Milk Alternatives. As more and more people are becoming aware of how unhealthy dairy products are for you, people are flocking towards non-dairy options. There is a lot of unsettling facts within the dairy industry like the horrible treatment of the cows and the alleged presence of puss in dairy milk. With this aside, there are a lot of health benefits that come with drinking alternative milk. Cha Cha Matcha shared this useful chart to show how each beverage holds up next to one another.
So here is all the alternative milk that exist and why you should drink each one:
1. Almond milk
The trend started with almond milk. It has been around since the early 2000s but started to gain popularity in 2011. In recent years, it has made its way into almost every refrigerator. Although, new studies show that almond milk has one of the highest environmental impacts of any of the alternative milk. New York Magazine did a story on how almond milk is directly associated with the growing number of honeybee deaths in the United States.
2. Soy Milk
According to the Cornell Daily Sun, “Unsweetened soy milk is known to be heart healthy with less saturated fats and equivalent protein content to dairy milk, eight grams per cup.” It also takes about one-third of the amount of water to produce cow’s milk. To produce soy milk en masse, it takes about 297 liters of water.
3. Oat Milk
In 2018, the oat milk industry began to see exponential growth – amassing a worth of $9.8 billion. Projections have been made for the coming years and researchers are estimating that by 2025, the market will be worth over $41 billion. If being a part of a trend is not a good enough reason to start drinking oat milk, there are other added benefits. The New York Times writes, “It’s rich in soluble fiber and is comparable to other milk alternatives in terms of sugar content.”
4. Coconut Milk
This one isn’t really for people who don’t like coconut, for obvious reasons. But for those who do, coconut milk has some great health benefits. For those trying a keto diet, coconut milk is a good source of healthy fats to meet your daily needs. Also, it does have a high-calorie count but it can be used as a supplement when cooking.
5. Cashew Milk
Shape Magazine writes, “Unsweetened cashew milk generally has 25 calories per cup compared to the 30 found in unsweetened almond milk. Fat and other nutrients, like calcium and vitamins D, E, and A, are about equal too.”
Which is your favorite alternative milk to drink?