If you have read anything about us “Whole Food Mommies” you know that COW’s MILK is considered a “bad word” in our homes. We have many blogs about why we harbor these feelings towards dairy- and before you think we are being rude- you can read more about our thoughts here and here.
So what milk do we use in our homes? On a daily basis- we all use RICE milk and SOY milk. I prefer RICE milk- it seems a little more mild, which our kids like and just works well in our home. I have read the RICE milk contains a lot of CARBS/SUGAR. But I personally don’t worry too much about this- because we use it so little. I’ve also heard good and bad things about SOY milk. So just find what works well with you and your family and go for it.
IMPORTANT TIP: It’s beneficial for your families to NOT consume their calories from any type of liquid. Opt for WATER when you can. Many experts teach that ALL calories from liquid (except breastmilk for infants) is an empty calorie and should be avoided. I remember Jeff Novick teaching this many times in his health seminars.
So here is a question…WHAT ABOUT COCONUT MILK?
There are 3 types of coconut milk that I know of. I have included calories per serving as well as calories from fat- which tells us the exact percent of fat:
1. COCONUT MILK in a can / 1 cup / 552 calories / 479 from fat / 87% fat
2. COCONUT MILK LITE in a can / 1 cup / 150 calories / 120 from fat / 80% fat
3. COCONUT MILK in a quart container / 1 cup / 80 calories / 45 from fat / 56% fat
My “percent of fat” rule for my home (when pertaining to packaged foods) is = FOODS THAT ARE 20% FAT OR BELOW ARE OK…ANYTHING ABOVE I WANT TO CONSUME SPARINGLY OR NOT AT ALL.
Unfortunately- all 3 types of coconut milk are way above the 20%.
AND…COCONUT milk has a high percentage of DIETARY SATURATED FAT– which is directly linked HEART DISEASE. I know there is research out there that promotes the fat from coconut milk. But we “whole food mommies” follow the advice from Dr. Joel Fuhrman, Caldwell Esselstyn Jr. & T. Colin Campbell- and ALL of their research shows that ANY TYPE OF Saturated Fat is not good for the body.
Another way I like to say that is- Our bodies do NOT benefit from any type of dietary Saturated Fat. I know coconuts and other PALM foods have some essential nutrients and EFA’s, but there are other PLANTS that we can gain these from that do not contain the saturated fat.
On the FLIP side of things…I do have CANS of Coconut Milk LITE in my home. It is a YUMMY ingredient for some desserts that we do eat it sometimes. We just eat them sparingly. Here is one delicious recipe you should try!
If you are worried about making sure your kids consume the FAT they need- we recommend always opting for a WHOLE FOOD option. The perfect option that is a daily part of our families diet is FLAX SEED. Check out our blog about this nutrient dense food and other healthy fats here.
I hope you had a FABULOUS Monday! I love the first day of the week~ it’s like I get to start FRESH…sort of start over. Anything that might have gone wrong the prior week I put in the PAST and Monday is always the day for me to MOVE FORWARD. So- here is to moving forward to better health for ourselves and our families. Happy Monday to you all!
Much LOVE!
Veteran Mommy
LIFE IS GOOD!
Source: WFM 1-10