After last’s week big shopping trip, we didn’t need to buy any groceries this week. Well, except for milk. But we decided to take our lessons learned from the Pantry Challenge to heart and went the entire week without buying milk.
And you know what? We survived just fine. The girls missed having cereal for breakfast and snacks, but we came up with creative alternatives and everyone was fine.
Next week, I’ll likely do another big stock-up trip since I’ve got some great coupons to use. Stay tuned for details on that.
(And yes, I know that some parents think that children cannot survive without milk. I completely understand where you’re coming from and respect your opinions. However, please don’t flip out over the fact that we don’t drink a lot of milk at our house. I’ve done a lot of research and don’t believe that milk is necessarily the best source of calcium or that one must drink an enormous amount of it for survival. So we choose to get our primary calcium from other sources. And we love you no matter whether you drink lots of milk or not!)
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When I weaned my daughter at 13 months, she went on straight goat’s milk. It’s expensive but no worse than formula. She had tummy issues and I researched the benefits of goat’s milk vs cow’s milk. We eventually gave her soy milk and did so until about a month ago when someone told me about the harmful affects soy can have on your children. (I feel like both my kids will not have any harmful affects from the soy since they have drank it since they were born.) We decided to go Organic with the Cow’s milk for now. We go through about 1-1/2 gallons a week.
As a matter of fact cow milk is intend for calfs not for humans consumption like breast milk is for babies. We are the only species that drink animal milk after full grown up. Milk is rich in calcium yes, but the human body doesn’t recognize it and have any use for us it’s only for the calf. For the contrary cow milk creates mucus in our bodies that makes us sick.
And to make matters worst we pausterize, skim, take the fat out, wash it and put vitamins back, like if that will do us any better.
Calcium can be found in greeny leafs, seeds and nuts. We can make milk out of almonds, just soak them over nigh until clean water comes out. Put it in a blender with water, then pass it threw a nut milk bag.
But if you still are going to drink milk because you plane like it, the best way is to consume it raw direct from the source.
I only give my kid’s soymilk. We try to stay away from all animal products.
has anyone here also heard about the estrogen hormones in soy? after hearing it, i’ve tried to stear away from giving soy to my daughter(2) and myself…because i guess soy beans are fine without having too much fo this specific estrogen, but its hard to tell when it is in processed foods(cereals, granola bars, candies, burgers, etc) and soymilk products. i used to assume the USDA would make sure there aren’t unsafe levels of anything in our food, that was until i started really researching organic foods…it’s just sick. so no soys in this house!
I was raised on a dairy farm, so I’m just used to a big glass of cold milk accompanying my meals.
Thank you for your comments on the whole milk thing. I get tired of people looking at me like I’m crazy when I tell them my 2 year old doesn’t drink milk. I’d love it if he would, but I can’t exactly make him. Not chocolate, not strawberry, not soy. No matter how many times I’ve tried. He also won’t eat ice cream or yogurt, but loves cheese and gets a calcium vitamin. He also loves green veggies, so I feel perfectly fine about it. He’ll drink it when he drinks it!
We like milk here but I will not make a special trip for it. If during my weekly trip I find it on manager markdown at Kroger, I’ll get up to 2 gallons of it depending on the date because I can get it so cheap (usually $.69 for 1/2 gal. or $1 for 1 gal. or $1.50 for 1 gal. of organic). If it is not on special, I still get it but I’ll only get 1 gallon and won’t buy it again for atleast a week. If we run out early, we drink other things. If we are out and somebody wants cereal or I need it in cooking, I whip out one of the cans of evaporated milk that I’ve gotten free on sale. So some weeks, we go through a lot and some weeks a gallon or less (and both of those circumstances usually cost the same lol).
Our boys hardly drink milk at all. It may be because they had severe allergies to it (which they have outgrown, well Andon hasn’t). A gallon will last us at least two weeks.
But, if I had some of that raw milk, I would buy it by the truckload. I’ve heard that is some GOOD stuff! They still wouldn’t drink it though
We are milk LOVERS here, but I was very surprised after my son’s first birthday when our ped warned us not to rely so heavily on milk for meeting his calcium needs, especially since it fills little ones up and isn’t a great source of iron! She gave us some guidelines and really encouraged plenty of water. I was blown away—but in a good way!!
