This week’s blog post will discuss 4 Best Plant-Based Milk Alternatives to have if you choose not to drink cow’s milk.
1. Hemp milk.
Hemp milk is a great source of magnesium, iron, vitamin D, potassium, and calcium. Hemp also contains arginine – an amino acid which may “help relax your blood vessels and help reduce blood pressure (1).” Honestly, the health benefits of hemp seed are endless and deserve a separate blog post: this miracle seed that comes from the Cannabis sativa plant is a great source of protein, fiber, omega-3s and omega-6s (2). The only problem is that it’s hard to find pure hemp milk at grocery stores today – the ones I’m familiar with have added gums, texturizers, etc. So, if you can make your own hemp milk, go for it! Here’s the recipe that looks great! Make sure to get a nut milk bag / strainer first!
2. Soy milk.
Soy has been a subject for heated discussions in the recent years, and many health experts recommend avoiding all soy products such as tofu, tempeh, edamame, and soy milk. In a nutshell, soy milk is a beverage made from dried soybeans (edamame) – just a harmless legume rich in fiber, iron, magnesium, potassium, protein, and zinc. Soy has phytoestrogens (isoflavones) which do not have the same effect as estrogen in the human body (3). The research has found that phytoestrogens may reduce the risk of breast cancer, several other types of cancer, fibroids, lower inflammation, and reduce bad cholesterol. The only adverse effect of soy isoflavones is that they may bind to iodine, which is used by the body to make thyroid hormones. It means that people who consume soy products, might need a little more iodine (easily found in sea vegetables and iodized salt) (4). All in all, I believe that unlike cow’s milk, organic soy milk is absolutely safe and has a number of health benefits.
3. Almond milk.
Almond milk is naturally rich in vitamin E and flavonoids (phytochemical compounds with medicinal properties), and it has fewer calories than any other milk alternative. So, while it may be a great choice for someone who’s trying to lose weight, almond milk is not suitable as a milk replacement for babies and infants due to its low caloric density, as well as the content of phytic acid (antinutrient which reduces the absorption of iron, zinc, and magnesium) (5).
You probably heard about the negative environmental impact of almond milk production, and the threat to the bee population. Almonds need to be pollinated, and since they are often treated with pesticides, the commercial bees get ill and die after the pollination is complete. While I certainly feel for the bees, it does seem like the responsibility should be on “large-scale industrial agriculture methods”, and not on almonds (6). Glyphosate (the active ingredient in Roundup (the most widely used herbicide)), and the companies that sell this product kill bees, not almond trees (7).
We buy organic almond milk by Califia Farms – the company whose almond supplier has their own in-house honeybee operation protecting bee health year-round (8).
4. Hazelnut milk.
I looove the hazelnut flavor and used to add hazelnut creamer (artificially flavored and dairy) to my coffee. 🫣 Hazelnut milk has less calories than hemp milk (30 to 90 calories per cup compared to 130 to 140 calories) which makes it a less attractive milk alternative if you are trying to add more fat and protein to your diet. Also, since hazelnut milks are not normally fortified, they are not a significant source of potassium, iron, and calcium. They do have some fat and vitamin E though! Nutritionally speaking, there are better milk alternatives to consider, but I personally love the nice, creamy flavor of hazelnut milk.
Things to avoid in a plant-based milk.
Whatever plant milk you choose, make sure it doesn’t have any emulsifiers, texturizers, gums, natural flavors, carrageenan, added sugar, soy and sunflower lecithin (usually made using GMO soybeans). Remember that real nut or seed milk should only have a couple of ingredients (just like sourdough bread) – everything else is added to extend the shelf life or enhance the flavor, and you want to avoid those chemicals in your diet.
Why is it better than cow’s milk?
Final thoughts on why I believe you should ditch dairy and switch to a plant-based milk. While getting some calcium and necessary macronutrients, you are also consuming artery-clogging saturated fat and cholesterol when choosing cow’s milk. Read my blog post “Done with Dairy” to learn more.
For the environmental impact, “cow’s milk causes 3 times as much greenhouse gas emissions; uses 10 times as much land; and 2 to 20 times as much fresh water, and creates higher levels of eutrophication (excessive richness of nutrients in water, due to runoff from the land, which causes a dense growth of plants and death of sea animals) (9). Just some food for thought..
Check out this comparison chart if you are interested in more details as far as the environmental footprints of dairy and plant-based milks.
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