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?
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.
All measures are based on a 1-cup serving and percentages refer to percent of the recommended daily value (DV) for that nutrient.
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.
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.
Verdict: Don’t be afraid of the healthy fats found in plant milks. Try hemp or soy milk for an omega-3 boost..
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.
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.
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.
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.
Verdict: Iron comes from many vegetarian sources, including soy and hemp beverages.
Verdict: When comparing cow’s milk to plant beverages, all must be fortified to be a source of vitamins A and D.
Verdict: For those on sodium-restricted diets, the lowest-sodium beverage is unsweetened soy milk (0 mg).