TRUTH ABOUT PLANT-BASED MILKS

MANY people turn to plant-based alternatives to cows’ milk because they have an allergy or an intolerance, but others choose them because of a perception they’re healthier.

But are they? Though non-diary options are arguably more eco-friendly than cows’ milk, they can be less nutritious. For instance, semi-skimmed milk has 7g of protein per 200ml glass, but there’s just 1g in the same amount of almond milk. And some may be sweetened with added sugar — but lactose, the sugar in cows’ milk, is not considered as harmful to teeth.

Soya milk, while comparable in terms of protein, has around a sixth of the calcium of cows’ milk, so you should choose one that’s fortified.

And rice milk, though it is lower in calories than full-fat cows’ milk (42 calories per 100ml compared with 64 calories in full-fat), is naturally higher in sugars, containing 6.2g per 100ml compared to 4.7g, so is not the best option for diabetics.