How about in the vanilla flavored? My DD uses it daily. We buy Blue Diamond unsweetened almond milk, vanilla. I would try all the brands and maybe one will be to your liking. I wonder if Whole Foods has different selections?

For your coffee, it's not natural, but I love my Coffeemate creamers! My favorite is Italian Sweet Cream. For a while they had one called Very Creamy, and I could use that one in my tea.

I measure out my one tablespoon as it's 35 calories per tablespoon.

If you are a vegetarian, you really do have to make sure to get enough protein. My youngest started to lose hair. She also has severe break outs. She's in her twenties. Lots of soy can produce too estrogen. The dermatologist showed my daughter the link between not enough protein and her hair loss. Luckily she has very thick hair and no one but us would have noticed the change.

I use So Delicious brand coconut coffee creamer. Organic and only 10 calories a tablespoon. Love it

I've read some stuff that says the fermented soy stuff they eat in Japan is ok, but the unfermented stuff in the US isn't good. I know if I eat it, I get sick. (But then again, who knows. I think you can find an article to support or banish every food and beverage item available.)

If your problem is lactose, I'd try heavy cream...it is all fat whereas lactose is a sugar so theoretically there shouldn't be any or a minimal amount of lactose in it. In addition to tasting great, you only need a splash and I find it really helps me to feel full.

I haven't tried the almond-cashew blend, I just use the unsweetened almond milk and I like it. But I don't use cream in my coffee unless it is an occasional touch of the flavored creamer (Bailey's for example is a favorite).

What about lactose- free milk? The lactose is what usually bothers people. I use 1%. Tastes like the real thing and you can bake with it, unlike the soy milks. DH prefers soy so we always have both in the fridge.

I guess its the lactose, I just know I dont tolerate milk very well, it repeats on me. I can eat cottage cheese, yogurt, and swiss cheese with no problem. I really only use the milk in my coffee, but I like my coffee really milky, like a latte. I will often heat and slightly froth the milk.

Switching to buying a creamer is an option, but then I lose some calcium. I think I have tried that So Delicious Coconut Creamer and liked it. TJs always has a lactose free creamer I like by their coffee samples, I cant recall if it is soy.

I'd give the heavy cream a try then...if you like milky, you'll love creamy.

Goat milk may be another option as it is naturally lactose free. It is also very creamy. It makes great froth and foam for espresso. I personally don't like goat milk or cheese because I am smell the goat in it. I do love goat chops, burgers and anything else but don't love the cheese for the smell.

Good luck!

While pregnant I found it hard to get those 4 glasses of milk in. I used Lactaid and didn't mind the flavor.

I don't do milk but use half and half in my coffee. I eat a lot of soy too. But don't overdo it. Natural soy within reason is OK, but don't do soy foods and then add soy supplements. This is not a case of a little is good so a lot is better. I stopped eating soy in the AM because I found out it interfered with my thyroid medication. So no soy in coffee and on morning cereal. I tried all kinds of nut and vegetable milks, and finally just went with half and half. If it is lactose, then cream should not bother you as much, or the lactose free milk. I find that the small amount I use in my coffee does not cause much of a problem. For hot cereal, I use a mix of almond and coconut milk. I can't take anything other than real milk on cold cereal. I just don't like the taste of the other milks with cereal. Even skim milk I can't stand with cold cereal.

DH uses Rice Milk in his cereal. He tried my unsweetened vanilla almond milk but said it was too sweet (I use in protein drinks).

All dairy products seem to bother me, except yogurt. I like the Blue Diamond almond milk-non-sweetened- original (not vanilla) (not cashew). Sometimes it isn't the lactose, but the milk protein that bothers people.

You have all given me great suggestions to try thank you.

My gyne insists that adults do not need milk products at all. She says that calcium should be coming from green leafy vegetables -- kale, spinach, chard etc and of course, sardines. Almond milk, if you can tolerate it, is also high in calcium and a good source.

