The Best Milk Alternatives For Better Health

These days the fear of cholesterol is beginning of wisdom.
Gradually many people are discarding stuffing themselves with fat laden nutrients. Many people are reaching for non-dairy milk these days. The trouble is, when you scan a store shelf or cooler and see soy milk, macadamia milk, oat milk, pea milk and more, it can be hard to know which alternative to dairy milk is the best choice for you.
To help sort through the sea of alt-milk facts, we spoke to some environmental and nutrition experts, who shared some details that will make your decision a bit easier. We got the scoop on nutrition content, as well as important environmental factors to consider, such as greenhouse gas emissions, water use, land use, where a crop is grown, transportation and how crops are processed.
Here’s what you need to know when choosing a dairy milk alternative:
Oat Milk
Among the dairy alternatives, oat milk is a pretty climate-friendly choice with fairly low water use, land use and greenhouse gas emissions. on this topic right now.
As for nutrition oat milk is lower in fat and protein and higher in carbohydrates than other alternatives. It also has a neutral flavor and creamy consistency, making it a popular choice in cafés. Overall, nutritionists say oat milk is a good option, especially for people with soy and nut allergies.
Almond Milk
There’s a lot of buzz around the amount of water that goes into farming almonds, and that’s a valid concern — almond milk takes a lot of water to produce.
From a nutrition standpoint, almond milk is a good option in many cases. There is nothing about almond milk that sends any red flags from a health perspective,” Wolfram said, but this definitely isn’t the right choice for someone with an allergy to tree nuts or almonds.
Almond milk is low in calories, fat and protein, the consistency is thin, and the taste is fairly light and neutral, making it a good choice for mixing into smoothies. Wolfram suggests choosing a variety that’s fortified with calcium and Vitamin D.
Coconut Milk
Nutritionally, coconut milk isn’t ideal when compared to many other milk alternatives because it’s high in saturated fat according to researchers. There’s some debate over whether saturated fat from plant sources — like coconuts — is less harmful to the body than saturated fats from animal products, but experts recommend reducing consumption of saturated fats overall. It can be included in a healthy diet, but should be limited, they said.
Tyger nut Milk
Tyger nut is fast becoming a common snack these days. These small light dark brown nuts are packed with lots milk laden water that is nutritious and healthy. With lots of potassium and little sodium, tyger nuts is good for the heart, high blood pressure and stomach. Recent research has also shown that the milk in tiger nuts has less fats and lots of fibre.
To extract milk from tyger nuts requires much efforts from blending lots of them in a blender and filtering. The downside is that without adequate preservation tyger milk can sour. To get the best from it, add small sweetner either in tea or pap to taste.
Soy Milk
Soy milk can be a great alternative to dairy milk, but you’ll want to pay attention to where it comes from, as some soybeans drive deforestation in the Amazon while also displacing indigenous peoples and small farmers.
There are other issues to consider, too — some soybeans are genetically modified to withstand pesticides. Soy milk also encourages monoculture, Bergen said, which has negative effects on soil and the climate. She recommends organic soy milk as the best option.
From a nutritional perspective, soy milk contains around six or seven grams of protein per serving (comparable to cow’s milk) and is less processed than many other nondairy milks. The key is to look for unsweetened varieties, said registered dietitian Amanda Baker Lemein.
Pea Milk
Nutritionally, unsweetened pea milk is low in calories, high in protein and contains little or no saturated fat, making it a solid nondairy alternative. It usually has added oil and is fortified with vitamin B12 and other vitamins and minerals. But watch out for added sugars. “Once you get into flavors or sweeteners, then it changes how healthy it is.
Adapted From HUFFPOST