Consume skim milk, such as soy, rice, or almond milk

Learn about the huge variety of milk available on the market. Every day there's more choice in response to demand. Whether it's due to lactose intolerance or different diets, either by medical recommendation or by one's own conviction, lots of people now avoid consuming traditional cow's milk.
Consume skim milk, such as soy, rice, or almond milk

Last update: 25 March, 2019

Nowadays, when we go to the supermarket and visit the milk section, we realize that there’s much more variety. Don’t limit yourself to traditional cow’s milk, try some of the skim milk options!

Until recently, you could only choose between whole, semi-skimmed, and skimmed cow’s milk. Today, the options reach levels of sophistication that were difficult to imagine a few years ago.

This situation is the result of a growing trend to reduce the consumption of cow’s milk and to look for other alternatives. You can choose between milk from almonds, soy, rice, coconut, oatmeal… Although the choice isn’t easy.

Up next, we’ll give you some tips so you can learn more about these new types of skimmed milk and the reasons why we should consume them.

Why should we stop drinking cow’s milk?

Humans have been consuming cow’s milk for a long time. It’s a very nutritiously complete product, necessary and beneficial for our health. Its consumption is highly recommended for children since it covers a high percentage of their daily nutritional needs.

Milk is very nutritious.

Over time, the semi-skimmed and skimmed versions starting appearing as a consequence of the growing problems with obesity. They provide more control over the consumption of fat-rich foods, such as whole milk.

Similarly, adults and children who want to reduce their calorie intake opt for skimmed milk; a very healthy option in those cases.

In recent years, the presence of lactose-free milk on the shelves has also increased. The appearance of this type of milk on the market responds to a growing phenomenon: people who have lactose intolerance.

As an alternative to cow’s milk, vegetable milk steps in to avoid the consumption of both fats and lactose. Although their nutritional content doesn’t equal that of cow’s milk, even in its skim or lactose-free versions, they are a great option to replace it.

Soy milk: ideal skim milk for allergy sufferers

Among the vegetable milk alternatives, the most well-known is undoubtedly soy milk. It’s a vegetable drink prepared from soy, which has high nutritional value and is the most similar to cow’s milk.

Soy milk has high nutritional value.

Soy milk is recommended for all people who are allergic to cow’s milk protein or have some intolerance to its components. Both circumstances occur with increasing frequency. Soy milk is also very popular with vegetarians and vegans.

Milk from almonds and rice

Vegetable milk from almonds and rice are also ideal in cases of allergies or intolerance to cow’s milk protein, or for vegetarians and vegans. Although the biological value of the proteins they contain is much lower than that of soy milk, their consumption is also very popular. 

If you opt for these types of beverages of vegetable origin in your daily diet, you can counteract this situation by eating other foods with proteins of high biological value; such as eggs or chicken.

Both rice and almond milk are non-fat because they are free from saturated fats. The fats they contain are polyunsaturated and are, therefore, more beneficial for our health.

Generally, these types of vegetable drinks have a lower amount of calories than low-fat cow milk. That is why its consumption is also advisable for those who seek to lose weight or limit their ingestion of fats. We recommend you consume the ones that are enriched with calcium and vitamins.

Due to its astringent properties, rice milk can help improve the lifestyle of people who have gastrointestinal problems, such as diarrhea. In terms of nutritional value, almond milk and rice milk are very similar. Choosing between these vegetable drinks will depend on your taste.

Putting aside the possible food allergies and intolerances that a person may have, we must remember that it’s good to consume all kinds of nutrients. This will help us form a balanced and adequate diet.


This text is provided for informational purposes only and does not replace consultation with a professional. If in doubt, consult your specialist.