Tuesday, February 26, 2013

Let's Be Brutally Honest: It's Difficult To Like Milk

A few years back or so, I watched one of Andy Rooney's segments about milk and agreed with him 110%. He mentioned that, "the reason why people aren't drinking their milk is because it really isn't the milk you should be drinking..." or something of that notion. I will not only provide my background on such a statement, but add the increasing interest of other non-dairy milks that are becoming popular. Perhaps a message that converting from milk to orange juice isn't so bad after all.

Milk is supposed to be the beverage you drink with your meals, because it has calcium and gives you strong bones like your a bodybuilder. Well first off, I do not drink milk. I have not had milk the beverage for twelve years and I have no intention of doing so. I eat cheese and ice cream and enjoy both thoroughly. I'll even have frozen yogurt when I feel like it. Milk, on the other hand, I will decide against each time. Why? The answer is this: milk is not necessarily creamy like it was when the milkman would come to your house and deliver it for you. Speaking of which, when the milkman went away, milk became a simple staple, because it was an additive to making something that tastes dark, like coffee, a bit lighter and creamier.

What I found funny was how Andy Rooney went after Half and Half. While it should be fifty percent milk and fifty percent cream, simple as that, he evaluated how Half and Half is additive after additive. Isn't that what most drinks are? I like to buy my things natural and I will stick with products that have the key ingredient before anything else. Whether it be orange juice or iced tea. I am turned off by anything that starts with concentrated product, filtered water, or a specific additive. For instance, the first ingredient in milk should be milk. Not water, but milk. The first ingredient in orange juice should be orange juice (or liquid orange). Not concentrate, but orange juice.

Speaking of this notion, organic, non-dairy milk is beginning to seek popularity as an alternate option. There are people that are lactose intolerant and there are others that just want to live a healthier lifestyle. I have seen products such as soy milk, rice milk, almond milk, and even coconut drink (which for some reason does not meet the qualifications to be called "coconut milk" by the *insert name* Dream company) coming about into people's diets. In each of these products, the first ingredient is... filtered water. The "soy," "rice," almond," or "coconut" only make up the second largest portion of the milk, which is incredible given the definition of milk. I have also smelled rice milk when attempting to try it. Whew... it smells so bad, like old salami, that I could not get myself to drink it. If for some reason you are unable to drink milk because of lactose intolerance, don't drink milk at all.

In fact, there really isn't much need to drink milk. It tastes like cream flavored water, only the cream taste is just about gone. Unless milk is an ingredient, it really isn't a star like it was when the milkman was a star. Orange juice (without pulp, of course) is a far better choice. Orange juice has calcium in it (primarily the one that says it has calcium on the box or bottle) PLUS your daily source of Vitamin C. If you want the nutrients found in milk, have a piece of cheese. Each cheese has a different nutrient to offer and its quite tasty, too. Yogurt is even a decent and more reasonable option (and yogurt is NOT a favorite food of mine). So when it's time to wake up in the morning and have yourself something nice to drink, have a glass of orange juice to lighten your day. Save milk for its friends, like coffee and cookies.

By the way, if anyone asks where rice milk comes from, tell them that it comes from a Minute Cow.

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