Good alternatives to cow's milk

[rubydust]

Personally, I'm not vegan, but due to digestive problems, my son has been advised to try cutting out dairy, along with wheat.

One of the problems I'm having with these new dietary restrictions, is that he really misses cow's milk. I tried buying soy milk, but unfortunately it's not to his taste.

I thought this might be a good place to ask for recommendations. What non-dairy milk alternatives do you enjoy? Are there any vegan options that taste even remotely like cow's milk?

 

[Arch]

Is your son allergic to dairy, or just to lactose? Night Train is lactose intolerant, so we use Lactofree milk, which has been treated to digest the lactose.

If it is a full dairy allergy, there are other milks - rice milk and oat milk for example, which you could try. We know that oat cream is really nice, for example. Maybe it doesn't taste exactly like cow, but he might like it. I think maybe he has to think of it as an alternative, instead of a replacement. Often we don't like something if we expect it to taste one way, and it doesn't.

(That said, I don't like soy milk much).

 

[SatNavSaysStraightOn]

Most people who say they are allergic to dairy are not allergic. An allergic is anaphylactic shock at its worst. If is digestive problems it is an intolerance and this is a completely different kettle of fish! I am actually allergic to all dairy - so something a straight forward as a slice of bread I have to double check the ingredients and if something called Sodium stearoyl lactylate is in it (which it often is) unless the product is marked suitable for vegans (it is not always a dairy source but usually is), I can't risk eating the bread because my tongue & throat will swell up, my lips tingle and I will start having breathing issues before I have even eaten the 2nd mouthful!

This is useful source to tell the difference between intolerance and allergy...

Milk allergy should not be confused with lactose intolerance. A food allergy is an overreaction of the immune system to a specific food protein. When the food protein is ingested, in can trigger an allergic reaction that may include a range of symptoms from mild symptoms (rashes, hives, itching, swelling, etc.) to severe symptoms (trouble breathing, wheezing, loss of consciousness, etc.). A food allergy can be potentially fatal.

Unlike food allergies, food intolerances do not involve the immune system. People who are lactose intolerant are missing the enzyme lactase, which breaks down lactose, a sugar found in milk and dairy products. As a result, lactose-intolerant patients are unable to digest these foods, and may experience symptoms such as nausea, cramps, gas, bloating and diarrhea. While lactose intolerance can cause great discomfort, it is not life-threatening.

However, not one iota of that changes taste buds and I am 100% behind your son when it comes to the taste of straight soya milk. Yuck
I am however fine with it in things, like a soya latte, a soya hot chocolate (made with dairy free dark chocolate chips, dark chocolate flakes). Breakfast cereal was the biggest issue for me... and there I have found Almond milk. It does not taste of almonds (just inc ase he does not like them). I can happily drink that straight. We bulk buy when it is cheap, like now when quite a few of the local supermarkets have it in at £1 for a litre. Usually it is £1.49 or much higher a 1L.

By the way... there are a huge number of varieties of soya milk in the UK even with the main manufacturer Alpro and there is a Simply Mild version which I have to confess I have not yet tried.
There are also many other products that they do in the soya range, such as chocolate/strawberry/vanilla flavoured soya milk which I find great. Their soya yoghurts are excellent, even the plain one. Their soya cream (both fresh and UHT) are great and... well I guess you can tell, it is only the soya milk and only the soya milk by itself I don't get on with.

Have you tried other brands? Also don't force the unsweetened on him - that will put anyone off it for life! double ....
Proval do a fantastic range of soya products as well, but I have for the moment settled on Almond milk or Oat milk. I wasn't sure about the hazelnut milk or the coconut milk. the rice milk was acceptable - but I think it would be good to avoid that one with him - taste issues...

Oh and Alpro do a heaveanly custard as well as some dark chocolate mousse/desserts.... and price wise they are not that bad either

 

[Food4thought]

If soy milk does not suit him, you can buy oat milk, almond milk or rice milk. If you are just looking for something to put in his coffee you could buy a non-dairy creamer, but a carton of soy, oat, almond or rice milks will be more suitable for breakfast cereals, milky puddings, shakes etc.

You can always add syrups and/or fruit juice to make non-dairy milk more tasty.

 

[tipoywizard]

I tried soy milk or soya milk as cow's milk substitute. However I dont like the taste. It is somewhat rough to the tongue and have some unusual taste.

 

[elles-belles]

Soy milk really is an acquired taste and I totally understand that it is not to his taste. I agree with most of the posters that you should try buying him rice milk or almond milk instead! These I am sure he will be able to stomach especially if you spruce them up with some sweeteners just so they disguise their actual taste!