Is a hemp pinta REALLY any better for you?
As sales of trendy milks like almond soar...
OncE, even insisting on skimmed milk in your latte was considered a little over the top. But these days, our hot drinks are filled with a plethora of dairy alternatives, from soya to cashew milk. These fancy versions have become so commonplace they are now considered a staple — the office for national Statistics this week revealed that nondairy milk, such as rice, almond and oat varieties, has been added to the ‘shopping basket’ of goods used to calculate inflation price rises. Sales of nondairy milks have more than doubled worldwide in the last seven years, and this dramatic increase reflects the ‘clean eating’ craze, in which dieters controversially cut out whole food groups in an attempt to stay healthy. Such exclusion diets are much loved by celebrities — even Prince harry reportedly turned dairy-free last year.
Dairy has become a dietary bogeyman, with alternative health gurus linking it to everything from bloating to asthma and weight gain, sometimes on slender evidence.
But are non-dairy alternatives actually any better for you? Well, for the 20 per cent of the population who are actually intolerant to the lactose in dairy — and others who are allergic to dairy itself — yes. But more and more people are switching to non-dairy milk simply because they perceive it to be better — or just plain fashionable.
Many don’t realise the substitutes could be loaded with sugar, preservatives or other additives. ‘Some milks can contain more sugar than they do soya beans or almonds,’ warns nutritionist Emily Maguire. ‘Always check the ingredients list.’
So if you’re off dairy, which alternative should you choose? SOYA From 85p per litre, 1.8g fat per 100ml thicker than cow’s milk, with a naturally sweet taste, most soya milks contain only around 6 per cent soya bean — the rest is water.
‘Although soya milk, like cow’s milk, is a good source of protein, soya beans contain plant hormones called phyto-oestrogens, and it is not yet known whether they are beneficial or harmful to health,’ says Emily.
Some experts suggest they could affect our hormonal systems, though this is unverified.
VERDICT: ‘Tasty in coffee and tea because it’s sweet — but the jury is out on taking too many plant oestrogens.’ 6/10 NUT £1.70 per litre, 1.1g fat per 100ml almond, cashew and hazelnut milks have a similar texture to cow’s milk but are less sweet and slightly beige in colour. Many contain about 2 per cent nuts — the rest is water.
Emily says: ‘nut milks are a good source of vitamin E, an antioxidant that helps protect cells. They’re lower in calories than cow’s milk — 13 calories per 100ml compared to 50 calories for semi-skimmed milk — but also tend to be lower in protein (0.4g compared to 3.4g).
‘As almonds contain calcium, almond milk gives you nearly 50 per cent of your daily needs in one cup.’ VERDICT: ‘nutritious — but you’ll need to go elsewhere for healthy protein.’ 8/10 LACTOSE FREE £1.35 per litre, 1.5g fat per 100ml This is cow’s milk that has been treated to remove most of the lactose. ‘The enzyme lactase has been added so people with lactose intolerance can more easily digest it,’ says Emily.
VERDICT: ‘Tastes the same as cow’s milk and behaves the same in drinks and cooking — it’s just more expensive.’ 9/10 COCONUT £1.70 per litre, 0.9g to 2.1g fat per 100ml usually made from a blend of coconut butter or cream (2 to 9 per cent depending on brand) with water, this is lower in calories than cow’s milk.
‘it has about 20 calories per 100ml, if you look out for lower fat versions,’ says Emily.
VERDICT: ‘creamier than other alternatives but the coconut taste can be overpowering. Delicious for cooking.’ 7/10 RICE £2 per litre, 1g to 1.3g fat per 100ml containing 14 to 17 per cent rice with a little sunflower oil and water, this is a good option for people with multiple allergies (such as dairy, nuts and soya).
‘rice milk is thinner than cow’s milk, and doesn’t work well in cooking,’ says Emily.
‘nutritionally, it’s not so good as it has a naturally higher carbohydrate level than cow’s milk and more calories, but is lower in protein.’
VERDICT: ‘An option if you have multiple allergies.’ 6/10 HEMP £1.50 per litre, 2.8g fat per 100ml this is made from hemp seeds, which are rich in omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids — good for our brain power and wellbeing. it can have a grainy texture, however, and may separate when poured into hot drinks. it contains up to 3 per cent hemp extract and is sweetened with grape juice extract — the rest is water. VERDICT: ‘A great alternative thanks to the benefit of omega3 fatty acids,’ says Emily. 8/10 OAT £2 per litre, 3g fat per 100ml ‘another good option for people with multiple allergies, plus a source of antioxidant vitamin E,’ says Emily. ‘however, it has a thin consistency and may be higher in sugars — 4.1g compared to 0.1g for soya.’
it contains 10 per cent oats. Some brands contain gluten, so you should avoid them if you have coeliac disease or are gluten intolerant.
VERDICT: ‘Watch out for the higher sugar content — and the thin consistency makes it less enjoyable to drink.’ 6/10 GOAT £1.60 per litre, 0.1g to 3.6g fat per 100ml ‘the different proteins and smaller fat particles in goat’s milk make it easier for many people to digest,’ says Emily.
it contains less lactose, and goats are able to convert the carotene in their diets into vitamin A, making the milk more creamy. As a result, it can taste slightly cheesy.
VERDICT: ‘A good option — rich in vitamins and minerals such as calcium, as well as probiotics to boost gut health.’ 9/10 A2 MILK £1.39 per litre, 1.8g fat per 100ml if dairy milk triggers gut problems, you could be intolerant to a protein called A1. Some British dairy herds have now been selected to produce milk containing the much less reactive A2 protein.
‘This tastes exactly the same as ordinary milk and shares the same nutritional profile, it’s also less expensive than many nondairy milks,’ says Emily.
VERDICT: ‘A nutritious option worth trying if you suspect you might be lactose intolerant or allergic to cow’s milk.’ 8/10