Got ‘milk’? Yes, so many kinds of it
A handy guide to what plant-based milks variously offer when you hit the dairy aisle
The milk aisle at the grocery store didn’t used to require much thought.
Most people already knew what they wanted, whether it was full-fat or skim, bagged or boxed. The worst debate likely to take place was when the kids tried to make a case for chocolate.
Now, though, with dozens of different non-dairy, plant “milks” available, even a quick glance in the direction of the dairy section can bring on decision fatigue. “Milk” now comes from coconuts, oats, potatoes, barley, peas, rice, soy, hemp and other seeds, as well as just about every nut you can think of, including macadamia.
What’s behind the rise of alternative milk? A number of factors, including a slow but steady uptick in people looking to get off animal proteins for a wide range of reasons that include environmental concerns, ethical choices and, arguably, changes to Canada’s Food Guide. Earlier this year, the guide demoted dairy from its status as a food group and upped the recommended servings of plant-based proteins. And, of course, there are personal health concerns, too.
“I think it’s a combination of factors,” says nutrition expert Pamela Fergusson, R.D., PhD. “I think we’re seeing more intolerances and I think we’re seeing more allergies. And I think people are more aware of their allergies and intolerances than they used to be. I think also, as Canada becomes more multicultural, we’ll see even more of this because, depending on your ethnic background, you might be more likely to be lactose-intolerant.”
This nutritional trend, then, probably isn’t going anywhere. How do we navigate the complicated plant milk aisle? Many will turn to the internet, where they’re likely to immediately run into YouTubers and health bloggers casting a lot of shade in the direction of soy. Some critique its sustainability, while others warn of thyroid problems. The Paleo camp suggests too much soy could even lead to “man boobs.”
“Soy has the reputation of being full of phytoestrogens, which are plant estrogens,” Fergusson explains. “And they do have a weak estrogenic effect on the human body, but a moderate consumption, say, two to three servings per day, is said to be safe for all people and that includes even breast cancer survivors. And men aren’t going to start losing their testosterone or growing breasts or anything like that.”
Soy is high in protein, one of the few plant milks to get close to the amount of protein found in cow’s milk, so it might be a good choice for some people. And those allergic to soy (a lot of people are since it’s one of the most common food allergies in the world), might try protein-rich pea milk.
Most people reading this story, though, don’t suffer from a lack of protein, since, other than athletes and young people, most of us get too much. So, relatively sedentary adults might check out coconut milk, which has no protein at all. Sadly, though, it’s high in fat, which, no matter what you read on the internet, has never been proven to be a miracle cure for heart disease or other ailments. Oat and rice milk are lower in fat than coconut, but the tradeoff is that they’re high in carbs and sugars. While we’re on sugar, we should point out that we’re referring only to unsweetened plant milks here — some brands have added sugars, which you should be looking out for as well.
What about nut milks? Those must be fatty, right? Fergusson says less than you might expect. Almond milk, for example, doesn’t actually contain that many almonds, so, by extension, neither does it have a lot of fat. Or, for that matter, nutritional value.
“I think we need to acknowledge that it’s really a convenience beverage, not necessarily a health beverage because there’s not a lot of nutrition involved,” Fergusson explains. “I think plant milks are for people who, for whatever reason, are avoiding dairy, but want to be able to enjoy those experiences they once had with dairy, like drinking a glass of milk or pouring milk on cereal or putting milk in coffee.”
Other than the fact that it’s fortified with vitamins, milk isn’t especially nutritious, which is why the new evidence-based Food Guide changed its recommendations, so it’s not like we need to fill the void left by milk. Still, some people might benefit from fortified plant milks, says Fergusson, especially vegans, who often have trouble getting certain vitamins, in particular, B-12.
And what about the sustainability issue? Some dairy alternatives have bigger environmental footprints than others. Almond cultivation takes up a lot of water. Soy is complicated, too, but a lot of the most devastating environmental soy problems come from its use as feed for animals, so it’s hard to blame vegans for that. Overall, the cattle and dairy industry is still a way bigger problem than nut milk.
“Compared to dairy milk, all of these products produce less greenhouse gas emissions and have a smaller water footprint than dairy — all of them,” Fergusson says. “Personally, though, I like oat milk. We grow oats right here in Canada and they’re usually irrigated with rainwater. So, we’re supporting Canadian farmers, which is great, we don't need to be irrigating the crops, and we’re not importing those crops over long distances or cutting down Amazon rainforest.” And we have a winner — oat milk comes out on top. Prefer the taste of another? That’s probably fine, too. The choice might be overwhelming but, it would seem, the stakes are low since you can’t actually go terribly wrong with any of them.