Know Your [Cow’s, Almond, Soy, Rice, Coconut] Milk

What kind of milk do you drink?

Lately, many alternatives to milk and other dairy products have been emerging on grocery store shelves everywhere. Milk alternatives such as soy milk, almond milk, rice milk, and other plant-based milks are good alternatives for people who are lactose intolerant, vegan, or have a milk allergy, but are all milk alternatives created equally? Here is the break down:

	Cow’s Milk*	Almond Milk*
Calories	Ranges from 90-150 calories per 1 cup	Lower in calories than both cow’s milk and soy milk
Fat	Ranges from 0 g fat in skim varieties to 8 g fat in whole milk with 5 g saturated fat	Only 2.5 g total fat and no saturated fat
Cholesterol	Contains very low amounts of cholesterol	No cholesterol
Protein	Has 8 g protein per 1 cup	Only 1 g protein per 1 cup
Vitamins and Minerals	10% daily value of vitamin D and 25% daily value of calcium	25% daily value of vitamin D and 45% daily value of calcium
	Soy Milk*	Other Plant-Based Milks*
Calories	Lower in calories than cow’s milk	Lower in calories
Fat	4 g total fat and 0.5 g saturated fat per 1 cup	Fat content varies by milk type
Cholesterol	No cholesterol	No cholesterol
Protein	Has 7 g protein per 1 cup	Ranges from 0-4 g protein
Vitamins and Minerals	25% daily value of vitamin D and 45% daily value of calcium	Variable amounts of calcium and vitamin D

A couple things to keep in mind:

•  Adding flavor to milk or milk alternatives often adds extra sugar and calories
•  Despite fortification of plant-based milks with calcium and vitamin D, these nutrients may not be as bioavailable- meaning the body may not be able to absorb them as well

Besides the nutritional differences of milk and milk alternatives, there are other reasons that consumers are giving up the cow’s milk and turning to plant-based milks. Some consumers prefer milk alternatives because they are believed to be more sustainable to produce than cow’s milk. While livestock does take a toll on the environment, milk alternatives may not be much more sustainable. Almonds and walnuts, for example, use up a tremendous amount of water and cause droughts in regions where this plant is farmed. Others prefer milk alternatives due to ethical issues of raising livestock. And some consumers may choose milk alternatives out of necessity because they cannot consume milk products due to allergies or intolerance. 

Regardless of the reason, it is important to know what you are drinking and choose the milk or milk alternative that best fits your nutritional and personal needs.

AC

References:

Schuster, M. J., Wang, X., Hawkins, T., & Painter, J. E. (2018). Comparison of the nutrient content of cow’s milk and nondairy milk alternatives: what’s the difference?. Nutrition Today, 53(4), 153-159.

Sethi, S., Tyagi, S. K., & Anurag, R. K. (2016). Plant-based milk alternatives an emerging segment of functional beverages: a review. Journal of food science and technology, 53(9), 3408-3423.

Wright, K.C. (2018). The coup in the dairy aisle. Today’s Dietitian, 20(9), 28.