A healthy dairy alternative: cashew milk and cream recipes

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The reasons for avoiding dairy are plentiful today, ranging from being lactose-intolerant to choosing to take a stance against the poor treatment of dairy-producing animals. While some dairy advocates maintain that consumption of cow’s milk is perfectly healthy, a great deal of them are also warning of the health problems its consumption could involve.

For example, Joseph Keon’s book, Whitewash: The Disturbing Truth about Cow’s Milk and Your Health details the deplorable conditions in which many cows live, including standing in their own feces and urine due to improper stall flooring, and of cows that are milked with feces-covered udders. It also details the history of milk advertising and the many misleading thoughts about how cow’s milk helps build strong bones despite the fact that about $17 billion is spent annually in America on osteoporosis-related issues.

He also notes that milk plays a role in the development of prostate cancer. For example, in at least 24 studies, 20 were shown to point to a link between milk consumption and problems in men’s health; the average finding concluding that men who drank the most milk were more likely to have up to a four-fold increased risk for metastatic prostate cancer.(1)

Had enough? Ready to enjoy an alternative milk drink? This video shows you how to make a delicious cashew milk, using only a few simple ingredients.

You can opt to drink the creamy cashew milk as it was made in the video, using cinnamon and natural organic vanilla beans for more flavor, or you can be even more creative by creating a cashew cream and adding it to recipes such as soups and smoothies. Here are two great ways to make cashew cream depending on whether or not you want one that’s more robust or one that will satisfy a sweet tooth.

Cashew Cream, Two Ways:

In both instances, be sure to choose organic options.

To make savory cashew cream:

Ingredients:

– 1 cup raw cashews (soaked in water overnight, remove cashews, rinse)
– 1/2 cup water (more or less depending on desired thickness)
– Juice of 1 lemon
– A splash of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV)
– 1/2 tsp sea salt

To make sweet cashew cream:

Ingredients:

– 1 cup raw cashews (soaked in water overnight, remove cashews, rinse)
– 1/2 cup water (more or less depending on desired thickness)
– 4 tbsp raw agave nectar or maple syrup (or a couple of pitted Medjool dates)
– 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
– Dash sea salt

In both cases, making the cream is a breeze: simply blend all of the ingredients at high speed until you’ve achieved the consistency that you prefer.

These cashew cream recipes can be added to soups, as a topping on crackers with tomatoes, blended into a smoothie or enjoyed as a veggie dip!

Health Benefits of Cashews

Cashews are listed on the World’s Healthiest Foods web site as being high in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats which can reduce the risk of heart disease. Furthermore, they play a role in aiding in weight loss, boosting energy, regulating muscle and nerve function and keeping blood pressure in check.(2)

Sources for this article include:

(1) http://www.whitewashthebook.com/
(2) http://www.whfoods.com/

Inspiration for these recipes from: http://www.mindbodygreen.com/

Antonia
A science enthusiast with a keen interest in health nutrition, Antonia has been intensely researching various dieting routines for several years now, weighing their highs and their lows, to bring readers the most interesting info and news in the field. While she is very excited about a high raw diet, she likes to keep a fair and balanced approach towards non-raw methods of food preparation as well. (http://www.rawfoodhealthwatch.com/)