Got (real) milk?
Moo-ve over almonds and oats, it’s time for cow’s milk to shine.
In recent years, alternatives have been milking the dairy industry as American consumer habits shifted to become more pro plant-based.
But now, cow’s milk is back in a coffee shop near you.
In an udder-ly unbelievable turn of events, cow’s milk is making its triumphant return as plant-based alternatives hit the hay, according to a Grub Street article. Author Emily Sundberg reflected on food habits while abroad, writing: “The real international delight, I realized, is pouring whole, full-dairy milk into your coffee; it is perhaps the most civilized activity in which a person can partake.”
On Twitter, fellow cow-milk enthusiasts are drinking up the lack of plant-based alternatives at their local haunts.
“The real reason I like Abraco is they ONLY have half and half, no fancy milk,” tweeted Kaitilin Phillips. “Incredible!”
A user replied, “Obsessed with them not having any non-dairy alternatives in 2021.”
Some people are dubbing cow’s milk as the beverage choice for hot girls, with one barista writing, “Hot girls are ditching the alternatives and are going back to basics.”
Over the course of the past few years, more and more plant-based alternatives have popped up. At first, it was soy, but Americans’ obsession with milking things — almonds, oats, coconuts, bananas, cashews, hemp and flax seeds — slowly flooded grocery store aisles and cafe menus.
Sundberg questioned her own spot on the plant-based train, despite not being vegan or lactose intolerant. She said her adult life has been spent grazing grocery aisles for the best vegan milk, but it “added no peace to my life, only vegetable oil, sugar and stress.”
While people remain skeptical of how much better plant-based milk is for your health, The Beet, a vegan company, claims cow’s milk can come with a plethora of health problems — the cost of making your bones supposedly stronger.
In an article published on the company’s website in April, it claimed that dairy milk can cause cancer, heart disease and inflammation in the body. In addition, cows contribute to greenhouse gases and the deterioration of the environment.
While either side of the cow’s milk debate might never reach a true conclusion, there are some people calling bull on both industries.
An outsider of both the cow’s milk and plant-based alternatives clubs, screenwriter Chris Black tweeted he has decided to be “post-milk,” arguing that both sides of the milk controversy are incorrect. “This milk debate,” he wrote. “I don’t use milk of any kind. I am post-milk. I drink coffee black and don’t consume sugary cereals. I make them put water in my smoothie. Both sides are wrong.”
But the sudden resurgence of cow’s milk may be enough to offset the ever-growing plant-based milk industry that boomed in recent years.
With Starbucks adding mainstream vegan milk to their menu and many large dairy product manufacturers filing for bankruptcy, this uptick in cow’s milk popularity might be what the industry needs to become relevant again.
Source: nypost.com
