I grew up in Texas and as a child I clearly remember driving with Mom out of town to pick up our milk from a nearby farm. She grew up on a farm herself where raw milk was a staple, so she was always excited to get the fresh raw milk for our family. Every time she pointed at the cream on top and raved about how yummy it was. I think she was remembering her own childhood of making butter from raw milk. Sadly, once we moved away from the area, she no longer had a way to obtain raw milk. Pasteurized milk was absolutely NOT allowed in our house, ever. Mom never bent her rules on healthy eating and this was one she was absolutely passionate about.
Fast forward 23 years. Since we only had powdered milk for most of my childhood and I occasionally have bouts of lactose intolerance, I just don’t drink milk much these days. Not even after I started buying raw milk for our oldest son.
Then one day during my second pregnancy, I couldn’t decide what to eat. I wasn’t terribly hungry, but wanted something more substantial than fruit or crackers. While I contemplated my options, I accidently made too much raw milk fruit smoothie for my son. He couldn’t finish it, and I didn’t want to waste it, so I drank it. Eureka! That raw milk smoothie was exactly what my body was craving! Refreshing, full of good nutrients and absolutely satisfying. As an added bonus, it didn’t upset my stomach at all.
Mom wasn’t at all surprised when I told her. She quickly reminded me that the pasteurization process destroys the lactase enzyme which helps break down milk. Without that enzyme, some people have a hard time digesting pasteurized milk, which happens to me occasionally. Quite often lactose-intolerant people can drink raw milk without any problems because it still has the lactase enzyme in it.
Needless to say, the raw milk smoothie became a popular drink in our house. It is super easy to make and helped me get the extra protein and calcium I needed for a healthy pregnancy. It also gave me a much needed energy boost in the afternoons allowing me to chase my 20-month-old boy around the house with greater ease. We all still have raw milk smoothies on a regular basis – I just need to make a lot more now so all three boys and I can enjoy.
For more information about the benefits of raw milk or how to find raw milk in your area, go to or visit the Weston A. Price Foundation at to find your local chapter.
