milk, but not as we know it (Soya Milk)

Member Name: west_jenn

Product:	Soya Milk
Date:	23/10/04 (2170 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: health benefits

Disadvantages: more expenisve than cows mil, an acquired taste

Our household is a cows milk free zone. I’ve never liked milk and only ever drunk it when my mum made me have some for the calcium benefit. I can’t even tolerate it in coffee. My other half is lactose intolerant. Sitting down to breakfast cereals with nothing on them is not a very appetising thought. So we use provamel soya milk by the bucketful, as we eat a lot of weetabix.

To state the obvious soya milk is dairy free. The ingredients are water, hulled soya beans (7.2%), concentrated apple extract (3.3%), tri-calcium phosphate, sea salt, vitamins E, riboflavin, D2 and B12. The carton has a guarantee on it stating that the soya beans used are non GMO, with full tractability and that they are processed without the use of chemicals. It’s low in fat and saturated fat, so in that respect it is better for you than cows milk. You also get the benefit of calcium added to the drink

Research has shown that there may be several health benefits to eating soya products. Isofloavenes found in soya beans are supposed to help reduce the risk of breast and prostate cancer. Also there is evidence that it may help reduce the likelihood of getting osteoporosis and lessens menopausal symptoms.

Soya milk is beneficial to vegans and vegetarians, those who are allergic to gluten. Soya milk isn’t suitable for babies under six months. The provamel soya website (www.alprpsoya .co.uk I’ve had to leave a space that isn’t really in the web address because the silly spell checker thing keeps changing alpro soya to leprosy) states that soya milk can be given to babies from six to twelve months, as long as it isn’t their primary milk source.

To be honest it is a bit of an acquired taste and I wouldn’t say that I was addicted to it. It has a watered down milky appearance and looks a bit more beige than normal milk. The taste is slightly sweet and a little bit watery. I usually put it on cereals and occasionally in coffee, rather than drinking it for its own sake. The blurb on the carton warns you to shake well before use to avoid sedimentation. I’ve never noticed this on the carton before and know why there are always little lumpy bits when I reach the bottom of a carton.

They cost roughly £1. 29 for a 1 litre carton. You can buy them from health store, sainsburys and waitrose. It does cost a bit more than normal milk, but has lots of benefits, especially for someone like me who doesn’t like cows milk.

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