We’ve been getting all sorts of questions about dairy lately, especially around the many different types of milk options out there. So hopefully this post will clear some things up. Later this month we’ll be sharing our thoughts on cheese, sour cream, yogurt, and other dairy products as well so be sure to stay tuned!
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Raw Milk
Before our switch to real food I honestly had no idea what “raw milk” even was. I actually remember the day I first discovered that there's an entire world out there of raw milk advocates complete with websites, blogs, non-profit organizations, and the like. I’ve learned that the people who drink raw milk really LOVE their raw milk and feel strongly about their choice.
Raw milk is literally the way the milk comes out of the cow. It has not been pasteurized (heated to kill pathogens) or homogenized (processed to suspend fat globules) in any way, shape, or form. In the most basic terms it’s exactly what the calves get. And I actually think this quote from Wikipedia sums up why raw milk can be such a heated topic these days:
“Health food proponents tout the benefits of raw milk and the ills of pasteurization and homogenization. The medical community warns of the dangers of not pasteurizing milk. Preferences vary from region to region.” – Wikipedia
So speaking of our “region” raw milk is actually illegal here in North Carolina. I’ve had many people tell me I can drive just over the border into South Carolina to buy some, but to be honest I was actually kind of relieved that I didn’t have to make the tough decision if we should drink raw milk or not. I know the advocates say raw milk can cure all your ailments (or something like that), but others say there are health risks with milk that hasn’t been pasteurized (which kills both potentially harmful and beneficial bacteria – just like cooking raw meat).
So I’ve basically chosen to just stay out of it and drink the milk that is available to us here in town, which is obviously a personal choice that has been influenced by the state in which we live.
Plus I tried raw milk once and it didn’t exactly taste like the “milk” I am used to drinking (and enjoy), but I am certainly very happy for everyone who drinks raw milk and loves it. To each his own!
Pasteurized, Non-Homogenized, Whole Milk (from Grass-Fed Cows)
This is the type of milk that we’ve determined to be the least processed milk available here in North Carolina, and what we started drinking sometime last year. My whole 33 years prior to that I mainly drank skim milk so let me tell you what I was SCARED to gradually go from skim to whole (we briefly drank 2% in-between).
I did it though and honestly have never looked back. The milk we drink now is soooo good and fresh…it tastes how I think milk should taste! And to offset the switch to full-fat dairy we also reduced our consumption a bit, which helped from a budgeting standpoint as well.
The brand we buy is called Homestead Creamery (I get it from Earth Fare - pictured above) and it’s from cows that are mostly - but not 100% - grass-fed. Cows were designed by evolution to eat grass (not corn) so they are healthier when they do, which in turn gives more nutritious animal products to us as a result.
The milk we buy is also pasteurized at a slightly lower temperature than standard grocery store milk so for me I feel like this gets us a little bit closer to that whole “raw milk” option without going all the way. And while Homestead Creamery is not USDA Certified Organic they do follow all organic practices. Getting officially certified is expensive and timely so it’s always good to ask this question when purchasing from smaller farms.
Organic Milk
If you can’t find local, grass-fed, non-homogenized milk in your area then I think a “big brand” (i.e. Organic Valley or Horizon) of organic, whole milk is the next best bet. One downfall of highly commercialized organic milk though is that it’s actually ultra-pasteurized at a high temperature, which leaves even less beneficial bacteria.
This is why the expiration dates are sometimes further out than their conventional counterparts. I am not sure if they did this to give organic a longer shelf life (before it started becoming more popular), but regardless that’s the way it’s done and it usually says it right there on the package so it’s not a secret.
As I once heard Dr. Oz say though you can’t “peel” or “wash” off dairy like you can when it comes to conventional produce so I agree with his advice to go organic when it comes to dairy products (including milk).
