mashed food or complementary food also follows.
Finally, the toddler gradually participates in the family dinner.

Caution: Infant formula should not be made from cow’s milk or other types of milk.

Note: Make sure you only give your baby pasteurized or highly heated cow’s milk. As in pregnancy, you should bear in mind that raw or processed milk can contain dangerous germs for the child’s immune system.

Can baby food contain cow’s milk?

Children need numerous important nutrients for healthy development – including sufficient calcium, protein and iodine suppliers. Numerous plant-based foods, but also milk and dairy products can provide these nutrients. With supplementary food, you can use small amounts of cow’s milk or yoghurt, up to 200 milliliters per day, to prepare a milk-cereal porridge. Of course, you can also prepare the porridge with breast milk or formula milk.

Note that cow’s milk does not replace breast milk or infant formula, even during complementary feeding. Babies and children can be allergic to cow’s milk, if in doubt consult your pediatrician or midwife.

Note: When buying cow’s milk, pay attention to the organic seal or the seal for mother-tied calf rearing. In this way you ensure that the calves are also supplied with the necessary nutrients through their own breast milk.

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Soy Milk vs. Cow’s Milk: Which is Healthier, More Sustainable, More Ethical?

Cows are destroying the climate and soy is destroying the rainforest. Cow’s milk makes you fat and soy milk causes allergies. Or? Anyone who wants to consume milk responsibly or is looking for alternatives will encounter many rumours. We did our research: is soy milk healthy, sustainable, animal-friendly compared to cow’s milk and other milk alternatives?

Milk is one of the most common foods and one of the most controversial at the same time – for several reasons. While for decades it was considered essential for our health, today many people doubt the health benefits of milk or are even convinced that it is unhealthy. Others want to do without milk because of their poor climate balance or because they find animal husbandry unacceptable.

But how healthy soy milk (correct: soy drink) is is also the subject of wild debates. The popular milk substitute not only has fans: in addition to possible health side effects, the environmental impact of cultivation and transport and the use of genetic engineering are also criticized.

In the following, we will therefore take a very close look at soy milk and cow’s milk – and also show how healthy soy milk is in comparison to other milk alternatives.

Which is healthier: cow’s milk or soy milk?

From “cow’s milk is important because of the calcium” to “cow’s milk causes allergies” to “soy milk is so healthy that it helps against cancer” – there are tons of claims, rumors and half-truths circulating about the health effects of cow’s milk and soy milk. Some things are true, some aren’t.

Calcium: Is it missing in the soy drink?

Cow’s milk is actually high in calcium (or: calcium). Calcium is a very important substance for building and maintaining our bone mass. A lack of calcium can lead to or worsen osteoporosis. Sufficient calcium intake is particularly important for growing children.

However, we do not depend on milk for this. Calcium can also be obtained from other foods. There is a lot of calcium in green vegetables such as kale, broccoli, rocket, chard and spinach as well as in beans (including soybeans) and some nuts and seeds such as hazelnuts, Brazil nuts and sesame.

Conclusion: Soy milk contains less calcium than cow’s milk. However, there are alternative calcium-fortified soy drinks and other plant-based foods that help meet calcium needs.

Vitamin Content: Is Soy Milk Healthy Enough?

Both cow’s milk and soy milk contain some important vitamins. However, soy milk lacks the important vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 occurs naturally almost exclusively in foods of animal origin – and is very important for our bodies. A vitamin B12 deficiency can have serious health consequences.

However: Many soy drinks and other plant-based milk alternatives contain the additive vitamin B12 (also found on the labels as cyanocobalamin or cobalamin).

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