VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
It’s Robert Davis, the Healthy Skeptic. If you drink plant-based milk, you’ve likely noticed there are more options than ever, with beverages made of everything from oats to almonds vying for our business. So, which of these competitors is healthiest? The answer depends on your nutritional priorities. Here’s my list of winners and losers in the battle of the plant milks.
Round 1: Protein.
The champs in this category are soy and pea, which typically contain as much protein as dairy milk.
The losers: coconut and rice milks, which have none.
Almond, cashew and oat milks often aren’t much better, with only 1 gram per serving.
Round 2: Sugar.
The winners here are unsweetened versions, which have no added sugar.
The losers: Some sweetened vanilla versions of soy and almond milks, as well as – not surprisingly — chocolate milks, which can contain as much sugar as 3 Oreo cookies.
Round 3: If you’re counting calories, unsweetened almond and cashew milks are the victors, with only 25 to 30 calories per serving.
Generally, oat milk is highest in calories. Some versions contain as much as 160, which is more than in whole dairy milk.
Round 4: Vitamins and minerals.
When it comes to calcium and vitamin D, most plant milks match or exceed the levels in dairy milk. But for potassium, almond and cashew milks tend to fall short, often with half the amount and sometimes none at all.
Round 5: Saturated fat.
Almost all plant milks are winners in this category, since most of the fat they contain is unsaturated – the good kind – rather than the bad kind.
The notable exception: coconut milk, which is relatively high in saturated fat.
To select your own winner, decide what’s most important to you … read labels … and remember: just because a milk is made from plants doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good for you.
For more on diet and nutrition claims, check out my book “Coffee is Good for You,” which reveals the truth about everything from red meat to red wine. Helping you be a healthy skeptic, I’m Robert Davis.