75 percent of African Americans and Native Americans are lactose intolerant and don’t fully process the sugar lactose in milk because of a deficiency of the enzyme lactase, reported The University of Maryland Medical Center. This isn’t a dire matter but it does make drinking cow’s milk a burden.

If you’re not sure if you’re lactose intolerant look for symptoms including diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea, bloating, and gas about 30 minutes to two hours after you drink milk. Other people may be allergic to the additives and hormones is cow’s milk. So if you’re not able to enjoy the classic milk and cookies snack and want to move on to another option besides Lactaid, try these alternatives.

 

Almond Milk

  • This sweet substitute for cow’s milk is made when roasted almonds are crushed, then mixed with water vitamins, stabilizers, and often a sweetener like evaporated cane juice, according to the Wall Street Journal. An added bonus is that an eight once glass of milk is only 60 calories compared to about 130 calories in two percent cow’s milk.

Coconut Milk

  • If you’re a fan a Vita Coco, try its milky cousin. Coconut milk is thicker and more flavorful than coconut water and is also low in calories at around 80 calories per glass.

Goat’s Milk

  • If you can get over the idea of drinking goat’s milk you may find that you like its tangy flavor. For many people goat’s milk proves to be a nice alternative to cow’s milk because it is more easily digestible. You can purchase a low fat version if you’re counting calories and you’ll still have a glass of milk that’s rich in taste and in omega-3 fatty acids.

Rice Milk

  • This choice is great for those lactose intolerant and looking for a semi-sweet flavor. The milk is made from a combination of rice and water and is usually fortified with Calcium and vitamins A and B12. With about 120 calories per eight ounces, it’s not the lightest option but it’s worth a taste.

Soy Milk

  • This is a popular favorite for people who can’t tolerate cow’s milk because soy milk is lactose and hormone free. The milk is low in fat with about 90 calories per cup and is rich in vegetable proteins.
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10 Comments

  1. Thanks for posting. I love goat’s milk & soy milk as an alternative to Cow’s milk.

  2. Thanks for this. You guys are right on time as always!

  3. I’ve always wanted to try almond milk and I love vanilla soy milk. I may have to branch out. These milk tummy aches are not the business.

  4. I love dairy alternatives much better than cow’s milk! I used to drink soy milk but now I have changed to hemp milk, almond milk, rice milk and sometimes oat milk. I have even learned how to make nut milks from scratch. Cashew, sesame, brazil nut or almond milks are easy to make with a powerful blender.

  5. Why do they continue to serve milk in schools in the African American community if lactose intolerance is a major problem? I am not a doctor but I believe there is a link between behavior issues and drinking cow’s milk and other food items that children cannot digest. As for the alternatives, there also can be issues with them. Many people also cannot digest soy products and some say there is an estrogen component to soy.

  6. Thank you so much for this. I discovered almond milk about two years ago and I love it. Added bonus: if you get the unsweetened version it has fewer than 2g of sugar as opposed to cow’s milk 11 or 12. My daughter can’t take lactose but hasn’t liked the almond milk so much. I will definitely try some of these alternatives.

  7. I currently drink almond and coconut milk. Soy milk isn’t all that great, not for me at least, as it eventually breaks down into sugar. Also, too much soy can increase estrogen levels in women and cause facial hair grown.

    Non-pasteurized cows milk is supposed to be the most nutritious to drink. However, the sale of this in the United States is illegal because it contains listeria. The enzymes found in unsterilized milk are supposed to help prevent and fight disease.

    • @eh hem:

      Facial hair growth is caused by more testosterone..

      And how much oestrogen do you think is in the breastmilk of a cow? Especially because dairy cows are impregnated shortly again after birth to provide a steady flow of milk.

      You shouldn´t believe everything that the anti-soy league is spouting..especially because I see very few bearded asian women and phytoestrogen is ten times weaker than real estrogen…which is in copious ammounts in cow milk..because milk comes from female animals, therefor oestrogens.

  8. i want to try almond milk because soy milk doesnt taste that nice and it made me feel sick

    cows milk makes me fart

  9. Sorry, there is a big error in this article..

    If you can not digest lactose, goat milk contains just as much lactose as cow milk, around 4%.

    If you are allergic to lactose, this is especially troublesome. It won´t just give you the runs, but can cause breathing problems, hives and other allergic reactions, even a shock.

    All breastmilk contains lactose. No matter if dog, cat, chipmunk, human or goat.
    Some are lower in this complex sugar, some higher. It is there to offer a slow digestable source of energy.

    Human breastmilk has an especially high content of lactose to offer steady energy for the biggest burner of calories, the developing brain.

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