Winner of best milk alternative IS....

Shove that soymilk aside...I've got a milk alternative that I think you're going to just LOVE! Hazelnut milk! Hazelnut, you ask? Yes...you heard me right. I forgot about hazelnuts in general. I don't remember the last time I tried it in nut form and until a week ago, I didn't know a milk form existed! This is hands down the best milk I've ever tried.... I've never drank a milk alternative that is as smooth and tasty as hazelnut milk! What also impressed me was that this is the first milk alternative that I've liked that has not been masked with the flavor of vanilla.

According to health24.com, " Hazelnuts are rich in vitamin E (helps form red blood cells, muscles and other tissues) and are a useful source of thiamine (enhances energy and promotes normal appetite) and vitamin B6 (aids protein metabolism and absorption).

These nuts are also relatively good sources of protein (essential for growth and repair of the body's cells), dietary fiber (helps the movement of the digestive tract), iron (essential for red blood cell function and enzyme activity), calcium (helps build bones and teeth) and potassium (helps regulate the body's fluid balance)."

Each cup has 110 calories and 3.5 grams of fat....very comparable to all the milk alternatives on the market. I found my carton of Hazelnut milk at The Wedge Co-op but I've also seen it at various other co-ops, as well as Whole Foods.

Have you tried oat milk?

Ever since I read that consuming too much soy is unhealthy, I've been trying to alternate the kinds of dairy-alternative milks to use when eating my daily cereal. Up to this point, I had tried rice, almond, hemp and even black sesame milk! That last one was a mistake while honeymooning in Thailand. The only english on the package was "lactose-free" so I figured I was safe... I may have been safe from lactose but not from a considerable gag!

Then last week I came across "Organic Oat Milk" at Whole Foods. I like oatmeal, so I figured I'd give it a shot and bought the low fat vanilla option. I am happy to report that oat milk is pretty darn good and honestly, I think I like it better than my usual soy! Its sweeter, creamier and lacks that weird after taste you sometimes get from a swig of soy milk. It also has the same amount of calcium, vitamin A and D as soy milk with an addition of more iron and riboflavin. This particular brand (Pacific) has 130 calories per cup and 2.5 grams of fat.

So which milk is my current winner? Hmmm...at this time there is a tie between oat milk and hemp milk (both vanilla flavored). I like the creaminess of oat milk and the nutty flavor of hemp. One detail to note - both hemp and oat milks are considerably more expensive than soy milk...about double the price.

I spied a package of hazelnut milk at The Wedge the other day... A review to come shortly!