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Moove over, Bessie. Alternatives to traditional milk are more popular than ever.  From almond to soy to goat's milk, there's something to please any kid's sensitive tummy and mom's health concerns. Read this fantastic article from Sari Botton for Cookie Magazine to learn about all the options for your family. 

News flash: Bovines have lost their monopoly on the milk market. From almond to soy, with plenty of exotic options in between, parents and kids are enjoying a wider range of choice in milk substitutes than ever before. That makes life simpler for an increasing number of Americans who have been forced to seek alternatives to nutrient-rich cows' milk because they or their children have problems digesting or tolerating it.

An estimated 30 million of us have some form of lactose intolerance, and more than 100,000 babies a year are thought to suffer from milk allergy or related gastrointestinal complications. Why the flurry of lacto woes? There's no medical consensus, and it could just be a matter of better diagnosis. "There isn't a clear-cut reason why dairy allergies are on the rise," says New York City nutritionist Robert Pastore, Ph.D. "In my opinion, they were always prevalent, but now we have better testing methods. Plus, doctors are more aware of the role food allergies play in certain health conditions, such as asthma and eczema, so they're more prone to look for the offending cause."

There's a difference between lactose intolerance and milk allergies (lest one be tempted to lump them into one pesky category): Children with the former problem are deficient in lactase, an enzyme produced by the small intestine that breaks down lactose, the milk sugar in all dairy products. This can result in a host of stomach upsets, from gas to diarrhea. Kids who are allergic to milk react badly to some or all of its proteins—casein, whey, and lactalbumin. This adverse reaction can trigger not only gastric distress but skin problems like rashes and eczema, as well as respiratory discomforts, such as a runny nose or nasal congestion.

And milk "issues" often surface long before a kid can clutch a little cardboard carton at lunchtime. "Even breast-fed infants can show signs of milk allergy if the mother is consuming dairy products," says Pastore. "Once it's determined that a child is allergic to dairy, the breast-feeding mother must stop consuming all cow's-milk products."

The good news: "Most of those kids will outgrow that allergy by the time they're about 4," says Paul Ehrlich, M.D., a pediatrician, allergist, and clinical assistant professor of pediatrics at the New York University School of Medicine. "And the more attentive you are to keeping milk out of your child's diet, the sooner the allergy will go away."

Plenty of kids can and do drink "real" milk. For some parents, the challenge is getting them to drink more—especially if they don't like the taste. Adding flavorings and kid-friendly packaging might help. According to a study sponsored by St. Louis–area dairy groups and conducted in 300 local schools, kids were more likely to choose milk when it was offered in chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla flavors and in colored containers, as the new Quaker Milk Chillers are.

Another trend: Both organic and raw cows' milk are increasing in popularity. Many parents whose kids can digest dairy are turning to organic brands, like Horizon Organic and Deja Moo, in an effort to block their kids' exposure to the hormone bovine somatotropin (bST), also known as recombinant bovine growth hormone (rbGH), suspected as an agent of premature development. While some studies indicate that these hormones have no effect on children, Pastore doesn't see it that way. "I've had mothers bring in 6-year-old girls who are already growing pubic hair," he says. Raw cows' milk, because it isn't pasteurized, is also fairly controversial. "I wouldn't want to take the chance of bacterial contamination," says Susan Kraus, a registered dietitian at Hackensack University Medical Center. New Paltz, New York–based naturopath Sam Schikowitz feels otherwise: "The pasteurization process denatures the proteins in milk and eliminates a lot of the friendly bacteria."

But clearly, if any little ones under your care suffer from either lactose intolerance or milk allergy, you'll need know-how to navigate the world of still-exotic (at least in the U.S.) options like goat's milk—thus our road map to alterna-milks. As long as you pick a brand that is fortified with the calcium, magnesium, and vitamin B12 that have long made traditional cows' milk such a nutritional superstar, feel free to pour it on.

Alterna-Milks

Each of these dairy-case darlings—a boon to most lactose-intolerant and allergic kids—has its benefits and drawbacks.

Almond milk

Although it's not particularly stellar on the protein front (two grams per eight ounces, as compared with eight grams in cows' milk), this naturally sweet beverage does contain some beneficial fats and plenty of calcium. Its smooth, creamy consistency also lends itself to cooking. "Almond milk is a great nondairy source of calcium for kids," says Kraus, "as long as they're not allergic to nuts."

Soy milk

While it's high in protein and ultrapopular, soy milk doesn't get a universal thumbs-up. For one thing, despite the number of brands offered, not everyone is a fan of the thin consistency and bland taste. In addition, a dietary excess of soy has been linked to an increased risk of thyroid disease, and some feel that soy's phytoestrogens may attenuate testosterone levels in boys. "Until there's more evidence [to the contrary]," says Pastore, "I'm telling parents to give kids no more than two servings a day."

Oat milk

Like almond milk, this isn't going to win any prizes on the protein front. On the plus side, oat milk is high in fiber and has a subtle, slightly sweet taste and a light consistency. It's also "highly tolerated by most kids," says Ehrlich. "It's great for those with lots of allergies—milk, soy, even rice." But it's not ideal for children with conditions, such as celiac sprue, that make it difficult to digest the protein gluten.

Goat's milk

With only slightly less lactose than cows' milk, this isn't for kids with intolerance. But it does contain a different set of proteins, so it's a good bet for some people with allergies. "It contains lots of whey but only a trace of casein," says Pastore. "And casein is the milk protein people are most allergic to." However, subtle allergic reactions, like a runny nose, can go undetected, says Kraus. Described as both slightly sweet and salty, goat's milk has a fat level, and thus a consistency, similar to those of whole cows' milk.
Rice milk

The least allergenic milk alternative, rice milk is suitable for kids with both conditions. But it is also generally supersweet and thin, as well as low in protein. The low level of protein "is really a problem for very young children," says Kraus. "But if they're a little bit older and getting most of their protein from other sources, it's not as much of an issue."

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