Cow's Milk Alternatives Nutrition Guide

They say you can milk anything with teets, but if this is true, how then do they milk an almond or a soybean?

Anyway..... Whether you're lactose intolerant, vegan, or just not wanting to support the dairy industry, which milk alternative should you choose?

There are many different versions of each of the milk substitutes listed below including flavored and sweetened ones. So for simplicity, let's take a look at the nutrition of each type in its purest form. Also, nutrition could vary slightly between brands, but this will give us a general idea as to how the milk alternatives compare.

Soy milk is probably the most popular milk substitute.

Nutrition: Silk Organic Unsweetened (1cup serving)

Ingredients: Organic Soymilk (Filtered Water, Whole Organic Soybeans), Calcium Carbonate, Sea Salt, Natural Flavors, Carrageenan, Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin D2, Riboflavin (B2), Vitamin B12.

Nutrition: Rice Dream Enriched Rice Milk (1 cup serving)

Ingredients: Filtered water, brown rice (partially milled), expeller pressed high oleic safflower oil, tricalcium phosphate, sea salt, vitamin A palmitate, vitamin D2, vitamin B12.

Nutrition: Almond Dream Unsweetened (1 cup serving)

Ingredients: Almond base (filtered water, almonds), tricalcium phosphate, natural almond flavor with other natural flavors, sea salt, gellan gum, vitamin E, vitamin A palmitate, vitamin B12, vitamin D2.

Hemp milk is made from the hemp nut and is a new comer in the milk alternative market, so it may be harder to find in stores.

Nutrition: Tempt Hempmilk - Unsweetened (1 cup serving)

Ingredients: Hemp Nut Base (Filtered Water, Hemp Nut [Shelled Hemp Seed]), Natural Flavors, Tricalcium Phosphate, Carrageenan, Sea Salt, Vitamin A Palmitate, Vitamin D2, Riboflavin, Vitamin B12.

Coconut milk has been around forever, but it just recently has begun to be marketed as a cow's milk alternative. Since it's new, I couldn't find an unsweetened carton version.

Nutrition: Silk Pure Coconut (1 cup serving)

Ingredients: Coconuts, filtered water, natural sweetener, natural flavorings, vitamins, minerals.

All milk alternatives have added vitamins and minerals in order to make them similar to cow's milk. To determine which one is the best is a bit tricky, but it would greatly depend on what your nutrition goals are.

If you're looking for a protein rich beverage, then soy milk is the best or if you're cutting back on carbs, then rice milk should be avoided. Also, the fat content needs to be considered because in almond, hemp, and coconut milk most of their calories come from fat.

It may come down to taste, so determine which of these milk alternatives you enjoy drinking the most while still fitting in with your dietary guidelines. My only recommendation would be to avoid the products with added sugar as the calories greatly increase in those.

Which of the above milk alternatives do you prefer?

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Fresh Fig Nutrition: Rediscovering Fruit

I spotted some gorgeous looking figs at the store the other day and became intrigued with this gem of a fruit.

The fig crop is never very large each year so it makes the fig more of a unique and rare fruit in some regions of the world. For most areas, the fig is in season during late summer to early fall.

And, I have found out that figs can even be grown in my own backyard here in the hot weather of Georgia, U.S.

If you are lucky enough to find figs at your local market in the warm weather months, you want to select figs that feel ripe and tender, but no overly ripe. Figs are picked when they are ripe as they do not ripen much after picking. They need to be eaten within a few days of purchasing or they will quickly go bad. It is much more common to find dried figs because the fresh varieties are extremely perishable. A good way to use figs that are slightly overripe is to make a fig jam, poach them, or cook them in a mixed dish. To eat a fresh fig, simply wash, and slice. Figs pair well with cheeses, on salads, or topped with nuts. Store any uneaten figs in the refrigerator, covered, until you eat them. Figs are a good source of potassium and manganese, and an excellent source of fiber. That extra fiber can help with weight loss as well! Surprisingly, figs contain calcium and enough to be considered one of the highest plant sources of calcium. Figs are high in antioxidants, but have a laxative effect so don't go too crazy.

100 grams of fresh figs would contain:

74 Calories.3g of fat1mg of sodium17mg of magnesium232mg of potassium19.2g of carbs15.9g of sugar3.3g of fiber.75g of protein142 IU vitamin A2mg vitamin C35mg Calcium.37mg ironWhen I was a kid, all I knew about figs was that they become Fig Newton cookies! I was so surprised to find out what a fresh fig tasted and looked like. They are chewy on the outside and more soft, sweet, and crunchy (because of all the seeds) on the inside.

Are there any fruits that you have rediscovered as an adult?

Source: California Fresh Figs

View the original article here

Fresh Fig Nutrition: Rediscovering Fruit

I spotted some gorgeous looking figs at the store the other day and became intrigued with this gem of a fruit.

The fig crop is never very large each year so it makes the fig more of a unique and rare fruit in some regions of the world. For most areas, the fig is in season during late summer to early fall.

And, I have found out that figs can even be grown in my own backyard here in the hot weather of Georgia, U.S.

If you are lucky enough to find figs at your local market in the warm weather months, you want to select figs that feel ripe and tender, but no overly ripe. Figs are picked when they are ripe as they do not ripen much after picking. They need to be eaten within a few days of purchasing or they will quickly go bad. It is much more common to find dried figs because the fresh varieties are extremely perishable. A good way to use figs that are slightly overripe is to make a fig jam, poach them, or cook them in a mixed dish. To eat a fresh fig, simply wash, and slice. Figs pair well with cheeses, on salads, or topped with nuts. Store any uneaten figs in the refrigerator, covered, until you eat them. Figs are a good source of potassium and manganese, and an excellent source of fiber. That extra fiber can help with weight loss as well! Surprisingly, figs contain calcium and enough to be considered one of the highest plant sources of calcium. Figs are high in antioxidants, but have a laxative effect so don't go too crazy.

100 grams of fresh figs would contain:

74 Calories.3g of fat1mg of sodium17mg of magnesium232mg of potassium19.2g of carbs15.9g of sugar3.3g of fiber.75g of protein142 IU vitamin A2mg vitamin C35mg Calcium.37mg ironWhen I was a kid, all I knew about figs was that they become Fig Newton cookies! I was so surprised to find out what a fresh fig tasted and looked like. They are chewy on the outside and more soft, sweet, and crunchy (because of all the seeds) on the inside.

Are there any fruits that you have rediscovered as an adult?

Source: California Fresh Figs

View the original article here