Change on Tuesday 23 April 2013: Got Milk?

I really enjoy milk. If it's for dipping cookies, steaming for my coffee, pouring over cereal or blending into a smoothie I just think it tastes great.I was raised on a "skim milk is the best milk" principle and didn't really question it until a stint as a vegan where I discovered the soy milk alternative. I really liked soy milk, especially the chocolate variety, but once the stint was over I returned to my standard reduced fat cows milk drinking days.

When I decided to start living out my beliefs in living a sustainable lifestyle milk became a product to be carefully considered....

Why do we drink it? What's in it? How are the cows treated? Does it need to come from cows? Is it good for me? Is it a sustainable product in our world? These were all questions that I wanted answered before the next time I stood in front of the milk fridge at the supermarket.

Currently we are in the middle of "who can provide the cheapest standard milk" war between Woolworths and Coles which is devastating the Australian dairy farming industry. I find the whole thing disturbing because I realize that in order for these supermarket giants to provide a cheaper product we must be paying the price somewhere.

In dairy farming the price is paid by it's animals... The bobby (male) cows are separated from their milk producing mothers just hours after birth, transported while starved then slaughtered as an industry "waste-product" The dairy cows are pushed into producing milk at a faster rate and higher volume than ever before, reducing their uncomfortable life-span to over half the length it should be.



So what are our alternative options then? How can we make a change on a Tuesday when it comes to milk?

1. If you're buying cows milk from a diary farm, choose a product that is certified organic. I have found when it comes to ethical considerations that Barrambah Organics seem to have the highest standards. You can read more about their products (which include some delicious flavours of yoghurt too!) on their website here.

2. Try Almond Milk! From a health perspective as well as an ethical perspective almond milk is a product that does not get enough good press. I use the unsweetened variety to cook oats, make smoothies, and drink by the glass. Since it's made from protein rich almonds it packs a powerful nutritional punch and you can definitely rest assured that no cows were harmed in the making of the product.

Organic milk can be found in refrigerator of your supermarket while almond milk is on the long-life milk shelves.