At the grocery store, you can find a wide array of dairy milk and plant-based milk alternatives ranging from grass-fed cow’s milk to flax milk to pea milk. Most recently, potatoes are even being used to make milk. It’s great to have options, but which one should you choose?
When selecting a milk product for your family, people often assume the plant-based alternatives have the same nutrition profile as cow’s milk, which has long been viewed as a classic staple in the refrigerator of a healthy American family. However, not all milk beverages are created equal, and many plant-based milk alternatives lack the nutritional balance that cow’s milk provides. If we’re going to be technical, these alternatives are not actually milk; they are made from ground beans, nuts or legumes and filtered water, as opposed to coming from a mammal. Alternatives like almond and soy milk are technically “milk-like beverages” but for convenience, we can keep calling them milk.
Plant-based milk products can offer unique nutrients and functionally active ingredients that cannot be found in cow’s milk. Some varieties contain added or fortified nutrients. For example, Silk sells both soy and almond milk, and recently came out with a new offshoot called Silk Ultra Protein. One cup of Silk Ultra Protein contains 20 grams of a plant-based protein blend, which is almost three times the amount of protein in one cup of cow’s milk.
So, which type is best? The answer is: It depends. You and your family’s taste preferences, medical needs and environmental considerations should serve as a guide to what type of milk is best for you. In general, I do recommend purchasing the lower-fat (2% or below), unsweetened versions to minimize the saturated fat and added sugar content. I also recommend choosing brands that have vitamin D, vitamin A, and even omega-3’s added, which will read on the front of the product as “enriched” or “fortified”. Below is a breakdown of various milk options and alternatives to help guide your decision.
Cow’s milk: Cow’s milk acts as a wholesome, complete food that provides quality carbohydrate, protein, vitamins, bone-strengthening minerals like calcium and anti-microbial defense. When fat is removed from whole milk to create the low-fat, most of milk’s natural nutrients remain intact, which is not the case with other types of milk. Nowadays, there are many lactose-free versions of cow’s milk readily available for those with lactose intolerance, which is a concern for about 65% of adults. Recommended dairy milk brands include the 2% versions of Horizon Organic and Stonyfield Organic. If you’re loyal to cow’s milk and looking for a more environmentally friendly option, both brands make grass-fed milks as well. Horizon Organic and Stonyfield Organic also sell lactose-free milk products. Lactaid and Fairlife are additional, tasty lactose free brands.
Almond milk: Almond milk is vegan and naturally lactose-free. Almond milk is an excellent source of unsaturated fat, which has shown to help lower blood triglyceride levels. It’s also rich in vitamin E, an antioxidant that cannot be synthesized from the body and must be obtained through food. It can serve as a prebiotic and feed good gut bacteria to promote a healthy digestive tract. Like most plant-based milks, almond milk often contains thickeners to improve its consistency and shelf-life. One knock on almond milk is that it sometimes contains a thickener called carrageenan, which is a natural ingredient made from red seaweed that has been reported to cause inflammation and digestive issues. Another knock is the low protein content. If you are using milk as a daily source of protein, I recommend purchasing Silk almond milk with added protein, signified on the label. Recommended brands that sell almond milk include unsweetened Blue Diamond Almond Breeze, Silk or Califia Farms.
Soy milk: In terms of nutrient density, soy milk is the preferred plant-based alternative to 1-2% cow’s milk, as the two have similar overall calories and protein. Another parallel: Both are well-studied for their strong nutrient profiles—soy has been studied for its anticancerous, functional nutrients called isoflavones that contribute to low saturated fat and cholesterol content. Silk and Pacific Foods are the most popular soy milk brands. Pea milk — a cousin to soy milk and a rising star in the plant-based milk scene — is friendlier to those with food allergies, as soy is a common allergen. Ripple is a new fan favorite pea milk in the food allergy community.
Rice milk: While rice milk is the most allergen-friendly choice, it isn’t nutritionally adequate as a sole source of milk-based nutrition. Rice milk is most often found enriched with important nutrients, Rice Dream and Kirkland brands being prime examples. It has the sweetest taste among plant-based milks, due to a higher carbohydrate content, which means rice milk might not be the best choice if you’re watching your blood sugar. Rice milk has also been shown to have higher levels of inorganic arsenic, a toxin found in soil and rocks that rice tends to hold onto. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the American Academy of Pediatrics take the same stance in recommending that adults and children alike should not rely only on rice and rice products for nutrition and should incorporate a larger variety of milk or carbohydrate sources.
Oat milk: Oat milk is often a barista’s milk of choice to make a latte masterpiece, as it provides a perfect creamy, frothy texture. It contains many B vitamins and is higher fiber, which can help decrease blood cholesterol levels. Even though oat milk is naturally low in protein, brands like Califia Farms sell “protein oat milk” that has added protein and omega-3’s. Additional oat milk brands include Silk Oat-Yeah, Oat-ly, and Chobani Oat Milk.
Cow’s milk sales have declined by 13% in the last five years, as plant-based milk alternatives rise in popularity due to health and environmental concerns as well as food allergies. With this increased demand, more products are becoming available to help consumers meet their unique milk needs and preferences. Research on consumer behavior revealed that milk buyers most frequently look at fat content regarding dairy milk, sugar content for plant-based milks, and view almond milk as the most desirable plant-based milk source. As always, it’s crucial to be informed and understand potential nutrition gaps in food and beverage choices—especially when there are so many options on the market.
Emma Willingham is a registered dietitian who practices in an outpatient hospital clinic and through her private practice, Fuel with Emma. Willingham specializes in sports-performance nutrition, weight management and nutrition counseling, and aims to promote a resilient relationship between food, mind and body. You can find her on social media at @fuelwithemma.
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