When it comes to milk, is soy milk better for kids than regular cow's milk? -- Anonymous
Via the blog
I don't consider either "better" than other. This ultimately depends on personal preference and a few other factors.
I don’t have a problem with children drinking skim or low-fat milk, provided that they aren’t lactose intolerant, of course.
What disappoints me is that so many schools offer chocolate milk to children (and label it a "healthy" alternative simply because it contains calcium).
A single cup contains a tablespoon of added sugar. It's fine as a treat, but I don't find it to be the optimal beverage to accompany a meal on a daily basis.
Unfortunately, the majority of milk in the United States -- chocolate or not -- in the United States is produced by cows that chow on corn all day long and are injected with antibiotics and growth hormones.
Milk in and of itself is a nutritious beverage, though, providing high-quality protein, calcium, vitamin D, vitamin A, phosphorus, and potassium.
I would highly recommend opting for organic, grass-fed varieties.
Soy milk is a perfectly fine alternative.
Most varieties are fortified with vitamin D and provide a good amount of calcium, protein, and potassium.
I would be more concerned with what they're eating along with that cold glass of (dairy or soy) milk.
*UPDATE* Thank you to reader "gd" for pointing out that vanilla and chocolate flavored soy milks also contain quite a bit of added sugar.
I erroneously assumed everyone reads minds and would telepathically infer I was only referring to regular soy milk in this post.
So, if you are opting for soy milk, I suggest going for plain or unsweetened varieties.
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5 comments:
id like to make a couple comments regarding soy milk.
make sure you choose plain soymilk, because vanilla and chocolate and other flavored soymilks have quite a bit of sugar in them.
choose an organic soymilk to avoid GMO soybeans.
and if you are concerned about plant estrogens for kids, opt for a plain organic rice, almond, oat milk, etc.
i dont drink cow's milk anymore (even though i live in Vermont!), so ive tried to find a replacement that tastes good with my cereal in the morning. and i think that rice milk works well with cereal. soymilk was fine for awhile but kinda grossed me out after having it daily with my cereal. not sure why....
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Thank you for your comments, gd. I erroneously used the term "soy milk" to mean "plain", although I know many people also buy vanilla and chocolate versions.
I actually enjoy Silk unsweetened soy milk in my cereal. The plain variety has a little bit of sugar in it; not much, though.
Hi, I found your site today while searching for another topic, but I instantly bookmarked it! I have to look back at your older posts when I have some time. I recently decided to buy chocolate soy milk as an alternative to chocolate cow's milk, just for a treat, but am concerned about the added sugar. After reading your post, I've decided that it's probably best to drink skim or 1% cow's milk vs. a flavored soy milk if I'm concerned about saturated fat and added sugar. Thanks for the great info!
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