Soy is the original – and still most popular – dairy-less “milk” (or “beverage” to be more correct), but alternatives like rice, almond, hemp and oat moving their way up from the bottom shelves of health food stores to prime grocery real estate.
There still seems to be some hesitation towards alternative beverages, with the majority preferring dairy or soy milk over all others.
Nutritionally speaking, should you switch out your soy, or ditch the dairy?
Nutritional Comparison of Non-Dairy Milks
Dairy (cow’s) milk has set the nutritional standard for most current nutrition recommendations. Non-dairy milks came later and are usually fortified with vitamins and minerals to make them nutritionally more similar to cow’s milk. This does not mean plant beverages are less nutritious – it just means they contain a different set of nutrients. Scroll down to see how each measures up with respect to calories, fat, sugar, protein, vitamins and calcium.
Key Nutrients for Vegetarians and Vegans: A Dairy to Non-Dairy Comparison
All measures are based on a 1-cup serving and percentages refer to percent of the recommended daily value (DV) for that nutrient.
Summary:
Most foods can fit into a healthy diet, but the best idea is to eat a wide variety of foods to ensure intake of many different nutrients. Rice milk and almond milk are less similar to cow's milk than soy or hemp milk. If rice or almond is a favourite, be sure to not rely on them for important nutrients like protein or calcium (unless fortified). No plant milks are suitable for use as infant formula.
Calories
- Partly-skimmed (2%) dairy milk has 130 calories per cup; on par with most brands of soy and hemp milks.
- Almond and rice milks have fewer calories, but are less concentrated in other nutrients too.
Verdict: Stick with unsweetened or original flavour plant beverages to keep calories around the levels for cow’s milk. Lower-calorie or “light” beverages usually contain more water, artificial sweeteners and thickeners to compensate.
Fat
- Cow’s milk contains about 5 grams of fat, most of which are saturated.
- Plant beverages are high in healthy unsaturated fats
- Soy and hemp milks contain about 5 grams each
- Rice and almond have less (1-2 grams)
Verdict: Don’t be afraid of the healthy fats found in plant milks. Try hemp or soy milk for an omega-3 boost.
Protein
- Dairy milk has 8 grams of protein per cup
- Switching to soy or hemp milk won’t make much different (6-8 grams each)
- Rice and almond milk are low in protein (1-2 grams).
Verdict: The best protein from a milkless beverage comes from unsweetened whole soy milk. Brands like Edensoy Unsweetened do not dilute their whole soybean and water mixture with sweeteners and thickeners, which boosts the protein content to up to 12 grams per cup.
Carbohydrates and Sugar
- Cow’s milk has about 12 grams of carbohydrates, most of which (11 grams) come from the naturally-occurring milk sugar lactose.
- Most plant bevvies have sugar added to make them more appealing, and the result is an average of 8 grams carbohydrates and 6 grams sugar per cup.
- Rice milk is an exception. It is very high in carbohydrates (24 grams) and sugar (11 grams)
Verdict: Choose any “milk” you like, but don’t rely on the sugary rice milk. A balance of fat, protein and carbohydrates will balance the glycemic index (GI) and help avoid blood sugar fluctuations. Sweetened, flavoured beverages that taste like candy probably have about as much sugar and calories as candy.
Calcium
- Cow’s milk is the only milk that has naturally high levels of calcium – about 30% of the 1000 mg recommended daily intake for most adults.
- Non-dairy milks are usually fortified to about this level
- Calcium content should be listed on the label of any non-dairy milk
- Unfortified beverages hover around 2%-4% daily calcium needs.
Verdict: Plant milks are available fortified or unfortified – if calcium is a concern (or if plant milk is being substituted directly in the diet for cow’s milk), choose a fortified brand.
Vitamin B12
- Vitamin B12 is only available naturally from animal sources, including dairy
- Cow’s milk has about 1 mcg (microgram) per cup
- Plant milks are soemtimes fortified with B12 at varying levels
Verdict: Vegans need to ensure they include a source of vitamin B12 in their diets in the form of a supplement or fortified products. Vegetarians who eat dairy and/or eggs should not have difficulty getting enough B12.
Iron
- Vegetarians needs more iron than omnivores, because plant iron is not absorbed as well
- Cow’s milk contains no iron
- Hemp and soy milks are highest in iron (10-20% each).
- Almond and rice milks are iron-poor (just 2% each).
Verdict: Iron comes from many vegetarian sources, including soy and hemp beverages.
Vitamins A and D
- Cow’s milk is fortified with both vitamin A (10%) and vitamin D (about 30%).
- If vitamins A and D are not added to plant beverages, they are not present in significant amounts.
Verdict: When comparing cow’s milk to plant beverages, all must be fortified to be a source of vitamins A and D.
Sodium (Salt)
- Cow’s milk contains 100 mg sodium; close to plain soy milk (120 mg), hemp milk (95 mg), and rice milk (100 mg).
- Almond milk is the highest (150 mg) but still fairly low compared to the suggested maximum intake of 2400 mg per day.
Verdict: For those on sodium-restricted diets, the lowest-sodium beverage is unsweetened soy milk (0 mg).
