If you are avoiding dairy products because of dietary requirements or by choice, be aware that other less obvious milk-derived ingredients are concealed in pre-prepared foods with names such as:
Acidophilus milk
Ammonium caseinate
Buttermilk powder
Calcium caseinate
Casein
De-lactosed whey
Demineralised whey
Hydrolysed casein
Iron caseinate
Lactalbumin
Lactoferrin
Lactoglobulin
Lactose
Lactulose
Magnesium caseinate
Potassium caseinate
Recaldent
Rennet casein
Sodium caseinate
Sweet Whey
Whey powder
Whey protein concentrate
Whey protein hydrolysate
Zinc caseinate
You’ll need to steadfastly read labels on prepackaged foods and drinks or, better still, avoid them altogether.
If you are avoiding cow’s milk, you can buy other milks made from various nuts. Choose the ones with the least sugar, which will be shown on the label by the amount of carbohydrates contained in 100 ml. The most commonly available nut milks are almond, cashew, and hazelnut milk. Almond milk is particularly high in protein, vitamin E and magnesium, which is a boon for bone strength.
If you are happy to consume dairy products and can do so without digestive problems or allergic responses, then yoghurt can be a good source of nutrition, but there are so many brands of yoghurt available these days it is difficult to know what is beneficial. Although most are flavoured, low-fat or fat-free. Your goal is to find unflavoured, full-fat (at least 10%), preferably live or probiotic varieties, as these will provide far more nutrients and be much better for you and your digestive system. You are looking for brands with the fewest ingredients, no sweeteners, sugars (including ‘skimmed-milk powder’) or thickening agents. Avoid buying low-fat yoghurts as they will most likely have all of those ingredients included in an attempt to make them more palatable.
Calcium is essential for healthy bones and teeth. It is only full-fat raw organic milk and yoghurt that are a useful source of calcium. If milk has been pasteurised, the calcium is no longer ‘bioavailable’ to our digestive system. Greater levels of bioavailable calcium can be found in green vegetables, the darker the better.
This is an extract from ‘How to Feel Differently About Food’ written by Sally Baker & Liz Hogon (Hammersmith Books). Click here to buy from Amazon UK
