THE ORIGINAL

COW ORGANIC VALLEY GRASS-FED 2%

COST PER SERVING* $1.25

CALORIES 130

PROTIEN 10 g

CALCIUM 35 percent of RDA

PROS A prime source of calcium, potassium, and vitamin D, all of which your body needs.

CONS Doesn't have the right ratio of carbs to protein for optimal recovery; some studies suggest milk protein could -actually contribute to bone loss.

THE BEST ALTERNATIVES

GOAT  MEYENBERG LOW FAT

COST PER SERVING* $1.35

CALORIES 142

PROTIEN 8.4 g

CALCIUM 30 percent

PROS Calcium and protein content are comparable to cow’s milk, but it's easier to digest, thanks to lower levels of lactose; the best alternative to cow's milk.

CONS Expensive; higher in fat; can be hard to find (get it fresh at your local farmers’ market); some find the taste, like feta cheese, a little off--putting.

HEMP  LIVING HARVEST TEMPT ORIGINAL

COST PER SERVING* $1.25

CALORIES 100

PROTIEN 2 g

CALCIUM 30 percent

PROS Abundant in -omega-3 fatty -acids, magnesium, beta-carotene, and iron; has all essential amino acids; the best nondairy -alternative to cow’s milk.

CONS Omega-3’s sourced from hemp are not as readily absorbed as those from other sources like salmon; taste is harsh for some.

THE BIGGEST SELLERS

ALMONDPACIFIC ORGANIC ORIGINAL

COST PER SERVING* $1

CALORIES 60

PROTIEN 1 g

CALCIUM 2 percent

PROS High in vitamin E, low in cholesterol, no saturated fats.

CONS Unless -fortified, low in both protein and calcium; off-limits to people with nut allergies.

SOY  SILK ORGANIC ORIGINAL

COST PER SERVING* $1.25

CALORIES 100

PROTIEN 7 g

CALCIUM 30 percent

PROS Nearly as much protein per cup as cow’s milk but significantly lower in saturated fat (0.5 grams versus 3 grams).

CONS Low in leucine, so the body doesn’t absorb the protein as easily; phyto-estrogen in the milk may lower testosterone.

COCONUTSO DELICIOUS ORIGINAL

COST PER SERVING* $1

CALORIES 70

PROTIEN 0 g

CALCIUM 10 percent

PROS Medium-chain -fatty acids (MCFAs) are thought to increase metabolism; lower in sugar, which helps prevent insulin spikes.

CONS No protein, and studies have shown an increase in cholesterol among those who consumed a diet high in MCFAs; contains fortified calcium, which absorbs poorly.

*SERVING SIZE: EIGHT OUNCES

A couple of problems with the article. It continues to promote fat is bad. Overconsumption of carbs is a far greater problem. It fails to mention that the hemp, almond and coconut "milks" featured here are among the most highly processed foods you can buy with a lot of other additives in addition to their feature ingredients (you can buy coconut milk that is just coconut and water but the one in the article contains: ORGANIC COCONUT MILK (WATER, ORGANIC COCONUT CREAM), ORGANIC DRIED CANE SYRUP, CALCIUM PHOSPHATE, MAGNESIUM PHOSPHATE, CARRAGEENAN, GUAR GUM, VITAMIN A PALMITATE, VITAMIN D-2, L-SELENOMETHIONINE (SELENIUM), ZINC OXIDE, FOLIC ACID, VITAMIN B-12.

If you can digest lactose then non-homogenized organic milk from grass-fed only cows is certainly an excellent source of nutrition. If milk causes bone loss, then there would be a hell of a lot of lactose tolerant weight lifters who would regularly break their bones. If you are lactose intolerant or don't like cows milk, yes find an alternative.  

Thanks.  You're right, of course.

TasteNirvana makes a complement of coconut waters/milks that are yum, healthful, and eco sustainable.

I do appreciate James' perspective.

In general, the less processed, the better.

I think that my ability to digest lactose is my superpower.

Can we start calling you Wonder Woman?

James is correct AND so is Adam on preferring unprocessed in everything as a general rule.  

As far as dairy is concerned, go only for unpasteurized and un-homogenized (for cow; goat milk is naturally homogenized).  Don't drink cooked cow or goat milk--it's worth getting it raw!  Find out many of the reasons you might care most about why doing so matters here:  http://www.realmilk.com  

For me raw dairy just tastes much better.  It also reminds me of my childhood (when I worked on the family dairy farm and drank raw milk and cream growing up).

Also, if you're looking for raw cow or goat milk and live in one of the many Nazi health law states (where unpasteurized dairy is strictly verboten--you can't even get good camembert or artisanal cheeses!!!) then you might have to resort to some tricks with your local farmers, such as:

"Hi there, I need to buy raw dairy for my cats, please.  They are on a raw only diet.  When can I pick up a couple gallons? Thank you."

(Apparently there is a big veterinarian establishment movement for our pets to eat healthy by eating only raw meat and dairy, but we humans aren't encouraged to do so or allowed to buy raw dairy by state regulatory health laws.)

By the way, raw dairy is not cheap.  I pay $8.50 per gallon of milk for house delivery and raw cream is $9.50 per quart.  Goat milk is more expensive.  At the farm you can often buy it for less, for me that's $6.00 per gallon of cow milk if I go pick it up and $10 per gallon of goat milk.  You might be able to find a licensed dairy to sell you raw milk in your US state here:

http://www.realmilk.com/real-milk-finder/

Most foreign countries are not as retarded as we are in our food fears and you can get raw milk without a problem in the grocery store, as you can in some US states here.

Coconuts are also amazing and, even though not native to the USA but for Florida, can be found raw and un-processed: simply call up your Asian supermarket and ask them for "young coconut", which will likely be a Thai import (like this one below):

I buy them by the case as they are less expensive that way than paying as much as $4 or $5 each.  They vary in the amount of water and meat, but you should average about 12 oz each.  After pouring out the water fresh and raw, (check YouTube for how to crack a coconut open without spilling it) you can then chop open the nut to scoop out and eat the jelly or meat as is (or use it to make raw chocolate pudding and other amazing desserts).  It will look like this:

The best commercial brand I've found for coconut water that tastes just like the fresh young coconut above is this brand:

Thanks for the great tips, Rob.