Milk and milk alternatives: which to choose?

Almond, soy, oat, coconut, macadamia, or cashew – nowadays there are a variety of milk alternatives to consider, and it can be difficult to know what to choose.

Each milk type has varying pros and cons when it comes to health and the environment.

Co-founder of Surf Coast Wholefoods Naturopath Annabel Reiter said when considering a milk alternative, there were many things to be aware of, as each milk choice and the best milk choice will differ for each person.

“I always recommend to people to not just assume it’s healthy because it’s a milk alternative, but actually to read the ingredients and make sure they’re avoiding the milks that have a lot of things added in,” Reiter said.

“A lot of the milks on the market don’t consider health foremost, and they’re more focused on how to create a texture that is more like dairy milk, so they tend to add a lot of things, like preservatives, and emulsifiers, which aren’t natural and can aggravate a lot of people’s stomachs.”

Reiter suggests people should avoid milk-like products which have “numbers” listed in the ingredients list, which can indicate synthetic additives.

She also said consumers should be cautious of seed oils such as canola and vegetable oils in milk-like products.

“There is a lot of research suggesting that seed oils can cause a lot of inflammation in the body.

“It takes a lot of processing to get oil out of a seed, so from that point of view it’s so highly processed.”

Reiter said when choosing milk alternatives based on individual needs, customers should assess the nutritional profiles.

“The benefit of almond is that it is naturally high in protein, and it is typically quite well digested… so for people trying to avoid dairy it is quite a good option,” she said.

“But it’s not very creamy, and it often separates a lot and doesn’t have a great flavour profile, so that’s where a lot of people are choose oat milk, cashew or even macadamia which is one of the newest ones that has become really popular.”

Environmental and ethical impacts of milk alternatives has been documented, with an Oxford study highlighted a single glass of almond milk required 130 pints of water, while the production of coconut milk has raised concern regarding worker exploitation and the clearing of rainforests for coconut plantations.

Reiter said the research was divided on soy milk.

“The majority of research now indicates that a little bit of soy every day is fine, but the controversy comes as people might not realise there is a lot of soy in their diet,” she said.

“It can affect your hormones, so a little bit of soy in your coffee or on your cereal is ok, but if someone is also eating tofu or tempeh and they’re drinking soy milk and having packaged foods with soy or tamari then I think it needs to be cautioned.”

Oat milk, on the other hand, is becoming more and more popular with little criticism.

“The oat milk itself is a really good option, it’s just about looking at those additives and what else has been put in the product,” Reiter said.

“As a source of fibre, oat is really good to consume and it’s not highly processed to get it into a milk.”

 

Oat milk is also on the rise as a sustainable option, grown in cooler climates and not associated with deforestation or water consumption.

However, non-organic oats are often sprayed with the pesticides before harvest, and a study by the Environmental Working Group finding glyphosate in all conventionally tested oats, as well as in one-third of organic oats tested.

For those who can have dairy, it can still be a good option.

“It’s another controversial one, there has definitely been a huge trend from moving away from dairy itself, a huge percentage of the community moving away from dairy, but there are definitely people who don’t react to it at all, and for those people it’s a great source of calcium and protein,” Reiter said.

She said it was important for people to keep their diet well-rounded to keep up calcium, protein, vitamin B12 and iodine intake.With so many milks on the market, it can be difficult to know what to choose.