Eat your dairy free heart out with Alpro's new ice cream

I've been secretly lamenting my lack of dairy free and soya free ice cream recently - ever since I realised I was beginning to react to the lovely range of Tesco free from ice creams. No idea why, but eventually, as much as I loved them, the tummy discomfort that followed became too much to ignore. 'Is it the lupin?' I wondered. Well, maybe! 

I tried a few coconut-based ice creams, but they didn't really float my boat, so I ended up going back to Almond Dream's Mint Choc Chip. I love it, but sometimes you just want a bit of variety! 

Then, the other night... THESE hit my screen (courtesy of @chubbania & @_ayrtonnn on Twitter). 

'Huzzah for Alpro!' I thought!

And I wasted no time in tracking them down!

Huzzah for Alpro!

In fact Alpro has not produced just one, but actually THREE ice creams!! A Coconut flavoured iced dessert, a Chocolate and Hazelnut one, and also a Vanilla version. That one is made with soya, so no good for me, although Kiddo can have it, but the Coconut and the Chocolate and Hazelnut are just right!

What's in them?


Coconut:
Water, Soluble gluco fibre, Coconut milk (13.3%) (Coconut cream, Water), Sugar, Vegetable fats (Rapeseed, Shea), Fructose-glucose syrup, Emulsifier (Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids), Stabilisers (Locust bean gum, Guar gum, Carrageenan), Sea Salt, Flavouring. 

Free from dairy and gluten. May contain traces of soya & nuts (no peanuts).



Hazelnut & Chocolate:
Water, Soluble gluco fibre, Sugar, Vegetable fats (*Palm kernel, *Palm), Fructose-glucose syrup, Hazelnuts (2.9%), Chocolate (1.7%), Fat-reduced cocoa (1.7%), Emulsifier (Mono- and diglycerides of fatty acids), Stabilisers (Locust bean gum, Guar gum, Carageenan), Sea salt. 

Free from dairy and gluten. May contain traces of soya & nuts (no peanuts).


Vanilla:
Water, Soluble gluco fibre, Sugar, Hulled soya beans (6.1%), Vegetable fats (Rapeseed, Shea), Fructose-glucose syrup, Emulsifier (Mono- and Diglycerides of fatty acids), Vanilla extract (0.4%), Stabilisers (Locust beangum, Guar gum), Sea salt, Vanilla seeds. 

Free from dairy and gluten. May contain traces of nuts (no peanuts).

(*Sustainable sources of Palm have been used.)

Can decide which to have? Have two or even three at once!!

What are they like??

I like them all (I had a sneaky lick of the soya and am hoping for no ill after effects. So does Kiddo! The coconut was a definite improvement on some I have tasted before. Unlike another I've tried, quite recently, it wasn't too sweet, and, although it tastes of coconut, it's not over-poweringly coconutty. It's also quite creamy. 

I really like Alpro's hazelnut milk and as chocolate and hazelnut are a classic flavour combo, I enjoyed the Chocolate & Hazelnut flavour too. I was a bit surprised that Kiddo liked this one, as she can be a fussy mutt. I was mainly worried becuase hazelnut can add a slightly acrid after-taste, but Kiddo doesn't seem to have noticed, or if she has, she hasn't minded it!

And here's the Vanilla flavour!

The Vanilla is really creamy and actually tastes (from what I could tell from my small sample) a lot like a Mr Whippy ice cream. Kiddo was ecstatic when I told her this, as it has been her ambition for a long while, to be able to have a Mr Whippy ice cream. Now *all* she wants is for me to buy a machine that will serve it like a commercial ice cream machine, in a nice little swirl!! Hmm! I've looked online... looking at the prices of them THAT isn't gonna happen any time soon!

How much?

In Tescos, which is the only place that I know of so far, that stocks the new Alpro ice cream, Each 500ml tub costs £3.50. This is pretty well comparable with the cost of Almond Dream, so not too bad. Swedish Glace is certainly cheaper, so I'll probably stick with their vanilla for Kiddo, but I would definitely buy the other two flavours again - for me, if no-one else - although I suspect that Kiddo (even though, being able to have soya, she has a lot more choice than I) will want more too!

So well done Alpro! Now, when are you going to make us a yogurt without soya?? Now that you've done it with ice cream, we know you can do it!

Pretty please??