Low-Fat Milk
As part of our switch to real food we did away with all low-fat and non-fat products, including milk. You can read more about that switch in our “Mini-Pledge Week 6: No Low-Fat, Lite or Nonfat Food Products” post. In short, according to Michael Pollan in his book In Defense of Food:
“To make dairy products low fat, it’s not enough to remove the fat. You then have to go to great lengths to preserve the body or creamy texture by working in all kinds of food additives. In the case of low-fat or skim milk, that usually means adding powdered milk. But powdered milk contains oxidized cholesterol, which scientists believe is much worse for your arteries than ordinary cholesterol, so food makers sometimes compensate by adding antioxidants, further complicating what had been a simple one-ingredient whole food. Also, removing the fat makes it that much harder for your body to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins that are one of the reasons to drink milk in the first place.” - Michael Pollan
After recently learning that the orange juice industry doesn’t even include their mysterious “flavor packs” (to keep the juice tasting the same year-round) on their list of ingredients I wouldn’t count on seeing “powdered milk” listed as in ingredient on your skim milk jug anytime soon either.
Long story short - I don’t think anyone can argue that low-fat and skim milk isn’t “more processed” than whole milk, which is of course one of our family’s top concerns when it comes to making food choices.
Milk Alternatives
Some people just can’t tolerate dairy and thankfully for them there are all sorts of milk alternatives out there these days. I do want to say though that I don't personally believe there’s any reason to avoid dairy unless you have an allergy or intolerance.
If you are one of those that needs to skip the lactose be sure to look for milk alternatives that are unsweetened, but no matter what always read the ingredients. My top choices would be either unsweetened full-fat coconut milk or almond milk…or even brown rice milk. Soy is already an additive in so many packaged foods so I would favor some of the other choices out there instead.
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Question: What kind of milk do you drink (and why)?
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Local Dairy Resources
To search for local farms in your area that might offer grass-fed dairy products like milk check out the following resources:
Kim says
We are Homestead Creamery all the way, just like you guys. We are lucky to live near the creamery and can get it at Kroger, or delivered for a little more. Once you start drinking it, you can never go back to anything else!
Mamie says
In Utah raw milk is legal, but the laws for selling it are very complicated and I don't even know of anywhere in my part of the state that has it (Southern Utah).
We use the organic milk from Costco, which I know is ultra-paterized. It's also lower fat. We don't have children at home drinking it, and mainly use it just for cooking or pouring over the rare bowl of cereal. I don't drink milk at all, and my husband does only rarely. We also use almond milk in some things, and keep rice milk around for a teen-aged nephew who has a number of allergies.
Liz says
I'm from Southern Utah and have friends who get raw milk from a local dairy. If you are interested, you should be able to find a source. Like you, though, I don't drink milk and use almond milk for cooking, but I have a one-year-old and trying to figure out what the best milk is for her is stressing me out.
Amy J. says
We live in Idaho, where raw milk is legal. We have a raw milk CSA where we can get our milk for just over $3/gallon. The milk comes from 2 grass fed cows, named Dorie & Lucy, on a very small, licensed and regularly tested family farm.
Janis says
I love your facebook page! I've been following it for quite a while. When I saw the picture of your glass bottle full of milk, I just couldn't help but check it out. You see glass milk bottles catch my eye since my family runs a small family-owned milk processing plant in Ohio (Hartzler Family Dairy)that also bottles in glass AND we do low-temp pasteurization and non-homogenized. Thanks for promoting the small local farms!
There is another great side note with our milk--- many people who are lactose intolerant are able to drink our milk with zero side affects. We've heard from hundreds in not thousands of people who have testified to this. Just another great reason to eat whole foods!
Thanks again!
Food Babe says
I drink milk from nuts only! But I do indulge in the occasional piece of organic cheese and ice-cream!
D says
I get low temp pasteurized non homogenized milk as well, from a fairly local farm in a glass jug. I have looked at raw milk, but I don't find the risk of illness worth the marginal benefit that it has over what I presently drink. I wasn't aware of the skim milk issue. I will probably try my luck with whole after reading this.
