Not cow’s milk

There are many TV adverts encouraging consumers to buy alternative cow’s milk products. Supermarkets stock many animal (e.g. sheep, goat) and plant-based (e.g. oat, almond) alternatives. Few people have a milk intolerance; many may be vegan or take an environmental standpoint. Are you seeking alternatives to cow's milk? 

Drink up

A third of people state that they suffer from intolerance to cow's milk and products made with cow's milk. However, doctors reckon about 8% of the population have a lactose tolerance (illness symptoms).

A third of us drink plant-based milk and the total spend on plant-based milk reached £394m in 2020. In contrast cow’s milk sells over £3bn a year. Alternative plant milk ingredients range from oats, almonds or soya, cashew, coconut to name a few.

Pros for using milk alternatives

• A perfect alternative for those who are lactose intolerant.
• Many alternatives are a good source of protein and calcium.
• Most of them are low in saturated fat and contain healthy fats.
• Plant-based milks contain some fibre (missing from animal-based milks).
• Can be fortified with key nutrients, including calcium, vitamin D and B12

Cons for using milk alternatives

• Plant-based milks cannot be relied on to supply enough calcium and other key nutrients.
• More expensive than cow’s milk.
• Plant milks often contain preservatives, thickeners, and stabilisers.
• Not all plant milks are as environmentally friendly.
• Many have added sugars.

Soy milk is a popular plant milk, but the downside is that growing soybeans can lead to deforestation. However, cow's milk has a higher impact across all green metrics. It causes around 3-times as much greenhouse gas emissions, uses 10-times as much land; 22-times as much freshwater.

ChildMax continues to ensure your salary and pays your take home salary while you’re on 12 months’ unpaid leave, caring for a sick child. It starts from £49.50 or for easy budgeting an initial payment of £8.25 followed by 11 monthly payments of £3.75.

Visit at www.insurewithmax.com or call the UK call centre 0333 323 0098 for more information.

Sources:

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/best-milk-alternatives

https://www.statista.com/statistics/1257515/people-suffering-from-intolerances-reactions-in-the-united-kingdom/

https://milk.co.uk/milk-nutrition/lactose-lowdown/

https://ourworldindata.org/environmental-impact-milks

https://www.theguardian.com/business/2021/sep/17/britons-drink-plant-based-milk-demand

Date: 27 February 2023 by Max Robinson