"Pea Milk: The Latest Dairy-Free Alternative Taking the World by Storm"

I've always heard about how bad regular milk was for you. There are facts out there regarding cow's milk, and myths as well. I've heard that cow's milk has pus in it. I've heard they are fed corn products. I've heard they are full of hormones, antibiotics, and are abused. Either way, I noticed that every time I had milk, I suffered from gastrointestinal distress. It was quite debilitating, and it left me wondering what other milk alternatives there were out there. I decided to try Ripple Pea-Milk, and I was quite shocked at what I discovered about it, as it was grabbed in a hurry and at a moment's whim.

From Target, I tried a pea-milk called Ripple. It's milk that is based on a plant, and it's made from peas that are yellow. It doesn't have any gluten. It is free from lactose. It doesn't have any traces of nuts or soy, it is free of genetically modified organisms, and it's one hundred percent vegan, all the way. The color ends up being more of an off-white, much like soy milk.

I was nervous to try pea-milk. The last time I tried something 'new,' it was from one of those health stores, and it was some lavender infused water. It was extraordinarily disgusting! The taste was like biting into a bar of soap, and hard to get rid of. So of course, I was nervous about trying something 'healthy' and out of the ordinary. But with Ripple, I was pleasantly surprised at the taste, texture, and color. I was surprised at all the many ways that Ripple was different and superior to regular milk. I was comforted to know that this pea milk had way more calcium than regular cow's milk. The kind I tried was vanilla, as I need a bit of flavor and some sweetness. I decided this after trying unflavored almond milk once. The vanilla flavor was much more tolerable to me.

As I mentioned, I tried the Vanilla Ripple, which was terrific. Next on my list to try is the Chocolate Ripple. If I try it, I will be writing about it, as I have an obsession with chocolate milk, especially if it tastes anything like Dutch chocolate milk. Other pea milk comes in original, an unsweet version of the original, and the unsweet version of vanilla. I bought the sizeable forty-eight-ounce bottle. I had luck mixing it into my morning coffee. It blended beautifully. I recently discovered that this pea milk has a kid’s version, which comes in a comfortable open eight ounce square-ish container. A sixteen ounce half and half was also made. It was created with dairy's decadence and a dash of a secret oil blend that offers the right amount of fats, such as the omega six and omega threes that are derived from plants purely and naturally. Without cholesterol or any fats, and with eight milligrams of DHA omega 3's for each serving, and marrying this to the fact that I love creamer in my coffee, this is another 'must have' for my next grocery trip. Finally, I learned that Ripple makes Greek yogurt, which is also dairy free. The flavors come in maple, blueberry, strawberry, vanilla, and original. They feature live, active cultures and a texture that is thick, rich and everything that yogurt should be.

I wanted to add a bit of information on two subjects that I mentioned regarding pea milk. I mentioned that it had no GMO's, and I mentioned that it had DHA. In case you aren't sure what GMO's are, they are organisms in food that have material that is considered genetic. These organisms have been manipulated through artificial means within a lab through the 'wonders' of genetic engineering. The process mixes the plant matter, bacteria, any viruses, and animal DNA in a way that does not happen naturally in nature. Some examples of GMO foods are aspartame (which is an artificial sweetener in many 'diet' foods,' high fructose corn syrup (which is in pretty much almost anything!), and soy (also known as lecithin). There's a lot more to this list, but it can give one a good idea as to why GMOS's are better left alone and avoided if at all possible...which is hard. Yes, it's hard, maybe impossible, which is why products like this pea milk are wonderful. They enable us to have a choice in what we drink when it comes to a milk product, even if we can't avoid what's in the air, or what exactly we eat at the company potluck.

This brings me to the subject of DHA. Why is its inclusion in pea milk so important, especially to mothers who are trying to conceive? At this point, people have been brainwashed to believe that fats are bad. Here's a myth: Fat makes you fat. Here's a fact: Omega 3's are a fatty acid, and they are essential for healthy brain function and structure! Here's another fact, your brain needs fat, especially fats like Omega 3 fatty acid. Usually, DHA is found in fish that are considered cold water, like tuna and salmon. But many fish found in store have been frozen, are not fresh, and even have parasites. Many fish also have high levels of mercury, or they have been floating around a fish farm full of fish feces in a swamp of antibiotic sludge. I remember taking DHA supplements and feeling completely sick afterward with the 'fish burps'. Those are not good pregnancy memories! But since I'm trying to conceive, I can see how drinking pea milk can help replenish DHA within a mother's body, to help make sure that the baby’s brain experiences adequate development.

Pea milk is an excellent alternative to cow's milk. Many people have an allergy to cow’s milk. Others suffer from lactose intolerance. Some are worried about calories, or even the threat of hypercholesterolemia. Some prefer to keep it vegan. Whatever the reason, pea milk has arrived at the scene to the rescue. Milk that is plant-based is excellent, as it can serve as an excellent substitution in areas that don't have enough cows, or cows milk. Advanced technologies in the processing realm have allowed pea milk to exist and increase the shelf life while ensuring stability of the unique emulsion of the milk and keeping the nutrition intact. This milk is addressing the changing needs and creating positive change, one cup at a time.

Creamy. Luscious. Healthy.

Ultimately, it's superior to not only cow's milk but almond milk, as it has eight times more protein than the almond milk that we have presented on a pedestal in the milky past. The regular version of Ripple pea milk even has one half the amount of sugar in milk. The best part about pea milk is that it's not only creamy but luscious in texture. It doesn't have the thin, watery consistency of skim milk or the chalky texture of whole milk. It's more of a velvety, soft white drink full of healthful components.