> Soy, rice, and other vegetable "milks" are not readily available to many =
> children in this country because of either local groceries not carrying =
> it, or cost.  It is not approved by WIC for purchase with vouchers at this =
> point.  Many of those milks are lower in calcium and vitamins if not
> fortified.

I think that the idea is that in genereal anyone OUGHT to be able to get
everything they need in life without milk.  As a society, in general we
have come to rely on cow's milk as a source of protein, but there are
many many other places one can get protein (and calcium, etc.).  If a
child never ate any sort of creamy-meal (i.e. mac & cheese), never ate
cereal in the morning with milk on it (instead eating toast with peanut
butter and jam on it,  or hummus, or whatever), then where would one
"need" milk, assuming the diet was varied?  I know that lots of people's
diets are NOT varied, but if a child weans from the breast at a natural
age and eats a varied diet, including lots of veggies and fruits,
grains, seeds, nuts, fish etc., then I don't think that milk is needed.
Not even soy milk or rice milk.  The only "need" I see for this is that
we expect to have our cereal with white liquid on it (we could easily
eat bran flakes with orange juice on it, but personally that doesn't
really appeal!).

I think that because we are lazy fussy eaters who eat out at McDonald's
and eat all sorts of "bad" foods often, we have come to rely on milk for
some important parts of our diet, but we can, in my opinion, do without
it if we eat a good varied menu and avoid the fast-food junk.

>   Consumers are not educated on what to look for to assure that =
> > the product is a good substitute for cow's milk and other dairy products

I think that it is not so important to look for a substitute for "milk
and dairy products" as it is to look for good quality food in general.
Like I say, you can get by on life if you never eat a bowl of cereal or
anything with a cream-type base to it, which is where we get much of our
milk from (except if we're eating cheese/youghurt etc.).  I think so
many people think that cow's milk is irreplaceable that they think you
need to substitute it cup for cup in your diet, and I don't see it that
way.  If one person drinks 3 cups of cow's milk per day, and then stops
doing that, they don't need to drink 3 cups of soy milk per day.  Or
rice, or amaranth or quinoa milk.  ;-)  They can eat a cup of spinnach
and broccoli, and eat some hummus and eat this that and yon taht are
good foods for you, and DRINK WATER.  The only place I use soy milk as a
liquid "to drink" is in cereal or in (some) recipes.  I drink water most
of the rest of the time (occasionally juice, esp. veggie juice).  I try
and get lots of veggies and fruit, and a blanced diet and exercise.  I
do NOT try and take in as many cups of soy milk (or other milk) per day
as the food guides say one should be taking in of cow's milk.

FWIW, the soy milk I buy is calciu-fortified and contains as many mg of
calcium as the cow's milk I buy in the stores for my husband...
However, I am not aware of which one is more bioavailable if either.

Fio.

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