How to Choose a Milk Alternative

So many milk alternatives, but which one to choose? It’s the dilemma that strikes indecisiveness in the heart of every dairy-free eater. Now that there’s everything from flaxmilk to macadamia milk available, we’re left hovering in the refrigerated aisle wondering, “Which one is best?”.

Wonder no longer! I bought, tasted, and analyzed (almost) all the milks so you don’t have to. This ultimate guide to milk alternatives is a must-read for anyone who avoids dairy. I’m breaking it down by nutrition profile, taste, and versatility to help you find your best fit!

What Are Milk Alternatives?

Milk alternatives are usually made by blending water with a seed, nut, or grain, and adding thickeners and emulsifiers to create a creamy texture and prevent separation. They are also fortified with vitamins and minerals, with the same or more calcium and Vitamin D than would be found in regular cow’s milk.

The calorie and protein content of milk alternatives vary depending on the seed, nut, or grain that’s used as the base. For example, coconut milk has more fat than almond milk because coconuts are naturally higher in fat than almonds. And soymilk is higher in protein than cashewmilk because soybeans have more protein than cashews.

There’s currently an FDA debate around if milk alternatives should be allowed to use the term “milk” on their label, since they’re not technically “milk”, so that’s why they’re labeled as “coconutmilk” (one word) instead of “coconut milk” (two words), for now.

Evaluating the Milk Alternatives

I went to my local (non-fancy) grocery store and bought plain unsweetened versions of six milk alternatives:

• Cashewmilk
• Almondmilk
• Coconutmilk
• Macadamia milk
• Soymilk
• Flaxmilk

I bought the cheapest version of each type of milk, regardless of brand. Yes, I did buy six cartons of nut milks at one time, and no we did not have any fridge space for weeks!

Next, I assessed:

• Ingredient lists
• Nutrition Facts labels
• Taste
• Consistency
• Price

Finally, the fun part! Kitchen experiments: trying out each milk alternative in a chia pudding recipe and a cup of coffee. I wanted to see how they taste and act in normal everyday foods. With one exception: Chris had to taste the soymilk for me since I can’t eat soy.

The Winners

After compiling all the information, I thought (and tasted) long and hard – and here are my favorites for most versatile, most nutritious, best value, and tastiest milk alternatives!

MOST VERSATILE

In determining most versatile, I looked for a well-rounded milk alternative that tastes good and performs consistently no matter how you use it. Basically, if you were on a desert island and could take one milk with you, which one would it be?

The winner: Almondmilk

Why: It’s flavorful, but not overpoweringly so. It’s not too thin and watery, and not too rich and creamy. It’s somewhere in the middle. The almond flavor is more neutral than some of the other nut milk options. It’s also easy to find in almost all stores, available in multiple brands, and is fairly inexpensive compared to the more exclusive milk alternatives.

MOST NUTRITIOUS

This category is all about nutrition value. What does this milk alternative contribute to your overall health that the others do not? The ingredient lists and Nutrition Facts panels of most of the milks are fairly similar – mostly water, mostly lower in protein, and all fortified with vitamins and minerals. So which one stands out?

The winner: Flaxmilk

Why: Omega-3 fatty acids! According to the product packaging, each cup of flaxmilk contains 1,200 mg of Omega-3 fatty acids. The “healthy” fats that everyone can agree on, Omega-3’s are known to have an anti-inflammatory effect. The Institute of Medicine defined the daily “Adequate Intake” (AI) for adults as 1,100 mg per day for females and 1,600 mg per day for males. So, 1 cup of flaxmilk nearly has you covered. It’s always a good idea to get your omega-3’s from a variety of food sources, but this milk is a great start. It does have the thinnest consistency and was the second most expensive, but I’ve been enjoying it all week nonetheless!

BEST VALUE

For me, “best value” means reasonably priced, easy to find, and available in both store brand and name brand options. While passing the taste test, of course. Buying dairy alternatives can get expensive, so value is important!

The winner: Almondmilk + Soymilk tie

Why: These milk alternatives are the two “original” milk alternatives that seem to have been around the longest. They’re both easy to find and are the most reasonably priced of all the options. They also both performed well in the chia seed and coffee tests – creamy and thick enough without overly strong flavors.

TASTIEST

For this category I was looking for something that not only tastes delicious on its own, but also adds something special to the foods and drinks you add it to.

The winner: Macadamia milk

Why: It’s creamy and only mildly nutty. It tastes like a “milk”, not like a nut, if that makes sense! I appreciate that it is flavorful without being overwhelmingly strong. With 50 calories per cup, it’s higher in calories than some of the others, but it’s worth it for the extra creaminess! The macadamia chia pudding was delicious. The only downsides I noticed were that it separated a bit in the coffee test, and it was also the most expensive.

The Highlights

Here is an overview of each milk alternative, with all the information I used to select my picks above:

 

Which is the Best?

So what’s the verdict? What is the single BEST milk alternative? You tell me! It completely depends on your taste preferences, budget, what you use it for, and if you have any special diet restrictions (such as low-FODMAP).

For example, if you want a creamier coffee macadamia or coconutmilk may be your favorites. If you are trying to boost your Omega-3 intake then flaxmilk could be your new best friend!

I should note that I do not think that dairy is “bad”, or that everyone should be using milk alternatives. If you can tolerate dairy foods, that’s awesome! They are a great source of protein, calcium, and other vitamins and minerals. Also, there is a lot of controversy about soy “isoflavones” and their ability to mimic estrogen in the body. I did not rule out soymilk as a healthy option because the jury is still out on this, and soymilk is lower in isoflavones compared to more concentrated soy foods like isolated soy protein.

So, get out there and try something new! I did not try rice milk, hemp milk, quinoa milk, or oat milk (had to draw the line somewhere). If you have, I’d love to hear about your experiences – leave me a comment below!

 

References

• National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements “Omega-3 Fatty Acids” factsheet
• MonashFodmap.com (the premier authority on FODMAP testing)
• Harvard “The Nutrition Source: Straight Talk About Soy”