Milk alternatives

In the news recently I read about the high bidding that has been going on with formula milks.  As someone interested in the food I feed my children I know that there are alternatives to formula milk in a can when babies are old enough to be on solid foods.  I remember talking to Herbalist Amanda Rayment about this when Maya was about 9 months old and I was going through a rough patch with breastfeeding. I felt like I wasn't producing enough milk. One of the thingswe talked about was using Almond Milk as a drink and to mix with foods.  However I never needed to in the end as the tincture I got from her worked amazingly well to boost my supply.

This recent news story made me realise that most people don't realise that there are alternatives to canned formula milk so I asked Amanda to share her knowledge. She has written a useful Blog about Almond Milk and how to make it.  I would add to this that the almond meal makes great cookies! There are loads of recipes online for these.  I've also used the milk myself and it makes a great milk for cereals and smoothies. Just tip in some fruit (bananas, berries) blend and drink.

I'm not a vegetarian but do question our dependence on cows milk for protein and calcium. So often we are told you need to eat cheese or drink milk to produce breastmilk and for healthy teeth and bones. But cows don't drink another mammals milk to get their calcium to produce milk, they eat calcium and protein rich grass. Green vegetables and nuts and seeds are rich in minerals, vitamins and proteins and are also absorbed better, and don't have side effects such as increased mucous production.  So perhaps we could do with re-educating and empowering ourselves about alternatives to dairy and get ourselves and our children eating our own formulas rather than those of multinational companies.

Here is the link to Amanda's Blog, look out for more Blogs about this subject soon. Subscribe via the box on the right so you don't miss out.  Amanda also offers telephone and in-person consultations from Clifton, Bristol.

~ Eva

[caption id="attachment_2453" align="alignright" width="481"] Cow with her calf surrounded by protein and calcium rich grass.[/caption]