With so many non-dairy milk substitutes on the market today, you have more choices than ever when looking for the right alternative. For those who cannot consume regular dairy, it can be overwhelming trying to decide which non-dairy substitute to use. We pulled together some common (and not-so-common), non-dairy milks to help you make the best decision for your body.
According to a Nielsen survey released in 2016, almond milk is the most popular non-dairy milk in America, with sales rising 250 percent from 2011 through 2015. Almond milk is made by aggressively blending almonds and water and then straining it. Vegan- and lactose-free, it has 50 percent less fat than cow’s milk with no cholesterol—a great alternative to your breakfast cereal. However, it is lower in protein and calcium than dairy or soy milk, due to the amount of water used in the blending process, which dilutes the natural protein of the nut. Just beware of flavored or sweetened varieties of almond milk that are often loaded with sugar.
Meet the new kid in the milk aisle: pea milk. An no, it’s not green. While it may sound strange, pea milk is a huge up-and-coming milk alternative. Pea milk is vegan-, lactose-, soy-, and gluten-free, and safe for anyone with nut allergies. On top of all that, it has more calcium than other non-dairy milks. It’s made using a similar method as almond milk, by milling yellow peas into flour and then soaking them in water with other ingredients, such as sunflower oil, sea salt, and B12 vitamins. The B12 in pea milk is also a great for vegetarians who often lack the vitamin commonly found in animal protein. Production of pea milk uses less water than almond milk and less carbon than dairy milk, making it a much more eco-friendly milk option.
The only real downside to pea milk at the moment is cost with smaller pea milk brands like Ripple charging around $5.99 per quart. But as pea milk grows in popularity, the brand suspects the price will drop even lower than current dairy-milk prices, according to an article in Bloomberg.
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Soy Milk
Soy milk is one of the plant-based milks that has been around the longest, and for good reason. The Journal of Food Science and Technologyfound that while cow’s milk had the most complete assortment of protein, fat, and carbs, soy milk came in a close second. It also clocks in with the most protein of the plant-based milks, with 8 oz servings containing around 7 to 12 grams. Soy milk is typically made like many of the other alternatives on the list: the beans are soaked in water for around 8 hours, blended, strained, and boiled. And no, indulging in soy milk will not give you man boobs, so you can put your mammary anxiety to bed.
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Hemp Milk
Hemp milk is a non-dairy milk derived from whole hemp seeds. The seeds may come from the Cannabis plant, but they don’t contain THC, so if you were worried hemp milk will get you high, don’t be. It’s made by blending the seeds with water, then filtering it, so you can make it at home. It’s thicker and creamier than dairy milk and has a nutty flavor similar to almond milk. It’s also got plenty of omega-3 fatty acids, which can help with blood pressure and cholesterol. The only drawback: it’s lower in protein than dairy and other non-dairy alternative milks like soy.
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Coconut Milk
Coconuts aren’t nuts at all; they’re a fruit. And the milk is made by grinding the fruit’s flesh (aka the white stuff on the inside), adding hot water, and letting the cream of the coconut rise to the top. The cream is then skimmed off the top and strained through cheesecloth to get the coconut milk. This is why coconut milk is typically thinner, unless used in rich desserts. Don’t confuse the milk with coconut water, which is the liquid from the center of a young, green coconut, as opposed to the white flesh of a ripened brown coconut. Coconut flesh is high in fiber and vitamins such as C and E—so, ya know, it’s full of good stuff.
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Oat Milk
Just when you thought there couldn’t possibly be any more milk alternatives, we have oat milk, the newest of the non-dairy milks that has been taking social media by storm. Oat milk is made from steel-cut oats soaked in water, blended, then strained with cheesecloth. “While the leftover oat pulp has the bulk of the fiber and most of the protein in the oats, the liquid or ‘milk’ that results does have some of the nutrients in oats,” according to Kelly R. Jones M.S., L.D.N., a registered dietitian. “Because oats absorb water more easily than nuts, when blended well enough, more of the food itself winds up passing through the cheesecloth, giving a creamier texture than nut milk without added ingredients.”
Oat milk is ideal for those who are allergic to dairy and nuts. It can also be safe for those who are gluten-free—if the oat milk brand uses gluten-free oats. While it doesn’t have as much protein as dairy and soy, it is much more protein-rich than other milk alternatives. Oat milk has the highest amount of fiber of all the milk options, including the typical dairy version. Oat milk has a thicker consistency than other alternatives, making it a coffee shop favorite for lattes, cappuccinos, and even smoothies and soups. Silk has recently released their own line of oat milks called Oat Yeah, which are now available at Target and Walmart.
