Milk Alternatives

There are plenty of milk alternatives! If you don't mind the extra calories, using milk as your smoothie's liquid ingredient will add a beautiful, creamy texture to your drink. In fact, I often make "ice cream" for my kids by blending a little soy milk, a lot of frozen bananas and some flax seed oil. You don't have to wait for an ice cream machine to pump out an incredible dessert! It's solid ice cream.

So think about whether you want that dessert quality in your smoothie or if you want to save the calories and use water (or half water, half milk). (I personally prefer a thicker, richer quality, so when I choose water I make sure to add protein powder to increase the rich complexity.)

Here are your smoothie's milk options:

Cows' Milk
A huge majority of Americans drink cows' milk; it's readily available at any grocery chain or corner store; and it has the seal of approval of most doctors. There are many people, however, who question the health benefits of milk from cows. Many people are lactose intolerant, for example, and others want to avoid unnecessary cholesterol and animal fat. I personally don't drink cows' milk because when I quit drinking dairy my adult acne was eliminated. As with any food, I urge you to question commonly-held beliefs and research thoroughly the possible effects of something that you eat every day.

Almond Milk
Almond milk used to be unusual, but it is now available at many supermarket chains. While you might veer away from this milk because of its fat content, keep in mind that almonds are so healthy. You can also make your own almond milk at home with your blender. Here's a great, simple Almond Milk Recipe.

Hemp Milk
Produced by the seeds of the hemp plant, this milk is growing in popularity since people are starting to witness the health benefits of hemp. It's a nutritional powerhouse with omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, all 10 essential amino acids, protein, calcium, iron, magnesium and much more. Here's a great Hemp Milk Recipe.

Rice Milk
Rice milk is not as rich, generally, as cow's milk, hemp or soy, but it's a nicely sweet milk that compliments smoothie recipes nicely. Like most cow's milk alternatives, if you don't want extra sugar in your diet, read the label - you might want to skip the sweetened versions.

Soy Milk
Soy milk can be made at home using a soy milk machine, which is extremely economical. I owned one but never got the hang of using it and found that it was just easier to buy soy milk. (I like to leave it to the professionals.)

Sesame Milk
Sesame seeds are nutritious and super yummy as a milk. Here's a great Sesame Milk Recipe!

I hope you experiment with lots of different milk alternatives for healthy variety in your smoothie life!