Vegan milk has been my go-to dairy milk replacement for as long as I can remember. And if you’ve been following my coaching programs over the years, you have likely learned all the good reasons why :).

For decades, armed with huge advertising budgets, the dairy lobby has been convincing us that cow’s milk is THE best source of calcium.

Today we all know otherwise :). Suffice it to say that we can get all the calcium we need from other foods such as dark leafy greens, sesame seeds, anchovies, sardines with bones, canned salmon with bones, dried figs, and some mineral waters. There is, in fact, more calcium in a tin of sardines with bones than in an entire liter of milk!

And whilst we have forever been the only mammals that consume milk from other mammals for the sake of strong bones, the fact is that 100% of mammals have very solid skeletons, without drinking milk after weaning.

So, thankfully many of us have gradually replaced our cow dairy products with their vegan equivalents.

But be warned: not all vegan milks are created equal!

Read the labels: some vegan milks (especially oat) can contain up to 20 grams of sugar per 250 ml! While others (almond milk, macadamia milk, etc.) are below 1 gram of sugar per 250 ml.

If you fast 16 hours a day (intermittent fasting), an English Breakfast tea with almond milk containing <1g sugar will not break your fast, whereas the same tea with oat milk containing far more sugars (even if they are “natural”), will break your fast.

These calories are also empty calories, so choose your vegan milks mindfully to benefit on all fronts!

Bottom line: read the label before you drink! And of course, look out for additives that may not be beneficial to your health: read my article, “What’s In My Store-Bought Almond Milk” to guide you :).

To your health,

Valerie Orsoni
Your LeBootCamp Weight Loss & Wellness Coach
Creator of the eco-responsible brand LiliWarrior