Plant-based milks on the rise:

Whoa182

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Plant-based milks on the rise: A quarter of Britons are drinking them

Good news!

It's great to see real progress being made like this. Even just 5 years ago things seemed very different... And I guess it's not surprising either that younger people are able to change more easily than older people. I suppose growing up and having all the information presented to you from a younger age on FB, YouTube and whatever else is making a difference over time.

Whether it's almond, soy or coconut it seems more people are ditching cow's milk for the plant-based stuff.

A quarter of British people are now drinking non-dairy milks, according to market research firm Mintel, who spoke to 2,000 people.

The biggest users of non-dairy milk are 16-24 year olds - 33% are drinking them.

But plant-based milks make up just 4% of the milk market, with 96% of milk sales in 2018 being for cow's milk.

"Concerns around health, ethics and the environment" are driving sales of plant-based milks, says Emma Clifford, who looks after food and drink research at Mintel.

Health was the reason why 37% of 16-24 year olds said they'd reduced how much cow's milk they've been drinking in the last 12 months.

The impact on the environment was also a concern among that group - with 36% saying dairy farming isn't good for the environment.

Plant-based milks on the rise: A quarter of Britons are drinking them
 
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I'm an older person, I made the change from drinking (skimmed) cow's milk to soya milk nearly thirty years ago, back when it was sold only in half-litre containers and then only available in health food stores or wholefood shops; Plamil (Plant Milk) Ltd of Folkestone being the original brand, though I think that I used to buy Granose or White Wave.
 
I made the switch 20 years ago. And I think all we had was soy milk and maybe one brand and one flavor. but it was in half-gallon containers at the supermarket. I think the brand was WildWood.

Over the years I have watched plant milks become popular. First with menopausal women. Now it's all these new-fangled plant- milks. The millennials act like they invented the stuff. You know in my day we had to walk to school. Barefoot. Ten miles! Uphill in both directions. And when it snowed we wrapped barb wire around our feet so we wouldn't slide down hill......
 
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Soy milk was definitely an acquired taste for me... I don't drink it by itself but always use it with something else like hot chocolate. My favorite is Almond milk because it tends to go well with many things.

It's a shame that there is so much misinformation about soy milk though... especially at normal intakes.

wow 10 miles?! I used to run home from high school during the spring and summer around 2000-2001 :D But it was only around 4 miles or something. Everyone took the bus :p My friends thought I was crazy, but I liked to keep fit haha.

Wouldn't wanna run barefoot though D:
 
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So many people are lactose intolerant (65% of the human population), I think most people who drink plant milks are not vegan. I can not believe how many people I've known with bad digestive issues who did not realize they were lactose intolerant. I've educated a lot of people about that at work.

I wonder how many people are also "meat intolerant" and don't realize it.
 
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How did PETA genetically engineer that tick, I wonder? :)

I have heard rumours that the whole tick / lyme disease thing is a government operation gone awry. Not sure if true or a conspiracy. Attributing the Lone Star to PETA is brilliant!!

Emma JC
 
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I'm a dedicated oat milk type myself, but I like chocolate soya milk.

I wouldn't be surprised if some bot doesn't pick up this thread and soon we'll hear the news spreading that PETA engineered a bug so that everyone has to go vegan ........
 
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It seems like every time I buy milk there’s a new option on the shelves. I’ve found oat milk to be my favorite. I’d like to start making my own, but I feel torn about it, because then I would not be buying a product that I would like to see more of in stores.
 
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We had to get dairy products out of our diet because my daughter was not just lactose intolerant; she was allergic. Her eyes would swell shut, and her face would swell and turn red.

It was pretty rough being vegan in the 1970's in an area of meat eaters. Central Wisconsin was predominantly German/Polish, and every meal was meat, milk, butter, and cheese. Tiny little produce departments, and meat everywhere. We would see carts at the checkout with 20-30 pounds of meat.

I had to do everything myself. Seitan, soymilk, nut milks; I made them all myself. Once a month, I had to drive 200 miles roundtrip to buy tofu, tempeh, whole grain breads, sugar free jam and peanut butter.

The school my children attended threatened to report me for child neglect because we didn't eat meat or dairy products.

My girls are in their 40's now. All of them are cavity free, and no health problems.
 
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