Sharon says
We drink raw milk from a farm close by. There is no Earth Fare or Whole Foods around here. The grocery store milk has sell by dates so far out I don't want to drink it. Raw milk is delicious. Every batch does not taste exactly the same, depending on what the cows eat. I adjusted much more quickly to real milk than real food!
Christina says
My oldest daughter drinks organic whole milk. My husband and I do not drink milk at all but if I use some for a smoothie I use almond milk or a little bit of my daughter's whole milk.
Nicole says
So sad I live in San Diego and I can't find local milk anywhere! Anyone from Cali out there know of any?
Mamie says
Nicole, I believe that Organic Valley brand sources a lot of their milk from California (co-op farms). I grew up in SD and then live in the Bay Area for 12 years, but haven't lived in Cali for the last 8 years, so I'm not as up on things there anymore. When we lived in the Bay Area we bough Berkeley Farms brand, and they were expanding through the state. Good luck!
Rebecca says
Depends on what type of Milk? I know you can get Raw Milk from a Dairy Farm Called Organic Pastures out of Orland California. The sell at the Farmer's Markets in lots of places and I believe there is one in SD as well.
Leah says
We just started buying the same type of milk as you: whole, low-heat pasteurized, non-homogenized, grass-fed. It tastes DELICIOUS! We get it from Twin Brook Creamery of Lynden, WA and it just feels so warm and fuzzy to know you're supporting local sixth-generation farmers who treat their animals with love!
Casey says
I buy coconut (love it!) milk for myself as I am breast feeding and my baby has an intolerance to dairy. For the rest of the family, I buy a local brand of milk, Prairieland.
Audrey says
That's interesting, Casey. I once had a homeopathic doctor tell me that my breast milk was dairy and to stop breastfeeding my son, which I thought really strange. But I'm not sure how drinking dairy yourself would affect the quality of your breastmilk.
Rachel says
Lisa, I buy Organic Milk but wondering if it is better to buy Whole Organic milk? They offer skim, 1% and Whole and I usually get 1%.
Thanks for the post!!
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Rachel. Yes, Lisa would recommend whole and here is why: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2011/04/15/mini-pledge-week-6-no-low-fat-lite-or-nonfat-food-products/. Here is another post on milk as well...https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2010/08/12/milk-–-good-or-bad/. Jill
Erik says
Here in Massachusetts you can only buy raw milk on the premises of the dairy, so we don't.
We buy our milk from Shaw Farm Dairy at our local farmer's market (it's also available nearby at Savenour's, the gourmet store that Julia Child lived near and shopped at).
The key is finding a dairy that focuses on the health of its soil and grasses as much as on the cows, and that feeds them a minimal amount of corn (preferably none, although most will rely some some silage in the winter). Needless to say, the cows shouldn't be in feeding pens, and then they should not need preventative antibiotics. If your milk fits the description so far, it's pretty much guaranteed that you will avoid any growth hormones or other nasty feedlot additives.
Low-pasteurization is key, as mentioned. High-temperature pasteurization will break down nutrients in the milk in addition to killing off bacteria. Small, local dairies will usually create skim and low-fat milk using a purely mechanical, old-fashioned process (letting the cream rise to the top and then skimming it off), so in these cases I wouldn't be scared to drink skim or low-fat for additives, although I agree that whole is best. America's fat fears are overblown; we need to learn to eat the right fats in the right amounts at the right time and avoid the "wrong" fats.
Before we recently moved to Boston, we used to buy our milk in New York from a farm in upstate NY that did everything 100% right. The cows were 100% grass-fed; even in winter time they were fed by stored grass grown on-farm. It was minimally pasteurized and unhomogenized. Unfortunately, they went out of business!
Audrey says
For my family, almond milk is our go-to. I see a lot of commenters mention "common sense" food choices. My choice not to drink cow's milk mostly stems from common sense. Humans are the only species that drinks the milk of another animal. Cow's milk is specifically designed to turn a 45-lb. calf into a 300-lb. cow in six to eight months. I am not a baby cow. The impact of this philosophy hit me the heaviest while I was breastfeeding my son.
