What’s the Best Non-Dairy Milk?

If you’re avoiding cow’s milk for dietary or ethical reasons, it can be confusing to figure out which pre-packaged non-dairy alternatives are best. Of course, the best option always is make your own. But sometimes it’s helpful to have a ready-to-go option when there’s limited time. Here is what I think of each non-dairy alternative and my recommended brands.

SOY MILK

Science is still figuring out exactly how soy affects hormones. Some studies have found it to be cancer-protective, others have found soy to be cancer-promoting. (Source) Because of my personal struggles with hormonal imbalances, I limit soy in my diet. I’ll have the occasional cup of edamame or tofu, but with with plenty of other options, I choose to avoid soy milk.

Best brand: None

ALMOND MILK

Almond milk has recently been broiled in controversy about its ecological footprint and impact on drought-stricken California, as well as its lack of inherent nutrition. (Read about it here.) However, many argue that while it does take quite a bit of water to produce, drinking cow’s milk has a much larger ecological footprint.

Best brand: Whole Foods Market 365 Organic Unsweetened Almond Milk

Ingredients: Organic almondmilk (filtered water, organic almonds), tricalcium phosphate, sea salt, xanthan gum, potassium citrate, sunflower lecithin, vitamin a palmitate, ergocalciferol (vitamin d2), dl-alpha tocopherol acetate (vitamin e).

Pros:

• No carrageenan
• Low in sugar
• Organic

Cons:

• Synthetic vitamins added; not likely to be used beneficially by the body.

HEMP MILK

Hemp milk can be a very nutritious choice, providing 10 essential amino acids, omega-3 fatty acids, and protein.

Best brand: HempBliss

Ingredients:  Organic hemp base (filtered water, organic shelled hemp seed), organic hemp oil, tri-calcium phosphate, organic gum acacia, organic guar gum, xanthan gum, sea salt.

Pros:

• organic
• Sugar-free
• No carrageenan
• No synthetic vitamins added

Cons:

• Now only available in Canada.

RICE MILK

Rice milk can be a good alternative if you have nut or coconut allergies. However, it has little nutritional value other than the vitamins added to “enrich” the product. It’s made by simply boiling rice and then adding thickeners and vitamins.

Best brand: Kirkland Signature

Ingredients: Filtered water, partially milled organic rice, organice expeller pressed sunflower oil and/ or organic expeller pressed safflower oil, tricalcium phosphate, sea salt, Vitamin A palmitate, vitamin D2, Vitamin B12, Folic Acid

Pros:

• No carrageenan
• No added sugar
• Organic

Cons:

• Rice milk typically has a higher carbohydrate count than other non-dairy milks so I only recommend it if it’s the only option for you.
• Synthetic vitamins added; not likely to be used beneficially by the body.

FLAX MILK

Flax milk in concept is great due to flax’s reputation as a nutritional powerhouse with hormone-balancing lignans and omega-3 fatty acids. (Read more about the benefits of flax.) However, there are no organic flax milk options without carrageenan.

Recommended brand: None

OAT MILK

There are not a lot of oat milk options and the only organic option I can find without carrageenan is Pacifica. And while it boats 1 g of soluble fiber, one serving contains 19 grams of sugar. That’s as much sugar as a serving of ice cream!

Best brand: None

COCONUT MILK

Coconut milk is my personal favorite because it contains healthy medium-chain fats inherent in coconut.

Best brand: So Delicious Unsweetened Coconutmilk

Ingredients: organic coconut milk (water, organic coconut cream) calcium phosphate, magnesium phosphate, guar gum, xanthan gum, vitamin A acetate, vitamin D2, l-selenomethionone (selenium), zinc oxide, folic acid, vitamin B12.

Pros:

• No carrageenan
• Low in sugar
• Organic

Cons:

• Synthetic vitamins added; not likely to be used beneficially by the body.

CASHEW MILK

Similar to almond milk, cashew milk has little nutritional value other than the vitamins added (which are synthetic and not easily utilized by the body.)

Best brand: Organic Cashew Dream Original Cashew Drink

Ingredients: filtered water, organic cashew butter, organic tapioca starch, calcium carbonate, sea salt, gellan gum, natural flavors, sunflower lecithin, dipotassium phosphate, gum acacia, xanthan gum, vitamin E (D-alpha tocopheryl acetate), vitamin A palmitate, vitamin D2, vitamin B12.

Pros:

• No carrageenan
• Low in sugar
• Made with organic cashews

Cons:

• Synthetic vitamins added; not likely to be used beneficially by the body.
• Not certified organic

OVERALL BEST PICK:

There really is no easy answer when it comes to milk alternatives. Most are fortified with synthetic vitamins that are not easy for our bodies to utilize which try to make up for their inherent lack of nutrition. As far as “purity” is concerned, HempBliss is my top pick overall because it has the simplest ingredients list. My second choice would be the So Delicious Coconutmilk.

CONSIDERATION: 

With all that said I have to question the use of these altogether. What are our typical uses for milk in the US? First thing we think of would be for cereal. “If we don’t have milk, what will we put on our cereal?!” If you’re having cereal for breakfast, you’re starting out your day with a lot of sugar and not a lot of real nutrition. The second use would be for use in baking. Most traditional recipes are loaded with carbs and sugar which do nothing but spike blood sugar, cause weight gain, and inflammation. There are healthy (paleo, low carb, etc) recipes that call for milks that can actually just be substituted with water. Add a little bit of extra vanilla extract to your recipe and you won’t even notice the difference. Drinking milk with a meal? Considering that really the only nutrition you’re getting from the milks may be some healthy fats (MCT in coconut milk, omega-3 in hemp milk) because our bodies can’t use the synthetic vitamins, you’re probably better off drinking water or green tea and saving the calories/carbs for something more nutritious.

Where packaged milks can come in handy would be if you needed a quick liquid for a creamy protein smoothie and didn’t have time to whip up a homemade milk. The added vegetables, seeds, proteins and fruits would add nutrition to the mix and the milk would enhance the taste. However, there are plenty of flavorful protein powders that taste just fine without the use of milks.