Is ‘fake’ milk fit for drinking?
SUPERMARKET chiller cabinets are awash with new products to pour into your coffee and over cereal. But are these ‘new’ non-dairy milks any better for you? Dietitian Noor Al Refae assesses four of the latest offerings. We then rated them.
QWRKEE UNSWEETENED PEA M’LK
1l, £3, health food shops and amazon.co.uk. Per 100ml: Calories, 53; saturated fat, 0.3g; sugar, 0.3g; salt, 0.25g MADE from water, 3.9 per cent pea protein, rapeseed oil and fortified with vitamins, 250ml of this unsweetened plant ‘milk’ provides 8g of protein and a third of your daily calcium — plus the same again of iron, vital to make red blood cells; iodine, for thyroid function; and vitamins B2 and B12, for energy. Rapeseed oil gives omega 3 fats for brain and heart health, with 2g fibre in a 250ml glass. Nutritious choice.
ALPRO SOYA GROWING UP DRINK
1l, £1.45, most supermarkets. Per 100ml: Calories, 64; saturated fat, 0.3g; sugar, 2.5g; salt, 0.04g THIS soya ‘milk’ is made with water and 6.6 per cent soya beans. Marketed for toddlers, it’s lactose, dairy and gluten-free and has added calcium and vitamin D, iodine and iron (needed for mental development). Added fructose and cane sugar means a 250ml serving will give your child two-and-a-half teaspoons of the sweet stuff — significantly more than regular, unsweetened soya milk.
GOOD HEMP BARISTA SEED MILK
750ml, £1.50, goodhemp. com. Per 100ml: Calories, 45; saturated fat, 0.3g; sugar, 4.6g; salt, trace A BLEND of water, malt extract and 4 per cent hemp seed, this was devised to create an airy foam for frothy coffees. A small glass can contain as much omega 3 as a portion of fresh tuna. Contains almost three teaspoons of added sugar in 250ml — 37 per cent of the recommended daily limit for an adult.
KOKO DAIRY FREE SUPER
1l, £2, widely available. Per 100ml: Calories, 44; saturated fat, 2.3g; sugar, 2.5g; salt, 0.1g MADE with water, 8 per cent coconut milk, grape juice concentrate, rapeseed oil and broad bean protein, this is fortified so it has the same amount of calcium as dairy — plus eight other nutrients including vitamin D, potassium and magnesium. On the downside, it has much less protein than semi-skimmed dairy, and double the saturated fat.