Please note: 

This post is not an advert. I have not been paid to write this post. I am not sponsored in any way, even by advertising. I do not receive products free to review, although I have often been offered them. This is to try and maintain an unbiased approach. All views expressed are my own (unless I've asked for The Hub's or Kiddo's).

Related posts:


Mint Choc Chip Almond Dream



Choices, Choices, Tesco's Free From Ice Creams

And thanks to AlproSOS... they all lived happily ever after??

I don't know about you, but I love a story with a happy ending, don't you?

The problem with a story with a happy ending is that unfortunately it has to have a miserable bit, before everything gets resolved! 

ONCE UPON A TIME...

This tale all started back in November (for those who don't know), with the announcement that Alpro had decided that in order to expand it's operations, it was going to move factories and this would result in nut milks being manufactured alongside soya milk. BUT, not only would this affect their milk, but other dairy free products such as custard, cream and yoghurt. This dealt a huge blow to families in which a family member was allergic to both dairy and nuts. Especially, when they realised that Alpro produced soya milk for many supermarket 'own' brands as well as for Provamel. 

It was a particular disaster, for families with young ones, who were relying on reliable supplies of the Alpro Plus 1 soya milk which is specially formulated for little ones - there is no other like it on the market. See why here.

Specially formulated for little ones

There was a partial resolution to this, when Alpro decided to secure the safety of this milk, back in March 2014. However, the issue of desserts and yoghurts still remained.

Many schools/nurseries use Alpro Soya products.

I was also concerned about the fall-out for children who were dairy free and who were mixing with nut allergic children in schools/nurseries etc. I was worried in case that meant that they would no longer be allowed to eat Alpro dairy free desserts/yoghurts within those settings and was quite frankly dismayed at how long it apparently took some members of the dairy free online community, some allergy organisations and some health care professionals to jump on board. 

I see it this way - if one part of the allergic community suffers, some kind of discrimination/barrier/injustice then ultimately we all do... at some point. As John Donne wrote in his famous poem:

No man is an island entire of itself; every man

is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;

We all need to work together to create understanding among the many out there, who just don't 'get it' and also to bring about CHANGE!

HAPPY ENDING!!

It just goes to show what will happen if we do all work together, because yesterday, after months of uncertainty and misery for the families that were directly affected, Alpro SOS was finally able to announce that Alpro was going to make the changes for which we'd all been hoping and praying and pushing... well, some of them at least!!

See here:

Dear AlproSOS

As you know, a year ago we decided to label all our plant based products with a 'may contain traces of almonds and hazelnuts' claim. This was to give consumers advance warning of the integration of products containing almonds or hazelnuts into its production facilities.

After thorough investigation and without compromising Alpro's ethical aims of bringing delicious and safe products to the market, we are PLEASED TO CONFIRM THAT WE WILL BE GRADUALLY REMOVING THE 'MAY CONTAIN TRACES OF ALMONDS AND HAZELNUTS' CLAIM FROM OUR SOYA, RICE AND OAT DRINKS AS WELL AS OUR PLANT-BASED ALTERNATIVES TO CREAM AND DESSERTS.

As part of a major investment in our facilities, we will ARRANGE OUR CURRENT PRODUCTION LINES TO BE DEDICATED TO PRODUCING SOYA, RICE AND OAT DRINKS OR ALMOND, HAZELNUT AND COCONUT DRINKS. ANY AVOIDABLE RISK OF CROSS CONTAMINATION IS THUS EXCLUDED, WHICH MEANS THE WARNING CAN BE REMOVED from our soya, rice and oat drink products and our plant-based alternatives to cream and desserts.

We apologise for any confusion relating to the nut claim, but our intention regarding labelling has always to keep consumers fully informed of the changes as early as possible. Now that production plans have changed, the claim is no longer necessary on soya, rice and oat drinks and our plant-based alternatives to cream and desserts.

These recent decisions and measures will allow all consumers to continue to enjoy Alpro soya, rice and oat drinks and our Alpro plant-based alternatives to cream and desserts in the future.

Ann De Jaeger
Vice President, Division General Counsel & Corporate Communications

Well almost!!

However, please note, this does not include yoghurts - as of yet!! Alpro SOS are continuing to push for other information too - check out their Face Book page for more information!

Today, Alpro SOS have also been able to announce that the 'sister company' Provamel will also follow suit, and I wish to congratulate all, working behind the scenes at Alpro SOS and thank them for all their hard work. And I wish to thank Alpro too, for considering the alternatives and coming up with some solutions. I am sure that this has required a lot of logistical nightmares as well the reallocation  of some finances! I do hope that they will work to resolve the anomaly of the yoghurts very soon!

