Now You Can Make Non-Dairy Milk Quickly & Easily
The many unhealthy aspects of dairy milk are becoming increasingly recognized. Consequently, some people are giving up dairy milk (or consuming less) and switching to non-dairy milk. Shops everywhere are now selling soy (soya) milk – even other milks such as almond or rice milk. Your health benefits in two big ways when you switch to non-dairy milk:
Firstly, you avoid all the unhealthy aspects of cow’s milk (too numerous to mention in this article). Secondly, you will greatly benefit from the truly delicious and highly nutritious aspects of plant-based milks.
Don’t just think ‘soy’ when it comes to non-dairy milk. There are many kinds of plant-based milks offering a wide range of mouth-watering flavours such as the various nut milks, seed-based milks, grain milks, and soy milk. Once you taste two or three kinds of non-dairy milk, and experience the sheer cool delicious taste you will never want to go back to dairy milk.
Some people have the impression that making non-dairy milk is time consuming or that it requires special milk-making equipment. In fact, a new and easy method makes it quick and simple to make non-dairy milk at any time.
The idea that you need special milk-making equipment has been generated by the marketing of soy milk makers. These are machines that promise to make the soy milk automatically. The idea is that all you have to do is put the ingredients into the machine, switch it on and that’s it. You come back later and your milk is ready.
In reality, a milk-maker increases the workload, reduces the nutritional value, and is more time consuming. This is why:
More hassle: the same preparatory work applies, whether making milk with or without a dedicated milk-maker. But with a milk-maker you have the additional job of having to dismantle and clean all the components after making the milk.
Less effective at extracting milk (nothing can beat the human hand and a strainer when it comes to extracting the milk!). With a milk-maker you are left with a soggy mess of left-over residue.
Most milk recipes cannot be made using a milk-making machine, and very often a blender is much more effective than the limited mixing capability of a milk-making machine.
The okara (i.e. the highly nutritious left-over residue) usually ends up being too soggy when using a milk-making machine. Soggy okara is more difficult to keep, or freeze, or use with other food preparations.
If adding condiments such as vanilla extract, maple syrup, etc. you cannot check the taste of the mixture while you are making it in the machine.
A milk-maker produces milk with inferior nutritional value. This is so because it is difficult to control the heating/boiling process, and consequently the nutritional value of the milk is affected. Valuable plant oils, enzymes and vitamins are easily destroyed with heat. The bottom line is that you get over-boiled milk with inferior nutritional value.
If you wish, you can simply buy non-dairy milk sold commercially from a retailer (many supermarkets sell soybean and rice milk). Unfortunately, you are likely to have a limited choice. Also, buying non-dairy milk for the whole family can be quite expensive. It is much cheaper to make your own milk. Furthermore, some commercial non-dairy milks are high in added sugars and may have other additives.
When you discover the wonderful variety of flavours of home made milk you will never want to go back to buying any kind of milk, whether dairy or non-dairy. Non-dairy milk is quick and easy to make, is highly nutritious, and is super delicious, and everybody in the family will always want it.
May 15 2008 03:22 am | Nutrition