Natalie says
I agree with you 100%. I was a regular dairy milk drinker until a few months ago. After watching the documentary "Forks over Knives," I started doing a lot of reading and now the idea of drinking another animal's milk makes me sick. I am not a baby cow, and I don't plan on raising my future children on cow's milk. Almond milk is my go-to, and it's more nutrient rich than dairy milk!
Audrey says
Thanks, Natalie!
Ange says
Until a few weeks ago we drank raw at our house. The only reason I have not been to get some lately is now I am the only one who drinks it and not that often. My daughter doesn't like milk, my son is allergic and my husband is lactose intolerant (and despite my prodding will not try raw to see if he can handle it). I see everyone's opinions on either side of the fence. I definitely agree that if you drink raw you NEED to know your farmer and their practices. I would never drink raw from a conventional dairy. But also, those against raw, do not assume that us raw drinkers have not done our homework. I once read a comment about raw milk consumption (maybe even on your site Lisa) that raw milk drinkers have done more research on milk than those who do drink pasteurized. The more I am learning the more I agree with this thought.
I also completely agree that the government is not the place to take your health advice from. They are paid by whoever offers the most money i.e. corporate farming companies. Honestly the more I researched raw milk the more scared I became of pasteurized (don't misunderstand, I researched both sides).
I would encourage anyone to research their milk. I value Dr. Mercola's opinions highly and he actually recommends that if you can't drink raw then don't drink it at all.
Now I am not looking down from my high horse if you choose pasteurized just don't think that us raw milk drinkers are ignorant. There was a LOT of research and prayers in this decision for our family.
DaNelle Wolford says
We own goats and milk them ourselves. We WHOLEHEARTEDLY believe in raw milk. A study was recently performed where they injected E. coli into raw milk and the GOOD bacteria killed off all the E.coli. It really is only a problem in sick animals or milk that is partly pasteurized. In fact, I would be VERY VERY careful of low pasteurized milk. It kills the good bacteria but doesn't completely kill the bad. Raw milk has AMAZING health benefits and doesn't taste any different at all. And I am picky as HECK!
I am particularly surprised that you choose to eat/drink cow's milk products at all. Cow's milk has LARGE, hard to digest proteins whether or not it's pastuerized. Goat's milk has smaller molecules (which is why it is naturally homogenized) and is digested in 20 minutes compared to the 3 HOURS for cow's milk products.
People who think goat's milk is gross or off tasting have not educated themselves about the DIFFERENT breeds of goats and the OUTSTANDING difference in their taste of milk. When I was first researching goat's milk, I learned that Nigerian Dwarf goats have such mild tasting milk, that people think it's cow's milk. I bought my first goat 3 years ago and have fooled hundreds of people! They CANNOT believe how good it tastes and they even accuse me of giving them cow's milk, HA! Also, it's SO easy to find a local goat milk farm. Yes, it's illegal to sell for human consumption in some states, but it is easy to find a local farmer you trust and buy from them anyway. You can sign a paper acknowledging the law and it will be legal to purchase.
I am such an advocate for this because cow's products are hard to digest, period! 60% of the world drink's goat's milk and there is a reason for that! Even the weakest stomach can drink goat's milk. The reason we drink cow's milk here in the US is because of PROFIT! A cow will give more milk per feed than any other animal but is it worth it? Our goat's are so incredibly easy to take care of. They are naturally healthy and disease resistant and are easy to milk. And my children's asthma was literally cured the minute we replaced ALL our cow's milk products with goat's milk.
This is MY soap box so sorry for going off, but I think it's SO IMPORTANT!
Christine says
Thank you for posting. I love goats and know that raw goat's milk is much better than raw cow's, but I can never get over the taste and smell. It's good to know there may be hope for finding some that I might like.
