In addition to milk, nutritionists say soy milk and pea milk have unexpected benefits for calcium supplementation~

If people want to supplement calcium and protein, they often hear many experts recommend drinking milk. Is milk really the "first choice" for people? In addition to milk and soy milk, another alternative drink "pea milk" has recently appeared in Europe. Does it contain better calcium and protein nutrients than milk and soy milk? Let’s listen to the professional answers from domestic nutritionists.

There is never a first choice for food, only the food that suits you best

First of all, if we want to supplement calcium and protein, is milk really the "first choice" for people? Nutritionist You Weiming pointed out that the answer is wrong! Because there is never a first choice for food, only the food that suits you best. For foods of the same weight, the protein in eggs is three times that of milk, and the absorption efficiency is also better than that of milk. The protein content of soy milk is also higher than that of milk, and it contains more unsaturated fatty acids and dietary fiber that are beneficial to the human body. Other foods such as seafood and meat also contain more protein than milk.

As for sources of calcium intake, in addition to milk which contains 100mg of calcium per 100ml, dark green vegetables, seaweed, tofu, black sesame powder, cheese, dried fish, etc. are all rich in calcium, better than milk. Therefore, in addition to drinking calcium, you can also supplement calcium through food.

Drink soy milk or milk? Look at the people's own health demands

Nutritionist You Weiming introduces a delicious dish that can be easily made at home to supplement calcium and protein - "Tofu Egg Drop Soup". Because eggs and tofu are both high-quality protein ingredients, and eggs are rich in vitamin D, which can promote the absorption of calcium in tofu into the body.

Since drinking soy milk is better than milk for supplementing protein, it can also provide more unsaturated fatty acids and dietary fiber that are beneficial to the human body, and the calories are almost half that of milk. But, does this mean that people can only drink soy milk? Nutritionist You Weiming pointed out that this is not possible! Because the calcium content of milk is still much higher than that of soy milk, and the higher calories are very necessary for schoolchildren in their growth period. Therefore, whether to drink soy milk or milk depends on people’s own health needs.

There are special things to pay attention to when drinking soy milk and milk

In addition, nutritionist You Weiming reminded the public that there are special things to note when drinking soy milk and milk. Soy milk must be fully boiled to destroy the bacteria and the enzymes in the soy milk (trypsin inhibitors), otherwise drinking it will cause abdominal pain and diarrhea. The lactose in milk can cause lactose intolerance and acute diarrhea if people who do not drink milk often drink too much in one go.

[Comparison of nutritional components of soy milk and milk]:

In addition to milk and soy milk, another alternative drink has appeared in Europe, "pea milk", which is very common on the shelves of general stores abroad. The taste is very similar to milk and soy milk, and the nutritional value is quite high. Each 240ml contains 70 calories, 8 grams of protein, and 451mg of calcium. Because it does not contain lactose, it will not cause lactose intolerance and is not prone to bloating. However, this type of product is relatively rare in Taiwan. If you see it when traveling abroad, you might want to try it.

Growing schoolchildren, the elderly, and pregnant women are all groups with high demands for calcium and protein supplementation.

For people who have high calcium and protein needs, how are dairy products recommended to be consumed wisely every day? Nutritionist You Weiming said that school children in their growing period, the elderly, and pregnant and lactating women are all groups with high demands for calcium and protein supplementation, and milk happens to be rich in calories, calcium, protein and vitamin D.

The National Health Administration also recommends drinking 1.5 to 2 cups of dairy products every day. According to the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs), the recommended daily calcium intake for healthy adults should be greater than 1200 mg, and the recommended daily protein intake for healthy adults is about 0.8 to 1.5 grams per kilogram of body weight.

Add milk to various drinks to achieve 1.5 to 2 cups per day

Nutritionist You Weiming said that for people who cannot drink too much milk at one time, it is recommended to wisely choose sugar-free green tea milk, sugar-free freshly beaten mixed juice milk, sugar-free yogurt and cheese. By adding milk to various beverages in a variety of ways, you can achieve 1.5 to 2 cups of dairy products per day. At the same time, you can also take in a balanced amount of high-quality protein foods such as tofu, fish, eggs, meat, and dark green vegetables with high calcium content, so that people's daily calcium and protein intake can meet the standards.