I drink about 1-1/2 to 2 cups of milk a day in coffee. That's it. I've given up yogurt and most cheese. I do have some kefir in the morning occasionally (good for the gut) with fruit.

I agree, it's really difficult with the coffee. I've never found a replacement for coffee and it wouldn't be half&half or cream because of the cholesterol and fat in those. Some can drink lactose-free milk as someone suggested.

Fermented soy ie. tempeh is good (again for the gut). But anyone who starts to read labels conscientiously will realize that there are gigantic amounts of soy in many food products. It's used as a cheap additive. Bread, english muffins, many baked goods -- check it out. Our grandson had a soy allergy so I started reading labels before they visited each time. I was rocked by the number of unexpected foods that contain soy high up in the ingredient list. I haven't read about health benefits to adding any more.

Most important though, is exercise. As vigorous as can be managed for 30 to 40 minutes a day, at least 3 times a week. Walking is good. But anything that makes you sweat is best.

Yep, those meat and dairy company spokespeople sure have planted lots of innuendo about the supposed dangers of soy. The Chinese have used tofu and soy milk for centuries. Not a lot of breast cancer, nor any other types of cancer found in those following traditional Asian diets.

I've been eating soy in every form for 25+ years. Not a hint of breast growth, no voice changes, and yep... all the man-parts work great thank you.

Btw... I still have a full head of hair, and have been a vegetarian since I was about 24 years old.

Think about the largest, most powerful, longest-lived mammals in the world - yep, vegetarians!

Are there vegetarians who don't eat enough protein... sure, but it's very rare, and are those who don't eat well anyway. Just adding meat to a bad diet will not help much.

Research has sometimes indicated that soy can possibly have a blocking effect for breast cancer rather than a contributory one, and can have some health benefits including for cholesterol.

http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/2014/02/12/straight-talk-about-soy/

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/09/27/ask-well-is-it-safe-to-eat-soy/?_r=0

http://www.mayoclinic.org/soy-breast-cancer-risk/expert-answers/faq-20120377

Natural News is not a reputable source (nor is Mercola for that matter), and that article linked above does not quote any real sources. The idea that the phytic acid in soy somehow makes it bad for you is pseudoscience.

The consensus of real scientific studies is that reasonable consumption of soy based foods is mildly beneficial to health.

Almond milk has come a long way and is another good milk substitute.

I am a vegetarian myself but do also eat cheese.

I would not worry about calcium from milk either.

there are a lot of different brands and types. I would keep trying. my kids favorite is oat milk. they will actually drink it plain once in awhile too, but we mostly use it for cereal.

I have not seen hemp or hazelnut milk mentioned either. You could try those as well.

Excellent information Peter, ty.

I was vegan for quite a few years, but then I moved to a more rural area where healthful eating was very expensive. When I moved to this area, the nearest soy milk was over an hour's drive away. There's an Amish/Mennonite store close by that sells dried soy beans, so I bought a soy milk machine about 15 years ago and it still works great! I think it now costs me like .25 cents a quart. The machine has certainly paid for itself, and then some...

However, to help my protein intake when I moved here, I began to eat cheese from time to time. I still don't buy, or cook with either eggs or animal milk, but at least the supermarket has begun carrying a decent array of substitute milks and egg-replacer. I will eat commercial breads and cakes made with eggs and milk though. They still don't sell non-dairy ice creams here, and the fake cheeses are expensive. I search the expiration dates on the veggie cheeses and 'meat' products and the store will mark them down for me when they get close to the 'sell by' date lol.

I've only recently been able to begin gardening again, and next year I hope to add soy beans to the garden.

Boopadaboo, do you buy the oat milk in stores? The machine I have will make milk from any grain or pulse, but I've never tried oats. I'm sure it will be a very long time before hemp or hazelnut milks become available here. And I fear laws against growing our own hemp seeds will be around for a very long time in my area.

Yes, the shoprite by me carries this brand oat milk. they also have the hemp milk and hazelnut milk. I guess we have a lot of options here! :) I do order things from time to time from Vitacost or amazon pantry when I can't find them locally.