Cow’s milk has been a dietary staple for many individuals. Due to personal preference, dietary restrictions, allergies or intolerances, many people choose not to consume cow’s milk. Luckily in recent years, there have been many more non-dairy milk options. Below are the five most common dairy-free milks (which I ranked from my least favorite to personal favorite).
5. Soy Milk
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- Silk Soy Milk // $3.79
- Pacific Foods Soy Milk // $3.16
- Thrive Market Soy Milk // $2.00
Soy milk is made by soaking and grinding soybeans, boiling the mixture and then straining the liquid. Thickeners and vegetable oils are often add to give it a mild and creamy flavor.
One cup of unsweetened soy milk contains 80-90 calories, 4-4.5 grams of fat, 7-9 grams of protein and 4 grams of carbohydrates. Compared to cow’s milk it has a similar amount of protein but half the amount of calories, fats and carbohydrates. Soy milk is the best non-dairy milk choice if you are looking to increase your protein intake.
Soy milk was the first non-dairy milk to become very popular and has been around for awhile. I personally don’t drink soy milk, but will if it is the only non-dairy alternative offered to me. It’s a pretty mild taste, and if you have a nut allergy, it is a great non-dairy alternative for any recipe.
4. Oat Milk
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- Oatly Oat Milk // $4.99
- Elmhurst Oat Milk // $6.50
- Califia Farms Oat Milk // $4.30
Oat milk is made by soaking oats in water, blending oats and water and then straining the liquid (it is one of the easiest non-dairy milks to make at home). In order to get a nice taste and texture, manufacturers often add extra ingredients.
One cup of oat milk contains 140-170 calories, 4.5-5 grams of fat, 2.5-5 grams of protein and 19-29 grams of carbohydrates. Oat milk contains a similar number of calories compared to cow’s milk, but double the amount of carbohydrates and half the amount of fat and protein.
Oat milk is a great addition to coffees and teas as well as the perfect milk to be used in cereal.
3. Cashew Milk
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- Silk Cashew Milk // $2.99
- Elmhurst Cashew Milk // $6.50
- So Delicious Cashew Milk // $3.79
Cashew milk is produced by soaking cashews in water, blending the mixture together and then straining out the liquid. It’s creamy and rich, with a slightly nutty and sweet flavor.
One cup of unsweetened cashew milk contains 25-50 calories, 2-4 grams of fat, 0-1 gram of protein and 1-2 grams of carbohydrates. In comparison to cow’s milk, it contains one third of the calories, half the fat and much less protein and carbohydrates.
Cashew milk is a great milk to be used with coffees, lattes and teas due to its creamy and rich flavor.
2. Coconut Milk
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- So Delicious Coconut Milk // $3.30
- Silk Coconut Milk // $3.50
- Pacific Foods Coconut Milk // $2.79
Coconut milk is made by soaking coconut flesh and then straining out the liquid. It is a bit creamy with a sweet and subtle coconut flavor.
One cup of coconut milk contains 45 calories, 4 grams of fat, no protein and almost no carbohydrates. Compared to cow’s milk, it contains one-third the amount of calories, half the fat, and significantly less carbohydrates and proteins.
Coconut milk is a great addition to acai bowls, smoothies, and coffee/tea.
1. Almond Milk
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- Silk Almond Milk // $3.00
- Califia Farms Almond Milk // $4.30
- Almond Breeze Almond Milk // $2.00
Almond milk is the most popular non-dairy milk alternative. It is made by soaking almonds, grinding them in a blender, and then straining the liquid to remove the almond pulp. (Tip: almond milk is mostly water, with most almond milks containing only 2% almonds. When choosing an almond milk, look for one that contains 7-15% almonds.) It’s a light milk with a slightly sweet and nutty taste.
One cup of unsweetened almond milk contains 30-35 calories, 2.5 grams of fat, 1 gram of protein and 1-2 grams of carbohydrates. It contains less than a quarter of the calories and less than half the fat of cow’s milk; it also is lower in carbohydrates and protein.
Almond milk is one of my favorite types of non-dairy milks because it essentially compliments any recipe, similarly to cow’s milk. Acai bowls/smoothies, baking, coffee/tea, cereal- almond milk is literally a perfect compliment to every type of drink/food that uses milk.
