“Soy and nut milk have healthier fat profiles than cow’s milk,” said Dr. Walter Willett, a professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health. Coconut milk, like cow’s milk, is high in saturated fat, which raises cholesterol levels. Soy milk and various nut milks with no added sugar, such as almond, walnut, peanut, cashew, hazelnut, or macadamia milk, as well as hemp and flax milks, are higher in healthy unsaturated fats for the heart and also tend to be lower in calories. than cow’s milk. Oat milk, with no added sugar, is high in fiber and calories are comparable to cow’s milk.
Soy milk is one of the few non-dairy alternatives that matches the eight grams of protein per cup of cow’s milk. But protein deficiency isn’t a concern in the United States, Dr. Willett said, especially for adults. However, if you want to get a significant amount of protein from milk, check the labels on different products, as amounts vary widely among cow’s milk alternatives.
Both Ms. Romano and Dr. Willett also suggest checking labels for alternatives that are fortified with calcium and vitamin D, which can help with bone health. “We definitely need vitamin D,” Dr. Willett said, though we probably don’t need the high levels of calcium that many Americans think they need. “When we look at dairy directly, we don’t see that high dairy intake reduces fracture rates in terms of evidence,” he said.
They also advise being careful about the high amount of added sugar in flavored milk alternatives. Ideally, there should be no added sugar in the product, but generally less than 10 grams per serving is the goal.
One last consideration: the planet. “It’s important to look at everything through a health lens and an environmental lens right now,” said Dr. Willett. Dairy production is linked to high levels of greenhouse gas emissions and requires a lot of water. “So for environmental footprint, alternative milks are really desirable.”
sophie egan is the author of “How to Be a Conscious Eater: How to Choose Foods That Are Good for You, Others, and the Planet” (Worker, 2020).