The Sequel

Meanwhile, as an allergic community, there is still plenty of work to do!

Supermarkets are still using unnecessary and useless 'may contain' labelling on their products and people with nut allergies are taking their lives in their hands should they dare to travel by airplane.  We need to continue to apply pressure, to help big companies see sense!

What can you do?

Some thing as simple as highlighting it on Twitter or Face Book, or signing a petition on Change.Org can all help. If you feel you could email/write to a company, even better!

Let's make change happen!

Related Posts:

Warning! Alpro soya milk may contain nuts!

Which Dairy Free Milk is Best?

Further Reading:

 Alpro to remove 'may contain nuts' warning on soya products - The Grocer 

So where do you go, when you need Dairy Free, Nut Free Dairy Alternatives?

If you are one of those who are affected the the changes that Alpro are making (all their dairy free products will soon have to carry a 'may contain nuts' warning) you may be wondering what other products you can try. 

I've been doing a little research and have compiled a list of products. I cannot say how good they are as I'm not an expert in nutrition and everyone's tastes vary, so we will make no value judgements, as such, however this list may just give you somewhere to start.

Dairy Free, Nut Free Milks For Very Young Children

The bad news? At the moment, Alpro's Soya Plus 1 is the only dairy free alternative, available to buy, that up to now, has been recommended by medical professionals as a main milk drink - although others can be used in cooking. This is unless your child is allergic to soya, of course. It worries me that the only future alternative (once Alpro changes its manufacturing procedures) may perhaps be a hypoallergenic formula - for which you will need a prescription from your doctor, as they come with a hefty price tag!

We've relied on this

I have heard that there may be another product in the pipeline, but things are as yet at a very early stage, so don't pin your hopes on it, just yet!

Dairy Free, Nut Free Milks For Older Children and Adults

Koko 

Koko coconut milk is dairy free, soya free and nut free. It is enriched with calcium and it's original milk is also enriched with vitamins D2 and B12. It is widely available from supermarkets and is nut free. This is what they told me in confirmation of this: 

Our product it’s self  is completely nut free, coconut is a tree fruit and there are no nut based ingredients added. Also the factory where we produce Koko Dairy Free is a nut free site, no nut products are produced at the site.

The nice thing about Koko, is that their milk now comes in three flavours: original, strawberry and chocolate. They also come in smaller packs which are suitable for lunchboxes.

Oatly

Also widely available from supermarkets, Oatly oat milk is dairy free, soya free as well as nut free. Regarding nuts, they say:

I am pleased to confirm that all the products under the Oatly brand are nut and egg free and the factories where the products are manufactured, do not handle any nuts on site or make any other products where nuts are present.

Apart from the Organic version, it is enriched with calcium.  Although Oatly consider themselves 'low gluten', it will not be suitable for you/your child if you/they are intolerant to gluten or have coeliac disease.See here.

My Dairy Free Dream

Have to admit I steered away from My Dairy Free Dream in the beginning. I thought all they made was rice milk and I had been told to avoid rice milk, as I was breastfeeding. Rice milk is not usually considered suitable as a main milk drink for children under the age of 4.5 years (unless there are multiple allergies involved and there is nothing else to use).

Now, however, they've expanded their range, to include other types of milk. Despite the fact that they are now making Almond and Hazelnut milk, the rest of their range is nut free and all except Hazelnut are gluten free. I love this page that they have on their website, which shows clearly what their products are free from. I sincerely wish all companies would follow this example and be as transparent about their products.

Tesco Organic Sweetened Longlife Soya Milk

This dairy free milk I first heard of through Louise Jones of Nutmums. See here. However, being organic, it will not be enriched with calcium.

Waitrose Soya Milk

Fortified with calcium, I hear from Two Baby Foxes on Twitter that this has been recommended by their allergy nurse - who told them it was almost as good as the Alpro Plus One. It is, however, still lower in energy and therefore not recommended as a main milk drink for children below the age of two. 

Two Baby Foxes was kind enough to inquire about this one for me, and Waitrose confirmed that their milk is indeed nut free and is currently processed in a nut free facility. Let's hope that this is to continue - I'm not keen on the use of the word 'currently,' in case that means that they too, like Alpro, may change! 

