If you’re looking to reduce your consumption of animal protein, there are good alternatives to ordinary milk. Here’s what to look for, from Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating with More Than 75 Recipes by Mark Bittman.

Reducing consumption of animal protein sometimes means looking beyond ordinary milk, and there are good alternatives, made from nuts, grains, and legumes. Just be sure to read the labels. Most are sweetened; look for packages that specifically say “unsweetened.” Many are flavored with vanilla or even chocolate (which you might like as long as you’re not expecting plain). And some, especially nut milks, include gums or other ingredients.

Soy milk: Almost as high in protein as cow’s milk, soy milk makes a fine daily alternative for coffee, tea, and cereal. It’s also handy because it separates less during heating than other milk alternatives; this sometimes makes it a good substitute for baking and cooking.

Nut milk: A great choice for desserts, grain dishes, and thick soups, since it actually adds a welcome flavor to any dish that takes to the taste of nuts. Also, really nice as a replacement for cream or half-and-half in coffee.

Oat milk: With a consistency similar to low-fat or skim milk, oat milk is good for drinking but a little thin for cooking. It has a neutral taste and a pretty golden color.

Rice milk: Slightly sweeter than oat milk or soy milk, this has a neutral flavor and a thin, almost watery consistency.

Coconut milk: With a lovely flavor and a thick consistency, coconut milk is ideal for desserts and Asian soups, stews, and sauces; it heats up beautifully. Though it’s quite high in fat, light or reduced-fat coconut milk is usually a fine substitute.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mark Bittman is the author of Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating with More Than 75 Recipes (Copyright © 2009 by Mark Bittman), How to Cook Everything and other cookbooks, as well as the weekly New York Times column, The Minimalist. His work has appeared in countless newspapers and magazines, and he is a regular on the Today show. Mr. Bittman has hosted two public television series and is currently appearing in a third.

LEARN MORE

• Watch a video about how to make quick, easy, and fresh meals a realistic option for your family
• Read the Introduction to Food Matters: A Guide to Conscious Eating with More Than 75 Recipes
• Browse more books by Mark Bittman