What’s The Best Non-Dairy Milk?

Feels like there’s a new non-dairy milk on the shelf every time you go to the grocery store, doesn’t it? Non-dairy milks are not a new phenomenon in the health world, but do we actually understand how and if they’re better for us than traditional, good ole’ cow’s milk? If you’re unsure, well… you’re not alone. I get this question all the time, and that’s exactly why I wrote this article!

I break down the nutritional value of the most popular non-dairy milks available and how they compare to the nutritional value of cow’s milk. These alternative milks include almond, soy, oat, coconut, and cashew. I’ve done quite a bit of research into the highest quality, cleanest brands of non-dairy milks out there and I’m using these brands for the purposes of comparing the nutritional value in this article. When I say highest quality and cleanest, I mean they are free of processed vegetable oils, added sugars, and mostly free of added gums (used for thickening).

If you’re lactose intolerant, looking to reduce dairy in your diet, or just curious to understand more about what’s in these non-dairy milks I hope this article helps you decide if jumping on the non-dairy milk band wagon is worth it for you.

I’ll talk about:

1. The best alternative to cow’s milk

2. How the nutritional value of the most prominent non-dairy milks stack up against cow’s milk

3. What your options are if you’re lactose intolerant

4. The best non-dairy creamer or milk to use in your coffee (because… duh)

First, let’s start with the most important question:

What’s the best alternative to cow’s milk?

If you look at this chart I put together, you’ll see each option broken down by macronutrient (protein, fat, carbs) and the natural nutrients available in each. By natural nutrients, I mean vitamins and minerals that are naturally bioavailable in each milk compared to synthetic vitamins and minerals added to the milk in the manufacturing process.

So what’s the verdict? If you’re looking for a nutritious alternative to cow’s milk, soy milk is your best option. According to the nutrition label, soy milk provides about the same total protein as cow’s milk (7g to 8g), half the amount of fat (4g to 8g) and fewer carbs (3g to 12g). However, soy protein does not have the right balance of amino acids to meet our daily needs, whereas cow’s milk does. Soy milk does not have any natural vitamins or minerals available, whereas cow’s milk provides vitamins A, B2, B12, calcium, iron, potassium and zinc. Sweet. Oh and, don’t be fooled on the nutrition label when you see the vitamins and minerals listed as they are most often synthetic and added to the product manually.

The rest of the milks I’ve highlighted below - almond, oat, coconut, and cashew - don’t really compare in the nutritional value to cow’s milk when it comes to protein and natural vitamins and minerals. Cashew milk is the second contender in protein per serving with 4g, closely followed by oat milk with 3g. The best of the bunch in terms of natural nutrients is oat milk, which does contain measurable amounts of iron (but even that is a scant 2% of the recommended daily amount).

Believe it or not, much of these non-dairy milks are actually mostly water! Since the amount per serving of the original food used to produce the milk is so small, most of the nutrients are removed during the processing of the original food to make it into a milk.

Take almonds as an example. Almonds are very nutritious, but the almond milk products available on the shelves are so watered down that there are still no measurable natural nutrients available. The vitamin and mineral content claims on many of the labels are misleading, and might make you think these alternative kinds of milk are more nutritious than cow’s milk. But like I mentioned above, manufacturers add synthetic vitamins and minerals to make their products appear nutritious.

If you’re lactose intolerant and looking for the most nutritious milk, your best bet is lactose-free cow’s milk which is available in most grocery stores. Lactose-free cow’s milk has come a long way since the early days when processing could not eliminate lactose as fully as it can today. If this doesn’t appeal to you, try soy milk or cashew for the nutritional value.

Okay, now onto the most anticipated question…

What the heck should I put in my coffee?

This is a great question because non-dairy coffee creamer is a highly processed product often containing processed vegetable oils, lots of added sugars and gums to thicken the beverage so it gets creamy. I would strongly recommend avoiding non-dairy creamer that contains any of the hateful eight processed vegetable oils (canola, corn, cottonseed, safflower, sunflower, soybean, grapeseed, ricebrain). I also recommend avoiding creamer that contains casein, whey protein, or any ingredient that shows up as “protein” on the list. These are all ultra-processed ingredients.

So here’s what I do recommend to get that creamy cup-ah-Joe without the dairy:

1. Organic Valley Lactose Free Half & Half

2. Organic Valley Lactose Free Whole Milk

3. Ghee (requires a frother, blender, or immersion blender)

4. Omega PowerCreamer Original Blend

5. Califia Farms Unsweetened Better Half Almond Milk Half & Half

6. Nutpods Original Almond & Coconut Milk Creamer

I researched and rated these based on their nutritional quality and lack of added vegetable oils, sugars and gums.

So all that said, when it comes down to what milk I truly recommend… nothing beats raw, whole milk or cream from a healthy cow and a trusted farmer. If you're not lactose intolerant, you just can’t beat it! To learn more about raw milk, check out my article on the nutritional benefits and how it compares to conventional milk.

Questions, comments? Post below! And share this article with anyone you think might benefit!