Page 61 - How to Be a Conscious Eater - Making Food Choices That Are Good for You

milk is another good option. Flax milk is my personal favorite.
Soy has stirred much controversy, particularly around breast
cancer risk, though the research is inconclusive so far. Soy foods
appear to be healthy for most people, but until more research
is conducted, it’s best to consume them in moderation versus
multiple times a day. And for all milks, plant or otherwise, be
sure to opt for unsweetened versions. As with chocolate milk,
sometimes the flavored ones pack sugars well beyond what’s
found naturally in the core ingredient. Skipping milk altogether
can be a simple way to trim a few calories if you’re watching
those. Many Americans are low on potassium and vitamin D,
two nutrients that cow’s milk offers (through fortification for
the latter), so if this is a concern and you switch to a plant milk,
check the labels for comparable levels, or rely on other, higher
sources of these nutrients—such as sweet potatoes, spinach,
and bananas for potassium, and mushrooms or fatty fish like
herring and sardines for vitamin D.

LACTOSE INTOLERANCE
Twenty-five to 40 percent of adults globally cannot digest the
sugar in cow’s milk. Among the tens of millions of Americans
estimated to be lactose intolerant are up to 80 percent of
African Americans, Ashkenazi Jews, and Latinx, 95 percent of
Asian Americans, and 80 to 100 percent of Native Americans.
That’s according to a report from the National Institutes of
Health. It’s really just those of northern European descent who
have an easy time with milk. This means that when you get
right down to it, the existing government recommendation on
milk is awfully inconsiderate. And in fact, people of color are
far more likely than white people to buy nondairy milk.

50 how to be a Conscious Eater