Which vegan milk is healthiest

This nut milk is one of the more similar plant-based alternatives to cow's milk, as it has a creamy texture and mild taste. It makes great smoothies and is a delicious accompaniment to cereal. But most commercially available varieties don't have much calcium.

Many milk alternatives containing nuts present issues for individuals with both a dairy intolerance and a nut allergy. Enter pea milk. Ripple , one of the biggest players in the relatively new pea-milk game, says its product is gentle on the body and the planet. This milk is vegan and it's totally free of dairy, nuts, lactose and gluten. It's surprisingly creamy but the truth is, in its unflavored form, there is a very real, faint pea-like taste that may be difficult for traditional milk lovers to swallow.

Nutrition info for one cup: calories; 8 grams of protein; 4. IE 11 is not supported. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Share this —. Follow today. More Brands. Everything you need to know when choosing a milk or milk alternative June 14, By Erica Chayes Wida. Joy Bauer. Get The Recipe. Food Are plant-based milks actually healthy? Consumer Reports analyzes popular brands.

Carrie Parente. Homemade Almond Milk Carrie Parente. Additionally, macadamia nut milk is totally delicious! On its own, it resembles a semi-sweet, exotic type of beverage.

I suggest adding cinnamon and vanilla to it, as well as fruit if you want to make a smoothie — I guarantee your taste buds will be blown away with the savory, crisp, creamy goodness of this healthy, rising-in-popularity vegan alternative to dairy milk. Derived from the fruit of the exotic coconut, this milk has become a staple in the kitchens of health fanatics, dairy-free people, and vegans the world over.

Coconut milk is rich in essential minerals, including manganese, selenium, copper, even zinc and iron though plant-based iron is absorbed less than meat-based iron. Coconut milk is also low in sugar, and does not even contain fructose, a common sugar found in many fruits, particularly grapes, blackberries, apples, and bananas. Although it is not as high in calcium as other vegan dairy milk alternatives, it is still a good source of calcium. A staple among people who enjoy milks that are both gluten and dairy free, rice milk is a very common, healthy, and nutritionally wise option for those seeking an alternative to conventional dairy and milk products.

Rice milk enjoys a healthy blend of carbohydrates and protein, boasting a very minimal amount of fat per serving, unlike other vegan milks such as almond and macadamia nut milk.

Vegan milks are made from a wide variety of beans, nuts, seeds, and grains. Most popular brands contain a base of soy , almonds , oats , coconuts , cashews, hazelnuts, pea protein, hemp seeds, or rice. Countless varieties of vegan milk exist, and nutrition varies drastically from one product to the next. Some brands are incredibly nutritious, while others are scarcely more nutritious than sugar water.

The three most important nutrients to consider are protein, sugar, and calcium. Additionally, Vitamin D and iodine deserve a mention. Soy milks contain more protein than most other vegan milks—many soy milk brands offer nearly a gram of protein per ounce. Other vegan milks can contain shockingly little protein. Even though almonds are protein-rich nut, most almond milk brands provide only tiny amounts of protein. For instance, most soy milks contain around seven grams of protein per serving, compared to around one gram provided by most almond milks.

Coconut milks usually have even less protein than almond milk—so little that you might consider them protein-free. While soy milk offers an impressive nutrition profile, a product called Ripple, which is made from organically grown peas, is even better. Ripple is also vitamin D fortified, and each serving contains omega 3s along with 32 milligrams of DHA. Many vegans fall short of consuming optimal amounts of protein.

So if you want to boost your protein intake, purchase a brand that delivers at least five grams per serving. Choosing unsweetened vegan milks will also save you a lot of calories. You may be surprised by how quickly your preferences change once you start drinking it. This calcium is usually from ground-up limestone,which is chemically pure and well-absorbed. Raw unprocessed milk contains neither of these nutrients. Iodine is likewise an essential nutrient.

Ignoring iodine intake is risky since deficiency causes goiters. If you regularly use iodized salt or if you take a daily multivitamin , your iodine needs should be covered. If you like nut milks, try making your own. All you need is a good blender and a fine-mesh strainer or some cheesecloth. Nothing could be easier to make. Try five parts water to one part cashews, blanched almonds, or hemp seeds.