The world of Tzu Chi May-June 2022 (Vol.141)

2022 • 06 50 ellness Translated by Lee You Zhuan e Rise of Plant-based Milk Some parents do not realize that their task is to choose the right plant-based milk for their children, and not whether to give their children cow’s milk or plant-based milk. M y sister bought some plant-based milk through a friend’s recommendation and texted to discuss whether it was suitable for children. I requested her to take a photo of the nutrition label on the packaging and shared with her briefly the important nutrients. Over a decade ago, there were very few choices of plant-based milk in the supermarkets. I remember that there were only one or two selections of original rice milk and almond milk on the shelves. Above the shelves where the plant-based milk were placed were an endless selection of original and flavoured cow’s milk for as far as our eyes could see, giving a sense of superiority: “I am milk and I am proud.” When I brought patients to the supermarket to practise reading food labels, I was occasionally asked, “Who would buy rice milk?” This simple question reminded me of my mother, so I smiled and replied softly, “Those who don’t fancy the taste of milk, or are lactose intolerant, et cetera. These products are for them!” Nowadays, there are a wide variety of plant-based milk on the shelves, ranging from pure nut milk, such as cashew milk, almond milk and walnut milk, to grain milk, like pure oat milk, coconut milk and many more. Some plant-based milk are not only made up of two ingredients (say, water and oat), but a variety of different ingredients to make the products taste and feel more like cow’s milk. It is interesting that many vegetarians I have spoken to believed that plant-based milk was more nutritious than cow’s milk, and they were willing to pay more for it. This was intriguing and I asked, “Since you think plant-based milk is better than cow’s milk, could you state which of its nutritional content is higher than that of cow’s milk?” Some scratch their heads in confusion; others responded with an awkward smile, “I think plant-based milk is more nutritious and healthier as they come from plants!” On the contrary, some non-vegetarians question the nutritional value of plant-based milk. A wide selection tailoring to consumers’ needs Every 100 ml of milk contains about 3 grammes of protein, while every 100 ml of pure oat milk or pure cashew milk has about 1 gramme of protein. The protein content of oat itself is low, thus the protein content of pure oat milk is lower than that of cow’s milk. However, some oat milk are added with other protein-rich ingredients (such as soybeans), and have a richer protein content—a point vegans should not ignore. In addition to protein, we know that cow’s milk also provides calcium; but unlike cow’s milk, plant-based milk is cholesterol- free. I would occasionally replace cow’s milk