Even if you're not vegan or vegetarian, it's important to realize that dairy milk is bullshit— especially during this new years resolution season. Milk's weaknesses are strikingly evident on its nutrition label. High volumes of saturated fat and sugar, along with a bit of unnecessary cholesterol, haunt even the nutrition labels of low-fat milk.
Per cup, basic low-fat milk contains 12 grams of sugar and 1.5 grams of saturated fat! Compared to a cup of unsweetened Almond Breeze which contains zero grams of either nutritional vice, that's a big difference. Not to mention dairy milk's substantially higher caloric density, at 110 calories per cup, it's far more than Almond Breeze's 30 calories per cup.
Some may argue that despite these drawbacks, dairy milk contains vital micro and macronutrients to live a healthy life. A study published by The U.S. National Library of Medicine of The National Institutes of Health bolsters these claims. In their study, health professionals found that the incorporation of milk into an individual's everyday diet decreased the risk of chronic diseases and helped them meet daily nutrient requirements— and that makes sense.
A cup of low-fat dairy milk does have vital micro and macronutrients. One cup has 30 percent of the average person's daily recommended intake of calcium and eight grams of protein. In an era where it's commonplace to settle for a cheap burger and fries for lunch or dinner (or even breakfast), a glass of milk, by comparison, is way better. You don't need me to tell you about the absurd amount of saturated fat that surely will be smothered in some high-sugar condiment. However, by comparison, milk substitutes are best.
Almond Breeze, for instance, contains 45 percent of your daily recommended intake of calcium. If you find you're not consuming enough protein, instead of dairy milk try either unsweetened soy or even Bolthouse Farms unsweetened Pea Protein Milk. The latter numbers at 10 grams of protein, as compared to dairy milk's eight.
Ultimately though, it's your decision to make the switch. Not for humanitarian reasons or debates about the amount of puss greenlit into milk— but nutritionally. Will the intake of added sugar without fiber regularly spike your blood sugar? Do those minute percentages of micro and macronutrients really matter? Personally, I answer yes to both. What do you think?