Stephanie says
I live in Houston, TX, and two of the main grocery stores (HEB and Kroger) both have regularly pasteurized organic milk, but only in the gallon sizes. For some reason, the half gallon sizes are always ultra-pasteurized. It's store brand, though, not horizon or stonyfield. HEB has a lot of great store brand options for organic dairy, but the store is only in Texas and Mexico. There's often a run on the organic milk (the store brand), they have signs up about demand being much higher than supply, and I'm always happy when I can get it.
Kimberly B says
We drink RAW milk from grass-fed cows and love how it has made us feel. It is illegal to buy/sell it here too. However, if you enter into a co-op/part owner contract with the farmer.....essentially buying part of the cow, then it is not illegal :-) Government can not/will not dictate and guide me into poor food or milk choices. I wonder if it is similar in your area? Maybe something to look up....
Alexis C. says
I like the idea of raw milk, but several people the next county over from me were sickened (Q fever) after getting raw milk from a small dairy. I personally wouldn't risk it, especially not with my kids.
I would like to get our own cow sometime though, and then I might consider it.
Michelle Majak Johnson says
After reading up on homo milk and what they do to it to make it homo I switched my toddler off of it to goats milk which is naturally homogenized and has more nutrients in it. It doesnt have as much fat as cows milk but he eats plenty of full fat yoghurt to get the fats he needs for growing. Me and my husband dont really drink milk and only use it occasionally in a shake or for baking so I just buy the regular homo milk for that. And by the way the taste of goats milk didnt even phase my son!! I on the other hand cant stand it!
Carol sanders says
Curious if any raw milk drinkers are at all concerned with getting ecoli from raw milk. Young children can get extremely sick from an ecoli infection which can also cause Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome. A life threatening illness causing the kidneys to shut down and break down blood in the body. iIn some cases resulting in death. While hospitalized blood transfusions will be given as well as dialysis. There is no true treatment for HUS its observe and support. Most patients who survive HUS will have lifelong kidney complications.
While my two year old was infected with ecoli however not from raw milk he was hospitalized with HUS. An ordeal I would never wish on anyone. I will add there were a number of patients recently who were admitted to the hospital with HUS after consuming raw milk. Is it worth it?
Reanna says
Actually, if all these raw milk drinkers are careful to drink milk from cows that are on strictly grass fed diets, they won't have to worry about e-coli. E-coli is only present in cows who are fed corn. It is not found in cows who eat grass. Cows are not supposed to eat corn. It's not rocket science, like another lady on here mentioned. You don't need science, research, and studies to eat healthy and propery - just common sense. We wouldn't be here today if that wasn't the case...
Carol sanders says
I'd like to see evidence of that claim. Ecoli is caused by fecal matter. There was an outbreak of ecoli and in some of the patients resulted in HUS from consuming raw milk from a reputable farm here in Oregon.
Sheril C says
What you need to understand is how immunity works. In cows and humans both, our bodies are designed to fight off infection. Understanding the fecal oral route for passing on a germ is only a tiny fraction of the information that you need. Every person, every cow and just about every critter out there is full of bacteria. Good health cannot be maintained unless your body can maintain the correct balance where good bugs outnumber the bad bugs inside of you. Cows on grain diets are not able to fight off infection and are quite literally giant petri dishes where super strains of ecoli are being bred. This is not to say that in infection in a cow on its natural diet would be impossible only far less likely.
And no, I am not at all worried about ecoli from raw milk. However, I am somewhat concerned about all the outbreaks that have been caused by factory foods. Oh, and I am extremely concerned about the quality of life of myself and my family and how it is very seriously impacted by our various health problems, all of which are things that are widespread in our society in spite of the fact that they were rare or even unheard of throughout most of history.
Reanna says
I saw references to the Oregon e-coli contamination on the internet. That is too bad. Basically all organisms that poo have all sorts of fun stuff living in their guts - e-coli just gets more than its fair share of attention. The research is conflicting depending upon who is doing it, what they are trying to prove/disprove, and what methods are used. My father was raised on a beef and milk farm in Deer Park, WA. All grass fed cows, no abnormal e-coli or anything else. The intense strains of bacteria we experience today are a result of industry and capitalism. That is to what I refer. This is specifically the e-coli strain that makes people sick and can kill them. Some studies cite this deadly e-coli as being present in grass fed cows and other studies say "no it's not." It's best to do your own research and follow your own gut as to what is the best choice for you. Pun intended :)
Shari says
E. Coli is found in the intestinal tract of all animals and only contaminates through exposures to contents of the intestinal tract (feces). So if the milk isn't exposed to feces then there is no risk of E. Coli.
