Know Your Milks: A Guide of Plant Based Milks

Long gone are the times where you didn’t have any other ‘milk’ options besides regular old  cow’s milk. Businesses all around the world have been working hard to fill our supermarket shelves with epic plant based milk alternatives. 

You may be seeking a plant based alternative to regular milk as you’re lactose intolerant, or you may be dropping dairy products from your diet. Whatever the reason, there are a bunch of different vegan options in the milk aisle that you can now choose from.

Read on to learn about the main different milk alternatives that there are out there and how much nutritional value 

Almond Milk

For our first vegan option to dairy milk, you could opt for almond milk, one of the most popular alternatives. It typically contains crushed almonds and filtered water, and possibly various starches and thickeners to enhance its shelf life and consistency.

Obviously, if you are  allergic to nuts then almond milk is not for you. To control your calorie intake you may want to opt for unsweetened almond milk as the regular one can be chock full of sugars. According to Healthline, a cup of regular unsweetened almond milk typically consists of about 30–35 calories, 1–2 grams of carbohydrates, 2.5 grams of fat, and 1 gram of protein.

Almond milk can replace typical milk in most scenarios. It’s now commonly found being poured into lattes and you can find me using it in my morning porridge and tofu scramble mix.

Hot tip, I always buy almond milk that is fortified with B12, Calcium and Iron - an easy way for any vegan to inject this into their diet.

Soy Milk

Our next plant-based option is soy milk, which you’ve probably heard of before! It’s typically made from soybeans and filtered water. It also tends to have thickeners to prolong its shelf life. The same Healthline source reveals that a cup of unsweetened soy milk consists of 80–90 calories, 4 grams of carbohydrates, 4–4.5 grams of fat, and 7–9 grams of protein.

Soy milk does not contain cholesterol due to its natural ingredients, making it low in saturated fat and free from lactose. In addition, it can be a great source of protein, calcium, and potassium.

Hot tip, I always buy soy milk that is fortified with B12, Calcium and Iron - an easy way for any vegan to inject this into their diet.

Rice Milk

Next up is rice milk. Made of a mixture of rice and water, this milk is the perfect alternative beverage for anyone with allergies as fewer people have an allergy to rice than soy and almond. It’s a great choice for those who are lactose intolerant or are allergic to soy and nuts.

However, rice milk has the most carbohydrates according to Healthline because a cup contains 130–140 calories, 27–38 grams of carbohydrates, 2–3 grams of fat, and 1 gram of protein. 

Hot tip, I always buy rice milk that is fortified with B12, Calcium and Iron - an easy way for any vegan to inject this into their diet.

Oat Milk

Okay, we couldn’t help but add one more in—oat milk. It’s the latest of the milks to start hitting our shelves and is the newest craze. With Healthline reporting a cup coming in at 140–170 calories, 19–29 grams of carbohydrates, 4.5–5 grams of fat, and 2.5–5 grams of protein, oat milk is not only delicious but comes with a natural sweetness that makes it incredibly popular for making beverages. If you’re looking for a plant-based milk for your morning coffee, this could be just the thing!

Oh, and if you’re looking for flavoured oat milk - then check these guys out from Nippy’s.

Conclusion

If you wish to minimise your dairy consumption and still get all the nutrients you need, you can find plenty of plant-based drinks at the supermarket, such as almond milk, soy milk, oat milk and rice milk, to name a few. If you’re avoiding lactose, nuts or soy - don’t worry, there is an option for you! 

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