Options for milk replacements

My nine year old sister is stopping whole milk. My mom is trying to figure out which would be best for her to go to out of Soy/Coconut/Almond and Goats milk. Is any of these better than the rest? Should any be avoided?

[Renee Radenberg]

Is it the taste of regular milk that she is not drinking it or is she lactose intolerant? If it is the taste, suggest mixing chocolate or strawberry flavor in the milk. Of the different milks, goat milk would be the best choice and the closest to regular milk, then Soymilk. Almond milk does not have many nutrients as the above, and coconut milk is very high in saturated fat. If she is not lactose intolerant, suggest increasing other sources of calcium which is cheese, yogurt, pudding, and ice cream. Non dairy sources are: Orange juice fortified with calcium, Tofu, Almonds, Kale, Beans, Broccoli, and Eggs.  

[madisonnotApeace]

The good news is, soy milk is healthy, cheap, and easy to find and use. The bad news is...well, there really is no bad news! From a nutritional perspective, soy milk has almost as much protein as dairy milk, less fat, no cholesterol, and, since most soy milks are fortified, is a comparable source of calcium. but tell her she should make sure to find a brand that is fortified with Vitamin B12. Each brand of soy milk is slightly different, so try a couple and see which one suits your taste buds best. Soy milk is increasingly popular, and many grocery chains, such as Trader Joes, Whole Foods and Safeway make their own brand in a variety of flavors. I recommend trying Silk brand unflavored soy milk to start, though the chocolate flavor is an incredibly tasty treat.

[cdnskmom]

We like almond milk the best, but it depends on the reasons for going off dairy.

If it's lactose that is the problem for her, then soy is probably fine and tastes great, but if it's milk protein, then I have read that about 50% of people who can't tolerate dairy protein also can't tolerate soy protein. My son is one of them... which is why we ended up on the almond milk. Goat milk is also a nightmare for my son, he reacts worse to it than even cows milk! :(

It definitely takes trial and error to find out what works best for you... good luck!