Natasha Sandoval says
I did struggle with the decision to give raw milk to my family. The farm where we get our raw milk from tests for ecoli, among other things, daily. They have never had a positive test in 12 years, and I feel comfortable with that. Another thing I found interesting is that raw milk isn't even listed on the FDA's top 10 list for riskiest foods. The most risky? Leafy greens. I'm not going to stop eating salad because of that. It's not a choice everyone feels comfortable with, and I respect that. I let people know whenever I am making anything with raw milk in it so they can make that choice for themselves.
Lisa says
We always buy organic whole milk (really only my son drinks it) and I have read to stay away from certain brands of milk due to factory farming and being ethically deficient (if you care about that sort of stuff). This scorecard actually gives Horizon a 0! Plus I feel Horizon is so overpriced compared to some better brands, like Whole Foods or Stonyfield.
http://www.cornucopia.org/dairysurvey/index.html
Thought I would throw this out there for anyone who cares! I also love almond milk as a good substitute and my son loves it, too.
Gail Medaris says
We drink Raw milk from a small family farm it's pricey but I am glad we have the choice! The raw milk diesn't have chunks of cream or fat it mixes up with a few good shakes! I know the non homogenized kind we use to buy didn't mix up very easily! I was constantly spooning it out for my kids!
Jennifer B says
I have switched our family over to raw milk. As far as cost, it's about the same as buying organic milk. We live in Texas and it's incredibly easy to get raw milk and to talk to the farmers so you know what the cows are eating and how they are raised. We are moving to Nevada soon and it is illegal there. However, you can buy a cow share to get raw milk locally. That's my plan... or I can drive an hour to California to get it. As far as fat globules go, do you remember how your parents used to shake the milk jug before pouring a glass? (My mom still does it!) That's how we get the fat mixed back in again. Raw milk is also great for those that are lactose intolerant because you can actually drink it without side effects!
Kimberly says
Our family drinks raw cows milk a majority of the time. I do believe there are some health benefits but our main reason is because my father-in-law has a dairy farm. We get our milk for free (only some manual labor required from my husband LOL) and that helps us save our dollars for other food choices.
Your site is inspiring! Thanks
Bethany says
I'm just getting ready to start using whole milk exculsivly getting the Organic Valley brand which is organic and pasture raised. I did a brief test with a non-homogenized brand when I first started reading this blog and couldn't get over the fat globules. When you drink this do you try and shake them in? How do you do it well enough? Raw milk is sort of legal here and I've toyed with the idea but haven't gotten brave enough to try it yet plus the whole non-homogenized thing.
Sheril C says
So much of what we like is really about what we are used to. I would recommend waiting with no milk in your diet for a week or two at least before trying it again. But also sometimes it a problem no matter whether you are used to it or not. I think this is a function of how fresh it is. If you buy it from the farm and they didn't store it for any time really, you can easily shake it in and have no problems with it. If it gets to sit with the cream rising for days it gets harder and harder to shake it in. At that point, I would skim the cream off the top and make whipped cream or butter or something.
100 Days of Real Food says
We actually use a knife to get out most of the cream at the top and then we shake up the rest. It's not perfect, but helps!
Bethany says
Do you use the cream for something else?
Michelle says
"I do want to say though that I don’t personally believe there’s any reason to avoid dairy unless you have an allergy or intolerance". Read "The China Study" (http://tinyurl.com/7bzhc49) and review the science and you might feel differently about dairy and animal products in general. I love what you are doing and think it is a wonderful step in the right direction, but The China Study is a must-read. The links between cancer and casein in dairy is just impossible to ignore.
