When you were asked 15 years ago what kind of milk your household drinks, the four notable answers were skim, 1%, 2% and whole. Other responses would have been sure to raise an eyebrow from some. Luckily in this day and age we live in a world where there are more choices to what type of milk someone wants to drink than what type of cereal to pair it with.

Soy Milk is one of the most common milk substitutes used by households across America. Soy milk is made by soaking soybeans in water for 12-24 hours. The soaked beans are grinded and mixed with the water to become one cohesive mixture. After boiling, stirring and filtering we get the milk all of us are familiar with.  Soy milk is thought of by experts to be the most nutritionally similar to cow’s milk due to its carb and fat content. It contains the largest average protein per cup of all the most popular milk substitutes. The average cup of soymilk contains 80 calories, 4g of fat, 3g of carbs and 2 grams of fiber to go along with the hefty 7 grams of protein. Though Soy milk is a touch more expensive that cow, almond and coconut milk the reason for popularity of soy milk goes without saying. It is a healthy way that people who can’t or choose not to drink cow’s milk to get a nutritious substitute. Additionally, soy milk uses the least amount of water compared to milk and other substitutes and nearly 1/3 the number of total emissions as regular milk, so when drinking you can feel good about your body as well as carbon footprint.

Oat milk is one of the younger milk substitutes. The milk substitute was created in the 1990’s by Swedish University students looking for another type of milk to for people unable to digest traditional milk to enjoy.  Similarly, to soy milk production, oat milk soaks steel cut oats in water. After soaking, the oats are grinded up and once again combined with the liquid to form a nice smooth milk like consistency before the straining and packaging processes. Oat milk has not only gained major popularity due to its great taste and consistency but, the milk substitute is also packed with a ton of vitamins and minerals that is sure to add to anyone’s active lifestyle. Oat milk is more caloric than almond or soy milk, with an average of 120 calories per glass. Oat milk contains both a large quantity and quality of vitamins, most notably vitamins A, D and B12, important for your immune system, calcium regulation, and cell health respectively, among other benefits. Finally, oat milk has a lower amount of emissions than soy milk.  

To conclude my short lesson regarding different types of milks I wanted to end on my personal favorite milk substitute, almond milk. Almond milk has, in my opinion, a unique and possibly even controversial taste that has provoked heated arguments among dairy-free milk lovers everywhere. The process of almond milk production follows the previous two “milks” almost identically. To sum it up, almonds are soaked in water, grinded up and made into one consistent liquid. Almond milk brings a little bit of everything to the table. It is super low calorie, making it super healthy for people who are looking to ease up on calorie intake from liquid. Though, low in calories, with around 40 a glass, almond milk makes up for calorie deficiencies with its vitamin proficiencies. Vitamin D is a huge component of the beverage but where the milk truly boasts is in its vitamin E content. With 110% of someone’s daily intake of Vitamin E in just one glass of almond milk, this substitute wont only taste great but also make sure your skin and eyes are looking great. Tastermonial content is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Take necessary precautions when handling information regarding food and nutrition.   

Sources:  https://askwonder.com/research/packaging-sizes-animal-based-dairy-milk-8cqjnhz1n https://www.greenmatters.com/p/eco-friendly-non-dairy-milks https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/oat-milk#nutrition https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/almond-milk#nutrition https://www.bistromd.com/nutrition/pros-and-cons-of-drinking-soy-milk https://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/pros-cons-soy-milk/ https://trovecoffee.com/whats-oat-milk-craze/