One of the best ways that you can live a life which is cruelty-free, is by switching from milk that comes from cows, and use an alternative form of milk: which there are plenty of.
Before we get into what dairy free alternatives there is to milk, let's focus on why it's a good idea to become dairy free.
The Dairy Industry
The dairy industry is one of the most cruel and abusive industries there is today. There are many reasons why dairy production is cruel. A cows milk is actually intended for their newborn baby; that is why cows have milk inside them in the first place - that milk is not intended to be used for human consumption. It's unnatural, and quite strange to use another animals milk. And, the more you think about it, the more you realize how unnatural and weird it is to be drinking and using another animals milk. An animals milk is intended for a baby; the baby that the mother gives birth to.
Due to cows having to give birth for milk to be present within them, this means that a cows baby (their calves) do not get the milk from the mothers which are intended for them - newborn baby calves are pulled away from their mothers just hours after they are born - the baby calves and their mothers will never see each other again. Imagine your newborn baby being dragged away from you just hours after you have given birth to your baby: that's what mother cows have to go through. As women, we can understand how devastating that be and become empathetic to these mothers suffering. Our maternal instinct, isn't any different from any other animals maternal instinct: that bond and instinct is very strong.
When mother cows have their babies ripped away from, they cry for their newborn baby. Even dairy farmers admit that mother cows cry for their newborn baby that's ripped away from them. When we buy milk, and other dairy products, we are supporting mother cows losing their babies; and we are supporting baby calves being ripped away from their mothers. There is another way, we can substitute dairy products for cruelty-free milk.
There are many cruelty-free milk options.
Here are just some of the cruelty-free milk products that you can buy.
#1 Soy Milk
Soy milk is probably the most well-know cruelty-free milk there is. Soy milk is easy to buy: you will find soy milk in all supermarkets.
Many different supermarkets have their own soy milk, and other soy based products. There are brands specifically dedicated to soy milk, and other soy products. The most well-known of these, is Alrpo.
Alpro, like all soy milk, is made up of squashed soybeans, and it tastes delicious! Alpro has also been expanding in recent years, they now do products like: soy yogurts and ice cream.
#2 Almond Milk
Soy milk is not the only type of milk that Alpro does; they also do almond milk. Almond milk is another tasty cruelty-free milk!
Like with soy milk, you will also find almond milk in all supermarkets. Supermarkets also have their own brands of almond milk, which makes this milk easily accessible to everyone.
Almond milk is made of squashed almonds. Almond milk is rich in vitamins, and it is also nutritiousness.
#3 Coconut Milk
Coconut milk is another cruelty-free milk which is beneficial for your health. Coconut milk has many healthy benefits, such as: flushing out your immune system, giving you a healthy hear, and helping you to lose weight. It's good for your weight, and tastes good!
You will also find coconut milk in every supermarket, as it is very popular. However, the only downside with coconut milk is that there isn't as much of it, compared with almond milk and soy milk. Soy milk and almond milk comes in cartons. Whereas, coconut milk comes in a tin - which doesn't really provide much milk.
Why Should We Switch From Dairy?
We should switch from dairy because the dairy industry is inherently cruel. It is cruel to both baby calves, and their mothers.
When we by dairy, whether it's milk, cheese, chocolate or any other dairy products, we buy into that cruelty, and say with our pound that cruelty towards animals is acceptable.
For the duration of their lives, mother cows will continuously be forced to become pregnant on farms. This means that these mothers will have many births, but all of these births will result in their babies being dragged away from them. The hell, the cruelty, and the suffering of these mother cows, is something that no animal should be forced to go through. By switching to dairy free products, we reduce this suffering. And, if we all avoided dairy products, then we would not just reduce this suffering: we would eradicate it.
You can find out more what happens, with this informative article from Mercy For Animals - 14 Irrefutable Facts About The Dairy Industry. You can also find out more from this BBC documentary - The Dark Side Of Dairy.
And to finish. Below is a video of a calf imprisoned in a tiny hut, this is a typical veal hut were baby boy calves go to, just after they are torn away from their mother. They will never see their mother again. And, they are slaughtered between 18 and 20 weeks.
Here is a veal calf enjoying a few seconds of playing with snow, in a life which is otherwise hell....