Vivesoy

Relatively new to the UK market, Vivesoy sell a range of flavoured soya drinks. They are available in most large supermarkets alongside the other long life dairy free milks. According to their FAQ page on their website, all their drinks are fortified with 120mg of calcium per 100 ml - basically 15% of your RDA. 

Vivesoy have announced (via Twitter) that they are (and intend to remain) nut free. Huzzah!!!

Good Hemp Milk

Hemp milk has many fans, because it has lots of good attributes. This brand is another that we have reviewed in the past. See here, if you're interested in what I thought.

This milk is dairy, soya and nut free. They say:

All of our products are completely nut-free and do not come into contact with nuts at any stage of processing. 

It is fairly widely available in large supermarkets, Holland and Barrett and independent health food shops.

Dairy Free Nut Free Yoghurt

Wot no dairy?

This dessert is made with pea protein and is enriched with calcium. It is dairy free and soya free as well as nut free. They say:

Wot no Dairy? Yoghurts are produced on a nut free site, and that the ingredients have a nut free statement too!

These desserts come in five flavours (cherry, raspberry, strawberry, plain and peach and apricot). They can be obtained most easily from Holland and Barrett, although health food shops tend to stock them too. They are long life and the pot is just the right size for a lunch-box. 

Just right for a lunch box!

They are enriched with calcium (270mg per 100g). Please read our blog post, for more information.

Co-yo

Another product we have previously reviewed. See here. It is a dairy, gluten, soya and nut free product, made from coconut. They say:

Our natural yoghurt is made with just 3 ingredients and none of these come into contact with nuts; our factory is a nut free environment, we do not produce anything with nuts in it... We believe very strongly in preparing our product in an allergen free environment...

The pots are a little large for a lunch box, and can be bought from many health food stores, as well as through Ocado. 

Co-yo

Co-yo is only made from three ingredients and is sugar free. They tell us that it contains 14mcg of calcium per 100g of yoghurt. As such it is not fortified, but they may do so in the future. Because it is made from coconut, I have been advised that Co-yo will contain saturated fats, about which one ought to be careful.

Joya

These yoghurts are made from soya. They are dairy, egg, gluten and nut free. They say:

We can confirm, that the recipes for our sojagurts don`t contain any milk, eggs, nuts or gluten.

Our sojagurts, however, are produced in a factory that also handles milk, cereals containing gluten and nuts. To reduce the risk of cross-contamination to the technological minimum appropriate measures are taken, for example cleaning of equipment. The success of the measures are verified by accurate controls, for example each batch is tested for milk protein.

They are a nice size for a lunch box, come in a couple of flavour and can be bought from the chilled aisle in Sainsbury's. Concerning calcium, they told me:

Our Joya soya base for the soyagurts contains ca. 20mg / 100 ml, which is 2,5% of the daily requirement of calcium.

New kid on the block

Dairy Free Nut Free Cream

Please note: none of these appear to be enriched with calcium.

Oatly

The cream, like the milk is made with oats. It is similar to single cream, can be used in cooking and is widely available from supermarkets but unfortunately it is not enriched with calcium.

Soyatoo

This cream is made from soya or rice or coconut, depending on which product you buy. It comes in several forms, variously suitable for whipping or in a spray can. It is dairy free and does not contain any nut ingredients. Soyatoo tell us:

Our Soyatoo! products are dairy and nut fee, however our focus is on vegan and organic foods, not on foods for allergy-sufferers. Our creams are not made in a protected environment and are processed in a plant that also processes products other than ours. Therefore, although the facility is thoroughly cleaned before batches and our analyses have shown no trace of allergens so far, we cannot guarantee that no unintentional cross-contamination will ever take place. For this this reason we do not make any allergen-related claims and to be on the safe side cannot recommend our products for consumption by people who react to smallest traces.

However, I have heard from another allergy mum, who blogs (@parrlox on Twitter), and is quite particular about such things, that her family have been fine with them.

They can be obtained easily online through good Vegan outlets, such as the Vegan Store, and some heath food stores stock them too.

For our review of some of these products, see here (but ignore the second product - it's not nut free).

The lesser spotted rice version!

Mimilicious

This 'clotted cream' is made from oats. It is dairy and soya free and appears to be nut free, in that no nuts are listed in the ingredients. When I checked with them earlier in the year, they had this to say:

The product itself has no nuts in it, nor any ingredients derived from nuts. The equipment used to make it is solely used for this product. However the building itself is not nut–free and we cannot guarantee the cross contamination issue with regard to the ingredients either as we don’t know what environments they came from.

