Monday, March 8, 2010

What is Your Favorite Allergen-Free Milk?

It’s really nice to see lots of choices on the shelves at the grocery store and health food store for substitutes for traditional milk. For a while it seemed like soy milk was the only easy alternative - and of course that doesn't work if you have soy allergies. Now we have rice milk, almond milk, oat milk, coconut milk, and others.

The favorite in my house is hemp milk. The natural flavored hemp milk has a bit of a nutty (yet nut-free) taste. The vanilla version is great with cereals, and I use the chocolate variety in chocolate baked goods. It is relatively expensive though.

Rice milk is perhaps the most universal as a substitute. It's used in a lot of allergen-free recipes, and few are allergic to rice. Almond milk is low in fat, but not an option for the tree nut-allergic. I find oat milk to be a good substitute also, but those who need to eat gluten-free will need to avoid this due to possible cross-contamination with wheat.

What is your favorite substitute for traditional milk? Are there particular brands you like? Do you use different milks for different purposes?

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