What are the advantages and disadvantages of cow’s milk and how is that milk produced? Nowadays there is also soy, oat or lupine milk. What kind of products are they and can they completely replace cow’s milk?
How is cow’s milk produced?
A cow does not simply give milk just like that, but only when she has given birth to a calf. Milk production proceeds as follows: a cow is sexually mature after two years and inseminated for the first time. When a calf is born, it is separated from its mother so that it does not drink the milk intended for the consumer. The calf is fed with milk powder, a kind of milk substitute. The mother cow is milked for ten months after calving. Then she has to recover for two months before another calf is born.
What is soy milk?
Soy milk is made from soybeans that are ground and soaked in water. The solid components are separated from the liquid with a centrifuge. The soy milk remains. In China, soy milk has been produced for 2000 years, in the west for about 15 years. Soy milk contains less calcium than cow’s milk, almost as much protein and four times the folic acid that is important for blood formation. Soy milk is controversial in some circles because it contains hormone-like substances called isoflavones. They resemble the female sex hormone estrogen.
Do isoflavones protect against cancer?
Although it is believed in Asia that isoflavones protect against cancer, medical authorities in the West are cautious about that claim. Here, the effect of isoflavones is considered to be unclear and it is not recommended to give babies and toddlers soy milk. Incidentally, more people have an allergy to soy milk than to cow’s milk.
Application options for soy milk
Soy milk has the ability to combine water and fat into a cream. This so-called emulsifying capacity is more pronounced than with cow’s milk. That is why soy milk can be used in many ways in the kitchen. Soy milk can replace not only cow’s milk but also cream and even eggs in many recipes.
Can oat milk be compared to cow’s milk?
Cow’s milk is very different from oat and other cereal milks (oats, spelled or rice) because cereal milk contains hardly any proteins, calcium and vitamins. In some regions, cereal milk is also considerably more expensive than cow’s milk, partly because consumers have to pay more tax for vegetable milk. An advantage is that cereal milk is hypo-allergenic and contains little fat.
Oat milk has only been around for a number of years. The idea comes from Sweden. Milk from grains is usually made in a similar way: the grain is sieved, ground and soaked in hot water. Enzymes convert the grain’s long-chain carbohydrates into sugar. This creates a natural light sweetness. Then oil from sunflowers or rapeseed is added and some sea salt. In the kitchen, cereal milk can be used as cow’s milk.
What are lupins?
Lupins are legumes, related to peas. Lupine milk uses the blue lupine, also known as the soy of the north. It thrives in cool climates on poor soils and is high in vegetable protein. In the production of lupine milk, maltodextrin is added, obtained from corn and produced with a milky taste. The cooking properties of lupine milk are comparable to those of soy milk. This means that creams and sauces can also be prepared with lupine milk, without the need for cream or eggs.
Is vegetable milk really an alternative to regular milk?
In baby food, cow’s milk cannot be replaced by vegetable milk. Vegetable milk generally contains less nutrients than cow’s milk. However, many manufacturers offer soy or cereal milks that are fortified with calcium and vitamins. Plant-based milk is an alternative for people who avoid cow’s milk and want to get involved in new flavors. An advantage of vegetable milk is that it is low in fat and cholesterol. It also opens up new possibilities for cooking and baking. Due to their pronounced emulsifying capacity, soy and lupine milk can also replace cream and eggs.