I’m with you on the milk! My littlest cannot really stand milk, so I have to make sure that I supplement his diet with cheese and yogurt and such foods. On another note, way to go not going to the grocery store! Maybe one day I will be able to get to that point…
We have a hard time using up half a gallon of cow’s milk before it spoils. So I sometimes make boxed macaroni and cheese with mayo and water instead of milk and butter. Tastes (and is) very rich! Plus all the ingredients are from the pantry. =)
I love your site-thanks for all that you do to help everyone out!
Agree about the milk! You can get all the calcium you need from eating the right foods … we buy milk occasionally because my son loves it but it’s definitely not a staple in our house..
chuckling about your milk disclaimer. i was just thinking the other day how some families buy SO much milk. don’t get me wrong, we keep milk and our daughter has a small glass with each meal (small = 8 oz) but i’m not a big milk drinker either. i’ve always eaten a lot of other foods with good sources of calcium (yogurt, cheese, same things everyone else has been mentioning) though i do LOVE ice cold milk (minus the ice) with anything chocolate.
anyway, as with most things in life…balance is best.
Wow, that milk thing really got a lot of people talking!! It got me thinking too
I tried to do the eating from the pantry challenge, except for buying milk and produce. Wow, I was shocked at how much I am spending on these perishables!!
I don’t drink much milk, but my family does (there are four of us: me, hubby, 21 year old daughter living at home while she attends college, and 17 year old son, so we are 4 adults). Once I started paying attention, I realized that one or another of us was going to the store and buying milk at least 2 times a week — and we buy 2 gallons at a time!! At roughly $2.50 a gallon, that adds up fast.
Overall, we average about $425 a month in groceries. I was able to get that down to $218 in January. I bought all the milk and produce I normally would buy (my son in particular looooves fruit and eats a lot of it, and I keep lots of fresh salad ingredients on hand), and I bought a few items that were especially good buys. Didn’t buy any meat at all. It’s amazing to me how much we spent just on those perishables and a few sale deals. I thought I would be able to get our spending down much lower.
I suppose I could cut back on the fresh fruits and veggies, but that is one thing that I think is good for my family (and we don’t always have the best diet) so I’m not willing to cut that part of the grocery budget much. I already shop sales and buy what is in season. But milk, yeah, that can go. There is no reason at all we should be drinking 10 gallons a month!!
Just like analyzing our finances from time to time, I think it’s a good idea to take a closer look at our eating habits and grocery shopping now and then. Thanks for the jump-start in this area, Crystal!
We do not drink much milk either. Personally, I do not drink milk at all, I only use it as a cooking ingredient and my son will have it for cereal.
I think it is more common than you might think to not drink a ton of milk.
My teen daughter has chosen to be a vegan (no dairy) vegetarian for six years. She is incredibly healthy. We do make sure she has a great multi-vitamin and takes extra calcium (she takes extra C and D too), but she eats lots of healthy whole grains, veggies, and fruit. We do a blood test annually at her physical to check iron levels, calcium, etc. She is rarely sick and her doctor says her levels/physical health is outstanding. So, yes, milk is a great way to get needed calcium but not the only way. I applaud you for being brave enough to write this; as a homeschooling family, I know that some people can be quite opinionated. Enjoy your site! Best wishes!
I hate milk! But the kids and hubby act like they would die without it so I buy 2 gallons every week. I would personally love to stop buying milk – it’s so expensive! Love your blog!!!
Amy
Thanks for sharing about milk! I’ve been stressing about what to do w/my 17-mo-old daughter. She doesn’t really care for cow’s milk (and I’m trying to wean her). However she loves yogurt and cheese. Thanks for the encouragement!
your disclaimer on milk made me laugh!
We drink more powdered milk than milk. I have A LOT of powdered milk in our food storage, so I rarely buy milk. I just mix it with water and the kids nor my husband or I really notice a big difference.
Wow, what alot of comments about milk! = ) I always used to love milk when I owned my own cow, but after that, I quit drinking milk, probably not owning a fridge had something to do with it too!
