Cow’s milk faces a lot of competition these days, surrounded by an ever-increasing selection of “milk” made from almonds, cashews, peas, oats, hemp and more. These herbal alternatives make us feel like we’re doing something good for our body, but are they really better? The answer is … complicated. Registered nutritionist Molly Kimball gives us an overview of the top picks for cow and plant milk.
COW’S MILK
Cow’s milk contains a significant amount of sugar – 12 grams per 8-ounce cup – in the form of lactose, a naturally occurring milk sugar. And with eight grams of protein in one cup of regular cow’s milk, that means cow’s milk contains 50 percent more sugar than protein.
Ultra-filtered milk – known in varieties like Fairlife and Trader Joe’s – improves this statistic with 50 percent more protein and 50 percent less sugar than regular milk. Maple Hill goes even further with their Zero Sugar milk. Each of them still offers the expected benefits of milk, like a third of the day calcium and a hefty dose of vitamins A and D.
VEGETABLE ‘MILK’
For plant-based milk without milk, the protein content can vary widely, ranging from zero to 10 grams of protein per cup. Added sugar is one of the main disadvantages, because even “original” or “simple” varieties of many plant-based milks contain added sugar for almost a day. That is also worth mentioning oat milk – even unsweetened types – is higher in carbohydrates than most other milk types, with a low to moderate protein content.
Most plant-based milks are made from nuts, seeds, or grains that are mixed with water and salt; many of the big brands also contain thickeners and emulsifiers such as guar gum or gellan gum. (MALK, Forager, and Three Trees are three brands that don’t contain stabilizers or emulsifiers – essentially just nuts or seeds, water, and possibly flavor enhancers like sea salt or vanilla pods).
TOP 4 SELECTION FOR LOW CARB, MODERATE PROTEIN MILK + MILK ALTERNATIVES
Maple Hill Ultra Filtered Sugar Free Milk
- Per cup: 110 calories, 0 carbs, 0 sugar, 8 grams of protein
- The ingredients include ultra-filtered organic milk, water, minerals, gellan gum
Ripple Pea protein Milk (original, unsweetened)
- Per cup: 80 calories, 0 carbs, 0 sugar, 8 grams of protein
- The ingredients include pea protein, sunflower oil, algae oil, vitamin / mineral mixture, water, sunflower lecithin, sea salt, organic guar gum, gellan gum
Orga Bio Protein Almond Milk
- Per cup: 80 calories, 4 grams of carbohydrates, 0 sugar, 10 grams of protein
- Ingredients include filtered water, almonds, Pea protein, Vitamin / mineral mixture, sea salt, gums (e.g. locust bean gum and / or gellan gum), sunflower lecithin
Good karma flax milk + protein (Original, unsweetened)
- Per cup: 60 calories, 1 gram of carbs, 0 sugar, 8 grams of protein
- Ingredients include filtered water, cold-pressed linseed oil, Pea protein, Vitamin / mineral mixture, sunflower lecithin, sea salt, gellan gum, xanthan gum
3 of Molly’s least favorite milk options:
- Oat milk | High in carbohydrates, also high in sugar, with little to moderate protein
- Lava milk [made from pili nut] | High carb, lots of sugar, little protein
- Rice milk | carb carb carb, with minimal protein
THE BOTTOM LINE
The good news is that there is a milk alternative for almost every taste preference, intolerance or sensitivity for anyone who wants or has to do without cow’s milk for dietary, nutritional or ecological reasons. The key is to double-check the labels to find the milk alternative that has the most of the nutrients you’re looking for, without the things you don’t want.
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Molly Kimball, RD, CSSD is a registered nutritionist + nutrition writer based in New Orleans and the founder of the nonprofit restaurant initiative Ochsner Eat Fit. Tune in to their podcast FUELED | Wellness + Nutrition and follow her on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @MollyKimballRD. See more of Molly’s Articles + TV Segments at www.mollykimball.com and sign up for Eat Fit Wellness Bites’ weekly newsletter here.
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