As this was about six months back, you may wish to check with this company for yourselves, if at all unsure. 

Look! A dairy free 'clotted cream'!

Mimilicious can best be obtained by mail order, as far as I know. Find out more by reading our review, here.

Dairy Free Nut Free Desserts

That'd be none, that I know of - that are like Alpro's dessert pots and custard! I thought I saw some desserts in Holland and Barrett today, but then I realised that they were made by Provamel - Alpro's sister company!

Orgran

However, Orgran make these Chocolate mousse mixes, which are free from most allergens, including nuts and dairy. As well as this custard mix. They are both available online through 'Free From For Kids'.

Swedish Glace Ice Cream

You could try Swedish Glace ice cream though - another recommendation by Two Baby Foxes! It is made from soya and is easily available through most UK supermarkets as well as Holland and Barrett.

Meanwhile if you're thinking of making your own, Dribble Delights recipe book may be worth buying. See here.

AND today a dietitian I follow on Twitter put together this post about making similar desserts for little ones, using other dairy free milks. 

And Finally

I sincerely hope this post helps all those who need it. We ('Baby' and me), although dairy free, are not nut free ourselves. However, we are affected by this issue personally, as she belongs to a group for little ones that has recently become nut free. Also we are soon to choose a school for her and both our current preferred choices for school are nut free too. his means that she will not be able to take her current milk to school, or the dairy free Alpro desserts, that she loves.

This list is by no means exhaustive. There may be additional information to follow, which I shall publish via our Face Book page, before adding to this blog post. 

If you know/think you know of any other products that we have left out, please leave a comment below.

Please note: 

This is not the place for people to comment on how evil soya or rice milk might be. It is not helpful to those struggling with this current situation, so I'm afraid that such comments will not be published. People with multiple allergies do not have multiple choice!

Warning! Alpro soya milk may contain nuts!

This post is a bit rough and ready I might pretty it up a bit later, but we're off for the weekend, and I've had to write this on my mobile. Thing is, I'm driven by a sense of disbelief and urgency. Alpro who are a leading manufacturer of dairy free milks in the UK are making changes that may affect a large number of those of us who completely rely on their products!! 

Basically, up until now, their soya milk and their nut milks have been manufactured in separate facilities. For those who have nut allergies, and are dairy free, this is a Godsend.

As many of us who suffer food allergies/intolerances know, they rarely come on their own - where there's one, others may follow. Which is why, even if nut allergies are not a problem currently for you, I'd ask you to keep reading and show your support for others.

Tweeter 'parrlox' (Lucy's Friendly Foods) recently noted that the allergy warning on Alpro soya cream had changed. As I understand it, further enquiry led to the information that Alpro would be combining their soya and nut production in one facility and that from 2014 all Alpro soya drinks will carry the nut warning.

The new allergy warning is already appearing on Alpro products (Photo by parrlox)

Furthermore, this will affect all Alpro soya products: milk, cream, yoghurt etc. meaning that if you have a nut allergy and are also dairy free you could be playing Russian roulette if you consume any Alpro soya product. This is critical as, to the best of my knowledge, Alpro are currently the only manufacturer of reasonably priced and easy to obtain dairy free soya yoghurts (an important source of calcium for many) that are nut free.* 

Note the current allergy labelling on an Alpro soya product

It leaves me questioning whether the nut milks that Alpro produce will also carry a soya warning, as they will now be produced in a factory that processes soya. This could potentially cause me a problem. 

So what can we do? Well I don't believe apathy gets us anywhere. There is already a bit of a stir on Twitter. My plan is to email Alpro and find out whether they are prepared to listen and change their plans. I know that others who have concerns will be blogging on this too, so watch this space, I'll link them in. And please, if you use Alpro let them know your feelings too!

Here's where to send your thoughts/feelings: 



info@alprohelpline.co.uk

*Co-yo are also dairy, gluten and nut free, but are expensive and hard to come by, for some - hence schools and nurseries would not contemplate buying them.

Other blogs, you might like to read:

yesnobananas: Alpro - get yer nuts off our soya

Nutmums: Alpro soya products no longer dairy free?


Important Update 18th August 2014:

Result!!

