To think that cows milk is so bad… yet tastes so good

[Escapefromhell]

I need to give up dairy for my health (and the dairy industry is pretty vile when you look at it). All fine, except I have milk on coffee. Good coffee is one of the crucial things in life. AIBU to think with all the technological advances humanity has made, someone would have come up with a milk replacement that tastes good in coffee without adding a load of sugar. I know there are worse problems in the world.

AIBU to think that all cow milk replacements can only be described as ‘sadness water’?

If I drink milk in coffee/tea etc I either vomit or have diarrhoea quite rapidly afterwards. I have tried all the substitutes known to wo/man and none quite tick the box. I wish they. I do sometimes desperately crave one and have to endure the suffering.

Quite honestly some people are just evil, and care more about taste and tradition that living beings! That's why we are where we are with the state of animal suffering and our climate. Humans are inherently selfish!

As an adult grown up, I do not find attempts to emote using infantile language structures make particularly persuasive writing.

This is a common misconception, while it is more widely used in the us, vets in the uk are encouraged to administer sex hormones to bovines in order to keep them lactating longer than they naturally would.

The early puberty I am sure is a result of many factors but there is no denying that our diets have changed vastly in the most recent years, the correlation with early puberty and our dairy and meat consumption is evident. We eat meat on a much larger scale now, and livestock is given hormones in order to grow quicker so it is cheaper for the industry.

@NeverDropYourMooncup

(Great username by the way 😂)

I think it's just a way to make it more relatable to people. I think a lot of people are ignorant to what actually happens in the dairy industry. And people tend to relate to mothers and babies on MN.

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/mar/30/dairy-scary-public-farming-calves-pens-alternatives

This is an article from a few years ago now but the state of our industries haven't changed since this, and I think anyone with an ounce of compassion can agree that we have very little right to inflict this on any living being. And this isn't even the worst of it.

For those concerned about this, here's a directory of cow-with-calf dairies in the UK: https://www.cowcalfdairies.co.uk/

Yes, it's where the cream isn't mixed in with the rest of the milk, I like to have the top creamy milk on my cereal if possible. When I was young in the 60s I think most milk was like this, mainly in bottles from the milkman.

Still more appealing than a cows tit milk

What happens to the calf when it has grown? Genuine question, as there never seems to be any information about this on the websites. I assume they're sent for slaughter and the cow impregnated again on repeat in order to keep her lactating, which doesn't seem that great either, so would appreciate hearing if anyone knows differently?

I like cheese and yoghurt, but can't stand taste of milk in coffee. It tastes like petrol for me. I might as well go to Shell and have a sip 😂Oatly Barista does for me.

The thought of recycled water seems grimmer to me considering what people wash down their plugholes. Recycled up to 7x in London apparently.

This made me laugh so much. There has been no 'non-recycled' water on the planet since the dawn of life on earth.

Personally I like Barista oat milk in coffee. Oatly and Alpro are both nice. I only have Alpro currently but checked it against the semi skim I have for the dc and sugar content is 3.something as opposed to 4.8 for the dairy.

I'm not actually vegan, I don't have dairy because of recurrent throat issues that it seems to exacerbate, but I find it odd that the fact that wild animals are harmed by crop farming is used to somehow prove that Veganism is rubbish. But non vegans still eat crops so the choice is dead wildlife from crops AND dead farm animals from eating them/their milk, or just the dead wildlife - surely it's clear that someone who cares about animals might feel justified in choosing just one cause of harm instead of two?

As for suggesting there is no point anyone doing anything unless dairy farming in India is reformed - I mean that sort of whataboutery is used re. Climate change to justify doing nothing at all. It's ludicrous. I cannot influence dairy farming in India in any way, but I can contribute to reducing my own personal carbon footprint.

Is it better if it's all organic? I have been vegetarian for 11 years but I love cheese! The dairy I consume is organic though.

This made me laugh so much. There has been no 'non-recycled' water on the planet since the dawn of life on earth.

What made me laugh is your apparent understanding of the difference between the natural hydrologic cycle and humans recycling sewer water.

Meh - I lived in London for 11 years and drank pretty much exclusively tap water. Didn't do me any harm.

Yeah, I've always drunk tap water. Including the few years I lived in London. My point is that 'recycled sewage' doesn't sound very appetising to drink but in reality both it and milk are fine.

You mean the but with some oil, sweetener and a tiny bit of almonds?

I'm not dairy free but I like barista style oat milk in my coffee. It's nicer than cow's milk.

Yeah, I've always drunk tap water. Including the few years I lived in London. My point is that 'recycled sewage' doesn't sound very appetising to drink but in reality both it and milk are fine.

Fair enough - I concede both your points. It's also ok to choose not to drink milk.

Most of the "milk" substitutes are processed and full of seed oils. I did try a natural almond one (think it was Rude Health organic) and that tasted like... water. No flavour at all.

As I don't wish to consume ultra-processed foods or seed oils, I'll stick to organic dairy. I don't mind eating the calves too.

Having lived and had family in the countryside for most of my life I can report that cows in my experience are happy and content in their fields + they occasionally have this fun game of charging at unsuspecting walkers (and getting their own back). Of course Brexit has meant poorer conditions on mega farms in future and lower welfare standards.

Yes, probably. I hate the taste of cow's milk though 🤷‍♀️

Definitely no sweeteners in the unsweetened almond milk that I have (clue is in the name)

Reminded of Red Dwarf:
Lasts longer than any other type of milk, Dog's milk.
Why?
No bugger'll drink it.

Oat milk tastes even better.

As a few other people have said, you just need to test out different brands. We drink oatly barista in coffee. I can't drink cows milk now as it's tastes like it's gone off to me now whereas I used to like it! Persevere!