One of the top questions I get as a holistic nutritionist is “What’s the best non-dairy milk out there?” It’s such a great question given that 65% of the world’s population is unable to tolerate lactose, the naturally-occurring sugar in milk , and a number of people are allergic to casein, the protein in dairy.
Even if you can tolerate dairy, you may find plant-based milks to be a delicious and healthy choice for you and your family!
There are so many great and not-so-great varieties out there, which I will break down here! We looked at five popular kinds of plant-based milk: almond, cashew, coconut, hemp and oat, and have divided each according to taste and texture, nutritional benefits, best use and favourite brands. Making your own is a healthier route since you control what goes into your milk, but I understand it’s not always possible – that said, once you do it for yourself, you’ll see how quick and easy it is!
Please note: Nutritionally, plant-based milk is not a direct substitute for cow’s milk. If you’ve been drinking cow’s milk solely for the purpose of calcium, you will not get the same amount of calcium in plant-based milk unless it’s been fortified. That being said, you can certainly eat a dairy-free diet and get adequate levels of calcium so long as you eat a wide variety of foods such as beans, nuts, seeds, fish, vegetables and more .
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Here are some tips to consider when shopping for plant-based milk at the supermarket:
- Choose unsweetened or naturally sweetened (with dates or maple syrup, for instance) varieties.
- Look in the refrigerated section, since the shelf-stable options contain preservatives, additives and sugars and excessive sodium
- Although most store-bought plant-based milk will likely include a few extra ingredients, you should avoid sweeteners (cane juice, cane syrup, cane sugar), added flavours and colours, vegetable oils like canola, carrageenan, cellulose gum and polysorbate 80 (emulsifiers), GMO soy, vitamin D2 and other isolated vitamins (which are typically synthetic nutrients). It may be difficult to avoid synthetic nutrients (even in reputable brands) so that’s the lesser of all the food additive evils but you definitely shouldn’t rely on plant-based milk to fill any nutritional gaps in your diet.
- Store-bought varieties also contain thickeners and emulsifiers that may impact digestive health. There is emerging research on how these food additives may alter our microbiome.
- For coconut milk, go for full-fat coconut milk (not coconut ‘beverage’) and, if it’s canned, make sure the can is BPA-free.
- Look for organic, non-GMO and gluten- and soy-free!
It’s not nutritionally necessary to be slurping back these plant-based milks, so enjoy them in moderation, say in a smoothie or with your tea
or coffee.
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Check out the ingredients list on this container of shelf-stable almond milk from a popular brand:
And here’s the simple, readable ingredients list from refrigerated almond-cashew-coconut milk I found at my local health food store:
Pop quiz: which one do you think I chose? And, more important, which one would you choose?
I prefer to make my own plant milks and have a few joyous recipes for you to try. (As I mentioned, it’s super simple to do!) When buying, I prefer more local, artisanal brands that don’t have many icky additives (i.e. Mylko, Village Juicery and Greenhouse Juice in Toronto). Check out your local health-food store for artisanal brands and share them with the Joyous community in the comments below!
- How to Make Almond Milk
- Creamy Vanilla Cashew Milk
- Super Simple Homemade Coconut Milk
- Spicy Hot Chocolate with Creamy Hemp Milk
- How to Make Oat Milk
Joy
14 thoughts on “Choosing the Best Plant-Based Milks”
Thanks Joy. I’ve often struggled to find plant based mills without all the added junk.
May I ask the brand of the one you listed as I can’t find one with as simple of ingredients as you’ve listed?
Thank you.
Hi Joy! What brand is the Almond Cashew Coconut milk?
I really love Mylko but it’s a local brand in Toronto so depending on where you live you may or may not have it!
I have been buying Mylko lately because it’s so pure and has no additives but it is not cheap either. I find most of the artisanal milks have no additives like Village Juicery or Greenhouse Juice. If you’re not from Toronto I would check your local juice bar to see if they make a nut milk.
Hi Joy, my 9 month old is dealing with a dairy allergy. I’ve been curious about the 1 year mark when “they” say to transition from formula to cow’s milk. Do you have any advice on an alternative milk?
Hi Lisha, I think you’ll find this post and video here incredibly valuable: https://www.joyoushealth.com/27305-blog-should-you-give-your-child-cows-milk
You definitely do not have to start giving your child cow’s milk. I gave my daughter organic goat milk for a time period and she really loved it. Goat is easier on the tummy than cow milk.
Do you have a recipe for oat milk?
I recently made Tiger Nut milk. I think it’s my favourite of all the non-dairy variations. I have no idea what they are….but I saw a recipe one day and the next day I saw a bag of them at Costco. A pleasant surprise!
Hi Karen, I do! Here you go: https://www.joyoushealth.com/27394-blog-how-to-make-homemade-oat-milk
Good to know! I haven’t tried tiger nut milk yet but I have tiger nut flour and I really like the flavour.
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Hi,
My daughter also has a dairy allergy and you should not consume goat milk if you have a dairy allergy as the two proteins are similar and your child will likely react.
What brand of Almond Milk do you recommend? I live in the U.S. Thanks!
The main thing is to look for one that doesn’t have any emulsifiers or vegetable oil added. This one is very clean: https://elmhurst1925.com/products/unsweetened-milked-almonds