Today, I was so pleased to read the  following on the Alpro SOS Face Book page:

Dear AlproSOS

As you know, a year ago we decided to label all our plant based products with a 'may contain traces of almonds and hazelnuts' claim. This was to give consumers advance warning of the integration of products containing almonds or hazelnuts into its production facilities.

After thorough investigation and without compromising Alpro's ethical aims of bringing delicious and safe products to the market, we are PLEASED TO CONFIRM THAT WE WILL BE GRADUALLY REMOVING THE 'MAY CONTAIN TRACES OF ALMONDS AND HAZELNUTS' CLAIM FROM OUR SOYA, RICE AND OAT DRINKS AS WELL AS OUR PLANT-BASED ALTERNATIVES TO CREAM AND DESSERTS.

As part of a major investment in our facilities, we will ARRANGE OUR CURRENT PRODUCTION LINES TO BE DEDICATED TO PRODUCING SOYA, RICE AND OAT DRINKS OR ALMOND, HAZELNUT AND COCONUT DRINKS. ANY AVOIDABLE RISK OF CROSS CONTAMINATION IS THUS EXCLUDED, WHICH MEANS THE WARNING CAN BE REMOVED from our soya, rice and oat drink products and our plant-based alternatives to cream and desserts.

We apologise for any confusion relating to the nut claim, but our intention regarding labelling has always to keep consumers fully informed of the changes as early as possible. Now that production plans have changed, the claim is no longer necessary on soya, rice and oat drinks and our plant-based alternatives to cream and desserts.

These recent decisions and measures will allow all consumers to continue to enjoy Alpro soya, rice and oat drinks and our Alpro plant-based alternatives to cream and desserts in the future.

Ann De Jaeger
Vice President, Division General Counsel & Corporate Communications


Well done to all involved in the Alpro SOS campaign!!

Alpro SOS added the following comment: 

We need to clarify the situation re Provamel, which is an Alpro brand, but the rest seems pretty self-explanatory…



So keep watching this space!

Which milk, when, where?

Once upon a time, there was only soya milk - which is no good for me - I'm intolerant to soya milk. It causes me considerable stomach pain. Then there was rice milk I don't drink rice milk, because I'm still breastfeeding and so was advised not to, by the dietitian*.  

Fortunately for me, there are now so many dairy free milk substitutes out there, that I'm not constricted to just soya or rice milk. In fact there's so many out there now, that (if you're not allergic to nuts) it's difficult to know how/where to start. This post is about the ones we prefer and why.

I say 'ones,' as I don't have just one milk substitute. I used to think that was the way to go - I would find my replacement for milk and just stick with it. At that stage I was using Oatly - which is what we were recommended, by the paediatrician. I liked it (although you had to give it a really good shake before using it) but, made of oats, it wasn't low enough in gluten, when I developed my more recent problems, so I had to drop it and look for something else. But, eventually I came to the conclusion that the differing qualities, of each kind of milk, lent themselves to different things. So here (taking you through my daily routine) is how I prefer to go about it, now:

Coffee

Coffee is my way to start the day. No one should get between me and my morning cup of coffee - it's probably the only one I'll have all day (after all, I don't want Baby to stay awake all night) and for that reason it's precious to me. I'm so used to having my coffee black now (an Americano starts my day) that no milk is required. However, if I'm so inclined, it has to be hazelnut!

Breakfast - Porridge

Most days, I start the day with gluten free porridge, in which I quite like coconut milk. I like almond milk even more, but really, I prefer hazelnut milk, in my porridge, the most. It's creamier and as it is sweet enough (for me) as it is, I don't feel the need to add sugar. Bonus!!

Brunch - Pancakes

Well, I don't have pancakes everyday, in fact, hardly ever, but sometimes the need arises. Coconut and almond both work for me in pancakes. I can't decide which I prefer.

Time for a Cuppa 

These days, no milk is required in my tea - I actually prefer it black. In my opinion, flavoured milks do nothing for tea and there's no getting away from the nutty tastes in my favourite milks, which tend to go better with coffee.

Baking - Bread

I used to use Almond milk, but I've now discovered the unsweetened version and decided that in bread, it's the best. Sweetened milks make the bread sweet, which I hate. If I couldn't have the unsweetened almond, I'd use coconut milk, instead.

Lunch - Scrambled Egg

No milk is required whatsoever - I normally just make it with sunflower dairy free spread! However, I have also used a splash of almond milk and that works too.

