Alternative Milk Sources
I am a huge fan of milk, and
always have been as a child it was a rule in my house to finish a full glass of
milk before leaving the dinner table. I was always the first out to play after
dinner because I had no problem drinking my full glass of milk! I am grateful
for my love of milk because it is an excellent source of calcium, vitamin D,
riboflavin, vitamin A, and a complete source of protein that sets the
foundation for strong teeth and bones.
However, lately I find that
I rarely have regular skim milk in my fridge at college mainly because I have a
passion for trying new nutritious foods and since skim milk is readily
available at many locations including, my house at home, in most coffee shops,
and most places I go out to eat I like to purchase things like almond milk, and
soy milk for my fridge at school.
Alternative sources of milk
are a great solution for people with lactose in tolerance or milk allergies as
a means of adding vitamins and minerals to their diet and enjoying some of their
favorite foods like cereals and smoothies that are livened up with a creamy
source of liquid. However, there are increasingly more alternative sources of
milk on the grocery store shelves and they all offer different nutritional benefits
so it’s important to know the nutrient differences before replacing or swapping
one milk source for another.
Here is a nutrition comparison
of some of the alternative milk sources out there.
Soy Milk
Soy milk is made from
soybeans, comes in various flavors, and has become a very popular alternative
to milk. Soy milk contains nutritional benefits such as omega-3 and omega-6 essential fatty acids, B-vitamins,
magnesium, potassium, selenium and manganese. It is an excellent source of dietary protein because it contains a complete
profile of essential amino acids. Soy contains isoflavins a compound that is
supposed to act like estrogen in the body. According to a study done by the
American College of Medicine soy has LDL cholesterol reducing effects. The
study compared soy milk to diary milk consumption in a series of 4 week phases with a wash-out phase
in-between and found that when the
participants drank soy milk for four weeks three times a day their
LDL-cholesterol was modestly reduced compared to the phase in which they drank
dairy milk three times a day for or a total of four weeks.
Almond Milk
Almond milk is a creamy nutty flavored milk source
that differs quite a bit on the taste scale from milk but is a great low
calorie and low carbohydrate milk option that is great for weight management. Almond milk ranges from 40-60 calories a cup and
contains about 2-8 grams of carbohydrates per serving. However, unlike dairy
and soy milk almond milk only contains one gram of protein per serving and it
is not a complete source of protein. Almond
milk is also a great source of vitamin and calcium in fact almond milk has the
same amount of calcium as diary milk meeting 30% of the daily requirement in
one cup. Almond milk also happened to be low in both phosphorous and potassium
making it a safer option for those struggling with kidney disease.
Coconut Milk
Coconut milk is extracted
from the meat of coconuts, it has a strong creamy flavor (I personally LOVE)
but it can be high in saturated fat and calories the full fat version can ring
in 51 grams of saturated fat per serving! So it should be consumed in
moderation or there are some reduced fat versions available in stores. On the
positive side, coconut milk is high in fiber and protein containing 5 grams or
each! It provides beneficial micronutrients including a good source defined as
over 10% of the daily need for iron, manganese, and vitamin C.
Rice Milk
Rice milk is extracted from
rice (shocker there), it is made by pushing rice through a mill stream usually,
brown rice, and it tends to be lighter in flavor than some of the other milk
alternatives. It is a healthy
alternative to milk but it is missing some of milk’s key ingredients including
protein and calcium. Rice milk only contains one gram of protein compared to
the 8 grams found in a glass of milk.
Rice milk averages around 120 calories per glass and is higher in
carbohydrates than the other milk alternatives with around 23 grams per glass.
Rice milk’s high carbohydrate content may make it less ideal for people with
diabetes.
The take Home Message: Various milk alternative’s including almond, coconut, rice, and soy milk
provide nutritional benefits and can be incorporated into a healthy diet.
However all of them have a different nutritional profile and none of them can
fully replace all the benefits of dairy milk.
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