Jere says
I second that! If you have netflix, make sure you watch Forks over knives, also! The China Study makes a big appearance in this documentary. Animal Products are literally killing us in every way. By ingesting, and more importantly the pollution they create by methane.
Ange says
I just have to say I have never read The China Study but you might also want to read Dr. Mercola's opinion on how flawed the study is too.
Liz says
I agree, I have read several articles that have led me to believe The China Study is not at all accurate.
Stephanie says
The movie forks over knives seemed pretty flawed. They took people who ate horrible, mostly fast food diets and fed them a completely plant based diet and when their health of course improved they used that as proof that animal protein is bad for us.
And the rats were eating isolated casein. Whenever something is isolated it certainly changes how it interacts with your body.
brenda says
we drink coconut milk or raw milk only. In Texas you can only buy raw milk from the farm which can be inconvenient. There are no low pasturized milks i have seen in stores locally.
Betsy says
Brenda, where are you in Texas?
padmaja says
We buy 'Hickory Hill' milk from Earthfare which is from cows raised on grass and nonhomogenized. Yum!
Sheril C says
Raw milk all the way. I'm actually terribly offended by the corrupt principles behind the government having and utilizing the authority to evaluate scientific and pseudo-scientific data and make take that decision out of my hands. No matter whether a person wants to drink raw milk for them to advocate that principle is just corrupt. On top of that, the more I evaluate the data the more I find that the truth is that I need to completely give up factory milk and that raw milk might be of great benefit to me. I am going to either move and raise my own cow/goat or start taking road trips to buy milk.
"When injustice becomes law resistance becomes duty."
-Thomas Jefferson
Katrina says
The Hickory Hill milk at Earth Fare is a little cheaper than Homestead Creamery, but in all other respects is the same AND it is more of a local dairy being from SC. :) Just FYI.
Marie says
Looking for raw milk right now, how timely! In TN, we are allowed cow shares and goat shares, very simply we buy a share of the cow or goat and have access to the raw milk, but the farmer does all the work.
We drink almond milk that we make at home-- be sure if your buying it in the store to get 'unsweetened' or you getting a lot of added sugar. We also drink coconut milk that we buy from store. We alternate the two. We had raw milk recently for the first time and it was great-- tasted just like store milk to me.
Amy says
This pretty much sums up why my family does not drink milk, though I will occasionally let my kids have a small amount of cheese. Hormones, bacteria, yuck! I personally do not believe that organic dairy is much better, unfortunately. I feel the government has fed us a lot of so called facts about the health benefits of dairy and whole grains because we are a farming country and of course it's all about money! My family drinks coconut milk and we love it! It's great for cooking and baking as well! http://www.godairyfree.org/Personal-Stories/Personal-Stories/Don-t-Drink-Your-Milk.html
Jenn says
We live here in Ohio and have recently made the switch to the whole food diet as much as possible. Like NC, selling raw milk is illegal in Ohio, though there are some places that are legally allowed to distribute it through co-op arrangements (so I am told). We are lucky to have a local dairy that is completely grass-fed and uses the lowest level of pasteurization legally allowed called Hartzlers Dairy. Interestingly enough, they still offer Skim, 2% and Whole milk options unlike the other brands sold at Earthfare stores in this area.
I am moderately lactose intolerant and often never drank milk from the grocery store without consequences. Since we have changed to low pasteurized milk I have noticed a much higher tolerance to milk than I have ever had before. Hartzler's also hears this feedback from many of it's lactose intolerant customers.
Just wondered if others have had similar experiences and whether there are any ideas why this works for some people?
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Jenn. You have probably seen the other comments responding that they too are able to tolerate raw milk despite being lactose intolerant. The best reason I can find is that the homogenization and pasteurization processes change the composition of the milk to such a degree that enzymes like lactoperoxidase (necessary for the digestion of milk) are killed thus breaking down its' natural ability to be digested properly. Hope that helps. Jill
Katy says
We have switched to almond milk but I was talking with a good friend that's very whole food focused and she's found some very bad things about almond and coconut milks. The added ingredients (vitamin D2 I believe which is in the chemical form??)