I rarely drink milk or eat cereal. I don’t think milk is that bad for you, I just don’t really like it. One thing though, with your body type and depending on where you live, and if you have had multiple pregnancies, you need to make sure you are adding calcium if you are petite. I know that some of this feels like the push for one thing or another, but I live up north and have all my life. I broke my foot when I was 21 and my bones were not able to heal after two pregnancies, I did not drink milk or eat meat that year or have many green leafy vegetables. I also did not always take a calcium supplement. I am only 31 now, and discovered I have very low Vit D levels, which can cause many issues. I would like to be healthy when I am older so instead of looking for it from milk, I look for it from some good supplements and vegetables etc. I eat some meat, but not alot! I want to be around for my children, so even though I don’t subscribe to alot of the hypes, I have found it is good to get some things checked up on.
I stressed for quite a while over the small amounts of milk that my now 5-year old would drink. But she’s an excellent eater! She loves broccoli, cheese, yogurt, and other calcium-rich foods. So now I don’t stress about it.
Wow, lots of milk input
) My input, milk products have estrogens in them (perhaps added to cow feed to produce more milk) and some research says it is contributing to children developing earlier and earlier. Soy products effect the thyroid gland negatively, lots of research out there on it. I dont know what the answer is for parents, as clearly kids need calcium for bones and teeth and sadly doctors arent all that informed in nutrition. 3 docs will give 3 different answers.
I’m the only big milk drinker in my family. My nephew won’t touch it but his pediatrician isn’t worried because E. loves yogurt and cheese and the occasional ice cream.
You shouldn’t rely on a single food to meet any nutritional need so all nutrients need to come from a variety of sources. Not everyone has the same tastes on food so every family needs to decide what is best for their family.
I thought it was odd that you put the disclaimer at the end. Kind of like, where did that come from? It would never have crossed my mind to think anything about your family not drinking milk for a week even though my family goes through about 5 gallons a week. It’s sad that you (or anyone) has to set up a disclaimer in anticipation comments that should be left unsaid. I hope you don’t see much of those type comments or emails.
Oops…should say “in anticipation OF comments” above. I hate when I fly through my typing and make a mistake. I should have taken the advice I give to my children to slow down and double check.
I have the great fortune of being both lactose intolerant AND allergic to milk. The process of making yogurt takes care of the lactose problem. I’m not sure how but it just doesn’t cause a problem. I do eat cheese because I can have some without experiencing problems. I used to just ignore it and drink regular cow’s milk but for the last month I’ve been drinking soy milk (but still eating regular cheese and yogurt at least once a day) and I’ve been feeling so much better. I’ll have to do some research on the soy issue because I had no clue that there could be a problem. I bought some almond milk a couple of weeks ago so I could try that as well but since it is shelf stable for a very long time I am waiting until I run out of coupons for soy milk.
I agree with you, Crystal, since I have never relied on the consumption of milk to meet my calcium needs. There are plenty of other ways to get it!
no offense to anyone, but I could care less if your child drinks or doesnt drink milk. I don’t think she should *have* to add the disclaimer. It is her responsibly if her family chooses milk or not.
But I do think the disclaimer helped in the fact that not buying milk will cut back on grocery expenses.
We drink on avg. at least 3 gallons of milk a week. The cheapest milk here is @ Sams where it is a little under $4.00 so yes not buying milk will save $$$
We also buy cheese, yogurt etc so it’s not like we are replacing one with another. We have to buy it all.
I can keep my grocery budget down to $70-90 ish a week for a family of 4 with 2 school aged kids and a hubby that is 6 foot 5in, and that’s not including the lunch money they get for school. Our school has a good lunch program with fresh veggies and fruit (not canned) it’s well worth it for them to eat there since our school lunch program is very balanced.
I buy meat in bulk and it usually last me a few months, so that’s not including meat week that’s already purchase.
That is just milk, eggs, yogurts, cheese, fresh veggies and fruit, and the occasional pantry items etc.
We have a family garden (and fruit trees)but it is not year around, so we’re usually buying veggies/fruit until late spring or early summer when it is harvest time for us.
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