Plant-Based or Non-Dairy Milks are Everywhere. Are They Better than Dairy?
Plant-based or non-dairy milk is now readily available, so should you drink it rather than dairy milk? There’s a wide choice – soy, rice, oat, coconut, pea and hemp milk are easy to buy, as well as various nut milks (almond, hazelnut, macadamia and more).
There are many motives for avoiding dairy milk – animal rights, lactose intolerance and of course, the climate crisis (climate change).
But which one is actually best for the environment? And how do they compare in terms of nutrition?
Milk and the Environment
Well, this one is pretty easy. Non-dairy milks are miles better for the environment than dairy.
Dairy milk creates more carbon emissions, uses more land and needs more water than plant milks (yes, even those notoriously water-hogging almonds!).
Some examples –
- Non-dairy milks emit about 1/3 fewer carbon emissions than dairy
- Dairy milk takes 9 square metres of land to produce 1 litre of milk, while plant-based milks take less than 1 square metre.
- It takes over 600 litres of water to produce 1 litre of dairy milk, while almond milk takes less than 400 and many other plant milks need less than 300 litres of water. Soy milk needs just 28 litres!
(Of course, there are variations. Almond farming in California gives high yields but uses a lot of water, pesticides and fertilizer, while traditional farms in Spain don’t add water or chemicals. Many companies publish their policies and how they source their ingredients, so check your favorite brand).
But what about nutrition?
Is There Enough Protein?
If you just use a small amount of milk, for example to splash in your coffee, then the nutrition doesn’t really matter. But it does if you or your children drink a lot of it.
In terms of protein, soy milk is the only one that has about the same amount of protein as dairy – others have much less. Plant milk made from pea protein is also a good match for dairy in terms of protein.
Fat and Other Nutrients
There’s less fat in plant milks (except coconut milk) which might be good – but not for babies and children who need the fat in milk to help them to develop.
Some plant milks have added nutrients – but while that might sound good, it’s not clear how useful they are. The fortified additives might not be bio-available, i.e. you might not be able to absorb them, and we don’t know how those additives interact with other substances in the drink.
Which to Choose?
The nutritional benefits – or downsides – of dairy versus non-dairy milk are difficult to be certain about.
But the environmental, climate and ethical benefits of plant milks are clear.
Please Share this post – it’s easy – sharing buttons below and right!
What do you think? Let me know in the comments below.
Warm regards,
P.S. Don’t forget to download your free climate change report here!