Have you done any research regarding this?
Sheril C says
I can't speak directly to your question, but my comment is that essentially it is just good sense to get whole food nutrients from foods in their natural form rather than man-made stuff. I'm not saying that there is no place for laboratory made vitamins, but as a general rule I go the route of real vitamins within a natural food every single time over a food that has had to be "fortified" with synthetic versions. At least that is the basic philosophy that I have decided to follow and recommend to friends who like to discuss these things.
I am continually surprised by how many fake things we accept in our society in the name of science the more I educate myself and learn to evaluate the data, the philosophies, and the histories behind our foods. Once upon a time I considered going to school to become a food scientist. lol. I am so thankful that I did not do that. I can't imagine still be wrapped up in all the humanistic dogma of our culture that I was taught as a kid, like "iodine added to salt" was supposedly this great thing mankind did to eliminate a perfectly natural problem. What garbagey thinking I used to have from my public school indoctrination! How hard is it to see that the removal of all the minerals from the salt which produced more profit for the salt sellers but helped lead to the infamous goiter problem was a bad decision that should have been reversed? lol
I'm still a total foodie. Its just that now all my foodie energies are focued in a direction that has very little to do with understanding chemistry and much more in a direction that allows for common sense to prevail. Lets face it, the human body never required modern science for ancient people to properly nourish themselves.
Assistant to 100 Days (Jill) says
Hi Katy. I have read some research in regards to the added ingredients, specifically in almond milk. The research I have read focuses on Vitamin A Palmitate and Vitamin D2. I have come across some recipes to make homemade almond milk (and there are probably similar ones for coconut milk), but, I have not yet tried any. I'm hoping to do so though. Jill
Delirious says
When I was a kid, my grandparents had cows, so when we went to visit them, we drank raw milk. I didn't really care for it very much because it did taste different from what I was used to. My grandparents would skim the cream off the top before drinking it. My Mom would always pour some of the cream on her cereal. I remember thinking that was gross, but when some cream accidentally spilled in to my bowl, I did begin to like it. lol But no one I ever knew ever got sick from drinking the raw milk. But in those days, we also never heard of anything like mad cow disease. So I'm content to drink pasteurized milk now, simply because there may be new diseases out there of which we need to beware. The other advantage to "store bought" milk is that you can buy some with less fat. As I get older and have to think about cholesterol, I"m glad I have that choice.
Jenell says
We drink we drinking either raw whole milk or organic whole milk, but I'm about to switch to coconut milk permanently. I've read about the pus, blood and fecal matter that is in milk (even organic) and I just can't get it out of my mind, so no more cow milk for us!
Tiffany says
We drink Happy Cow Creamery milk from Pelzer, SC at our house. It's a local dairy just like you talked about in you Pasteurized, Non-Homogenized, Whole Milk (from Grass-Fed Cows)section. We had a local farm tour this past weekend where we got to see the creamery in person. It's been a drastic change in my mind to go from drinking skim milk to whole but we won't go back. It's so healthy for us and we love to support our local farmer too!
Kelly says
We switched to raw milk about 2 months ago and I have noticed a huge!!!!! difference in my digestive system. We get ours from a local natural foods store in CA and the farm is licensed and tested continuously. Having said that, it is expensive, so we hope when the digestive issues are under control to switch back somewhat to organic whole milk and limit our raw milk consumption to just enough to keep the benefits going.
When we were dairy free, we also drank Tempt brand hemp milk. It was wonderful and creamy just like milk and tasted similar to almond milk but without the watery feeling.
Cynthia says
I drink skim milk. It's mainly because I am so used to the taste. I accidentally purchased whole milk once and drank some before I realized it. I actually thought the milk was spoiled until I realized it was whole milk. Yuck. However, I do buy organic milk whenever I do buy it.