Plant Milks: In or Out?
Socially there is no question: Plant milks are in and have been in for the past decade! According to the USDA, fluid cow’s milk consumption has been declining steadily since the 60s. This is due to many factors likely related to animal rights, environmental concerns, some misinformation and the increased marketing of dairy alternative products. The proliferation of new food products often brings nutrition related questions and myths. Plant milks are no exception.
As dietitians, we are often asked: what plant milk alternative is better? Is oat milk bad for me? Is cows milk bad for me? Do I even need to drink milk? Does my child need milk? The list goes on!
As usual, the answer is nuanced, individual and depending on what lens you’re using, may have different responses.
When considering strictly the nutritional value of an alternative milk product, we can look directly at numbers and find out which comes out on top. The “gold standard” for milk culturally here in the USA is cows milk. This is what every milk alternative is “compared” to because that is the market they are trying to replace.
So let’s take a closer look and see how the numbers compare:
Cows Milk and Plant Milks nutritional comparison. Sources: USDA Food Data Central & Harvard T.S. Chan: The Nutrition Source
Looking at these values as strictly a numbers game, goats milk comes out on top hands down. Goats milk values were provided to offer another animal milk comparison to cows milk. Nutritionally goats milk wins in every category, so you may be asking yourself “why isn’t goats milk recommended?” Valid question and one which can likely be answered by cultural taste preference (goats milk has a strong flavor), accessibility, production techniques and the American Dairy Industry (a topic for another day).
When examining the plant milk alternatives compared to cows milk, Soy milk offers the most promising profile. Soy contains a comparable amount of protein, calcium and potassium which are all important nutrients and reasons why milk is commonly recommended. Where is lacks is in the fat category, which is lacking in mostly all of the milk alternatives.
In order to come to the “correct” conclusion for which milk product you “should” be using, a variety of questions would have to be answered:
When am I drinking this milk product?
Why am I drinking it?
Is this milk product providing me with any nutrients which I am not getting from other sources in my diet?
What nutrients am I looking to get from my milk product?
Do I enjoy the taste of the milk product I drink?
Does this milk product fit into my budget?
Do I personally have environmental impact concerns related to this milk product?
You get the point!
Plant Milks: In or Out? Truly you decide. There is no milk product which is “bad” for you. There are, however milk products, which may be more nutritionally dense.
At the end of the day, its up to you!
If you have specific questions related to your individual needs or your family’s needs concerning milk, speak to your doctor or your dietitian!