A Dessert - Custard

Coconut milk carries the blandest flavour, so works best for me in custard. I quite liked the sweetened almond version, but my sister (who didn't even like the coconut much - she has the luxury of being able to have dairy) really drew the line at that one. I only make custard when we have people round - we don't usually do pudding - so I haven't yet tried hazelnut, although I'm tempted!

A Night Time Drink - Hot Chocolate

Baby's choice

I've tried a few of the ready mixed hot chocolates - Kara's coconut and Blue Diamond's almond, but I find them too syrupy sweet for my tooth. 

Baby likes a little of the Blue Diamond version but I prefer making my own - preferably with Hazelnut milk, Green and Black's Cocoa powder and half a teaspoon of sugar. Topped with a splurt of Soyatoo spray 'cream,' and/or a couple of marshmallows, it's... Delish!!

Baby's Milk

I've been trying to get Baby in to hot chocolate, (despite the horrendous sugar content) as she seems to have fallen out of love with her usual soya milk and I'm trying to get some more calcium in. 

Up to now, she has been happy with Alpro Plus 1 soya milk - it's specially formulated to meet the requirements of a young child, from the age of one (with the correct amount of calories and the same added vitamins that you'd find in a toddler's follow-on milk).

Baby's 'Giraffe' milk

The problem is that, to be quite honest, I can be a bit of a worrier and, left to myself, I wouldn't have given her any soya at all, once I became aware of the potential concerns associated with this legume. 

The concerns arise from the worry that the phyto-oestrogens in soya might not be suitable to young children - boys in particular. This is because oestrogen, is of course related to female sexuality, and the worry is that it might affect boys' future fertility.

Such concerns have led the BDA** (British Dietetic Association) to recommend that soya milk should not be used for children under the age of six months. Above that age, they say that soya can be included  as part of a balanced diet, but should not be over relied on.

Of course many Vegans have been using soya milk for years and do not seem too worried by this, but the seed of doubt planted in my mind, by this advice, caused me some worry. It's why I let  Baby continue to breastfeed - so she didn't rely too much on soya milk. 

However, I have come to the decision that as Baby can't have cow's milk and this milk is the one our dietitian recommended - due to the correct calorie content and added vitamins, and as I'm expecting this stage of Baby's life to be temporary, then we just have to go along with it. Now that she is older though, and is not lacking in calories and is seemingly okay with almond milk, I'm happy to let her have some of that on occasion, instead. Hence in her hot chocolate!

And Finally - Out and about

Small is beautiful too!

When out and about, or away for the weekend, you don't want to be carting around a whole litre of dairy free milk, which is why I love these smaller cartons by Kara (more recently re-branded as 'Koko'). They are the perfect size for making a portion of porridge and also come with a straw. You can buy them singly, or in packs of three.

I've heard of people sending their primary age kids into school, with these to drink - instead of the usual cow's milk (which the schools supply). I can see us letting Baby have these, in years to come, when she goes to school (should they be required) as long as she likes them , of course!

In Conclusion
Funny how what seemed like a negative (not being able to have cow's milk) has turned into something quite positive. I don't think that I would ever have experimented with all these different milks, if Baby had been fine with cow's milk. Now, I wonder if, when I am free to go back to dairy, I might actually be happier with my dairy free milks, after all, or whether I'll find myself continuing to experiment with dairy free milks. After all, porridge with hazelnut milk is sooo delicious!

How about you? What milks do you prefer, and when?

Update: Kara (or 'Koko,' as they're now called) have recently brought out their mini cartons in strawberry and chocolate flavour. These are now available through Holland and Barrett, Ocado and some health food shops.

*In recent years, there has been concern over the levels of arsenic in rice. Babies being less able to cope with toxins in their body are therefore supposed to be steered clear of rice milk. If you're breastfeeding, the worry is that the arsenic could pass through one's system and into the baby. Personally, I don't like rice milk anyway. The little I have tasted didn't appeal to me, although I know it does to others.

However, if rice milk is all you can have, due to other allergies/intolerances, then that it what you have to use. I was interested to read an article about the concerns over arsenic in rice, the other day, which I think could prove helpful for anyone battling with these concerns.

*Arsenic in your Rice? A clinical Nutrition Report (US)
*Arsenic in Rice Drinks (FSA - UK)

**Food Fact Sheet - Suitable Milks for Children with Cow's Milk Allergy by the BDA.

Update 2: I'm very sorry, but the above link does not appear to be working. Meanwhile, this one (also by the BDA) does seem to work: Soya and Health


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