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Cow's Milk vs Plant-Based Milk Alternatives: what's healthier?
- Harriet Renkin
- Feb 20, 2021
- 3 min read
Choosing a plant-based milk alternative may seem like the healthier option. But is it always? And is it better for you than drinking cow's milk?
Plant-based milk alternatives (PBMA) have become a common alternative to the standard dairy milk products you find in UK supermarkets. In 2019, nearly a quarter of Brit’s reported using PBMA’s with the highest numbers coming from young consumers (aged 16-24).
What are PBMA’s?
Plant-based milk alternatives are produced by soaking materials in water, which are subsequently broken down and separated from solid matter through filtration, resulting in a liquid that resemble the appearance and consistency of milk.
Types of PBMA
Many of the PMBA are derived from everyday food including nuts, legumes, cereals and seeds. Below are the seven most common types of PBMA you can find in UK supermarkets.
Soy
Oat
Cashew
Coconut
Almond
Hemp
Rice
So what’s healthier?
With so many options out there, when it comes to concluding the healthiest type of milk there are a couple of things to consider including: nutrition quality, age group requirements, intolerances, and environment.
The quality of plant-based milks varies greatly when it comes to nutrients. Some contain virtually the same amount of vitamins and minerals as cow's milk; others fall far short. For example, many almond milks are much lower in protein than cow's milk. On the other hand, most PBMA have lower sugar content per 100ml, compared to cow’s milk. Below it a handy table to help you compare the nutrients in each milk.
Different age groups require different quantities for vitamins and minerals. Milk is a good source of vitamin D, calcium, and protein, and as such, includes ingredients that support growth in children. Whilst many PBMA’s will be fortified (the process of adding nutrients to a food) they may not have the same amount as cow’s milk. Therefore, it is recommended that children are given cow’s milk (or formula) and avoid PMBA as some studies have shown that is can lower childhood growth.
It is estimated that around 70% of the world’s population suffer with some degree of lactose intolerance. Lactose is only found in the milk of mammals and is the main carbohydrate found in milk and dairy products. If you are lactose intolerance, you will be familiar with how uncomfortable and unpleasant it can be when you accidentally eat some dairy. PMBA, are naturally lactose-free options making them a good alternative. Conversely, some PBMA’s are recognised allergens including cashew, almond and soy. Many individuals will be aware of what they are allergic too but, it is always something to be mindful of when selecting a trying out new PBMA’s.
Plant-based milks are superior to cow's milk when it comes to the environment. Plant-based products are less environmentally taxing than animal-based products. So, if you're looking to reduce your carbon footprint, plant-based may be the way to go. The amount of water used in the production of PBMA has been suggested to be as environmentally damaging as the production of normal milk however, this will vary on the type of PBMA chosen. Almond and rice milk use the highest about of water during production.
How to choose your PBMA
There are a couple of things to consider when choosing a PBMA to ensure you are selecting the best of the bunch:
Choose the 'unsweetened' option: You will usually find this label on the front of the carton. Unsweetened means that there has been no 'added' sugar put into to product. It still contains all of the natural sugar from the plant-based source which are fine for health in moderate quantities.
Choose 'fortified' options: you will usually find this information on the back of the carton. Fortified means that the milk has had extra nutrients added, such a vitamins and calcium that would usually be found in dairy milk. This ensures that we are still getting the recommended amounts of vitamins and minerals for a healthy body.
Conclusion:
There are a lot of pro’s and con’s to both plant-based milk alternatives and cow’s milk. Each milk has its own nutrition composition making each milk unique to our health.
If you are someone who is looking for more environmentally friend product, then PMBA may be an option. Similarly, if you are lactose intolerant PBMA’s are a great lactose-free alternative. If you want to go for a low sugar option, use the traffic light system to compare products. Alternatively, if you are someone who enjoys cow’s milk but would like to be more environmentally friendly, alternate between the two.
A well-balanced diet includes a variety of different foods and nutrients and this should be the same when it comes to our choosing our milk.
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