Plant milk is a growing multibillion- dollar industry with multiple options made from nuts, seeds, grains, legumes, and fruits.
Unless fortified, plant milks are generally not a good source of vitamins, protein or calcium.
Fortified soy milk best matches the nutrition profile of cow’s milk for protein, calcium, Vitamin A and D. Consider using non-GMO or organic versions of all soy products to reduce exposure to pesticides.
Almond milk is now the most popular plant milk with different flavors and calorie options. Due to pesticide and fungicide use on almond trees and because some manufacturers use propylene oxide gas (PPO) to pasteurize the almonds during processing, consider an organic version of almond milk.
Tips for choosing your plant-based milk:
- Highest in non-fortified protein: Pea and soy
- Generally highest in fortified calcium: Hemp, oat, almond, chia and pea
- Highest omega-3 fat content: Hemp, avocado and chia seed milk
- Love for lattes: Oat milk. Choose organic as non-organic oats are sprayed with glyphosate just prior to harvest.
- Works best for baking: Soy milk, almond milk, and full fat oat milk. Rice milk does not work well in baked products.
- Best for cooking depends on flavor and creaminess desired.
- No need to buy organic: Hemp and avocado
- Environmentally friendly: Hemp, flax, hazelnut, macadamia, and pea. Some milks use upcycling processes such as left-over protein from sesame oil production. Barley milk can be upcycled from beer production, and avocado milk can be made from “ugly” avocados. (All brand specific).
- The least earth friendly plant milks: Almond and rice milk use large amounts of water. Most almonds are grown in California which has had years of drought. The chemicals used by some almond growers are harmful to the pollinating bees. Soy has high land use requirements and high pesticide use but soy does put nitrogen back in the soil. Rice paddies can develop methane gas producing bacteria that contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.
- It is best to choose non-dairy milks without added sugars, stabilizers, gums, synthetic preservatives, or synthetic fats.
For more info please visit: EWG.org, Today's Dietitian February 2022.
This nutrition tip article was submitted by Susan LaBate, RDN at Littleton Hospital.
