More than Milk

Milk and Milk Alternatives:

It seems like every day there is a new milk alternative popping up. Some research shows that close to 50% of US households purchase at least one non-dairy milk option when grocery shopping. Whether you are interested in milk alternatives because of an allergy or intolerance, looking for a more plant based eating approach or just curious about something new to delight your taste buds, it helps to know the differences and benefits of each of your options.

So what factors are there to consider? Nutrition, dietary restrictions, cost, availability, planned use (for drinking, baking, in smoothies, cereal, etc.), sustainability… the list goes on. Here we will focus on the nutritional components and how each fits in with varying dietary restrictions.

* Nutritional variations in cow’s milk relates to fat content. Varieties include skim/fat-free, 1%, 2% and whole milk

**Some variation in nutrition facts and ingredients will occur with different brands. Flavored versions of each milk/milk alternative contain additional ingredients

***Not all brands or flavors are the same. If you have a food allergy, always check the labels for all food and drink items before consuming to review the ingredient list.

So after all of that, what should you drink? Like most nutrition topics, it’s a bit complicated. Let’s start with the main purpose of milk or milk alternatives, calcium.

Calcium – Nutritionally, cow’s milk is naturally an excellent source of calcium, essential for bone health. Most plant based milk alternatives are fortified to provide similar or sometimes greater amounts of calcium as cow’s milk.

Vitamins – Bone health requires not only calcium, but vitamin D as well. Most milks (cow’s and plant based alternatives) are fortified with vitamin D and vitamin A.

Protein – One area cow’s milk stands far and above the majority of milk alternatives, is with protein. One cup of cow’s milk or soy milk provides between 6-9g of protein, equivalent to the amount in one egg or 1 oz of meat. The remainder of the plant based milk alternatives provide 0-2g per cup.

Sugar – Unflavored cow’s milk and unsweetened versions of almond, soy, rice, oat, cashew and coconut milk all are free of added sugars, meaning any sugar present is naturally occurring. The sweetened versions however, contain anywhere from 5-16g of added sugar per cup (equivalent to 1 ¼-4 teaspoons of added sugar per cup). When choosing a milk or milk alternative, it is best to choose unsweetened versions (some brands offer unsweetened flavored milk alternatives).

Carbohydrates – Despite their plant origins, milk alternatives are not good sources of dietary fiber. In fact, most provide few grams of carbohydrates at all. Carbohydrates are a healthy and necessary source of energy, so whether your milk of choice is low or higher in carbs, be sure to choose one where the carbs present are naturally occurring, rather than coming from added sugars.

Saturated Fat – Animal products often contain it, while plant products usually don’t. Coconut is an exception. Aside from fat-free/skim, all cow’s milk and coconut milk contains some saturated fat. If using cow’s milk, choosing a lower fat version will help keep saturated fat content down.

Allergies – For those with milk, tree-nut or soy allergies there are a variety of safe, healthy and tasty options for you as well. As each brand differs and many often change up their recipes and ingredients, be sure to double check the ingredients for your specific allergy before drinking. Although coconuts are not nuts, they are technically considered tree-nuts by the FDA and labeled as such.

Lactose Intolerance – Luckily, for most people with a lactose intolerance, lactose-free cow’s milk or any of the milk alternatives are great substitutions. Lactose-free cow’s milk comes in skim/fat-free, 1%, 2% and whole, just like traditional cow’s milk. Nutritionally, differences between traditional cow’s milk and their lactose-free milk equivalents, are minimal. The difference is the addition of the enzyme lactase, which breaks down the lactose (milk’s natural sugar), thus making the milk more easily digestible and suitable for lactose intolerance. Bonus – lactose-free milk often tastes sweeter (without adding any sugar) than traditional cow’s milk!

Veganism – While all the milks listed above are vegetarian, only the plant based milk alternatives are vegan.

Bonus Points:

• Baking up a storm lately? Wondering which milk alternative to use? Some considerations… coconut milk will add its signature “coconutty” flavor, while almond and cashew milk will add their own nutty flavors, tastes you may or may not enjoy. Soy milk is thick and creamy, but will impact taste, while rice milk, which is thin compared to cow’s milk, may not yield similar textural results to cow’s milk. Oat milk has a similar thickness to cow’s milk and likely won’t alter the taste too much. Keep in mind, any milk alternative will alter the nutritional composition of the recipe.
• Most plant based milk alternatives are low in protein. Consider adding another protein source when using these as the primary “milk” source in any food/recipe. Examples: Add sliced almonds on top of your cereal, add nut butter, silken tofu, yogurt or protein powder to smoothies, etc.
• Vitamin B12 – Following a vegetarian or vegan diet can make it difficult to meet your daily needs for Vitamin B12. One cup of cow’s milk naturally provides 50% of the daily recommended amount and some milk alternatives are fortified with Vitamin B12.

Sources:

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2019/jan/29/white-gold-the-unstoppable-rise-of-alternative-milks-oat-soy-rice-coconut-plant

https://silk.com/plant-based-products/

https://www.peapod.com/home