The Best Alternatives to Dairy Milk

There are plenty of healthy reasons not to drink cow's milk, but there are also plenty of alternatives. The non-dairy “milk” playing field has gotten so cluttered, it may be time to sit back and assess our options.

The four most common alt-milks are those derived from almonds, cashews, rice, coconuts, soy and hemp.

Almond milk and cashew milk are both low in calories, but a poor source of protein. The calcium and vitamins listed are typically not native, but added in later. Many people enjoy its taste and smooth texture, but know that the latter is introduced by the addition of lecithin, starches, and other thickeners.

Coconut milk tastes quite coconut-ty, so if that's your thing, have at it. But like almond milk, it is low in protein and calcium, so if you are looking to for a milk substitute that will carry milk's weight in those departments, look elsewhere.

Rice milk is the biggest under-achiever, nutritionally, in this band. It is also relatively high in carbohydrates, sugars, calories, and low in protein. It really only gets a seat at the table because it is the most hypoallergenic of the lot, with a bland taste that can be an empty canvas for whatever other tastier foods you put in your smoothie.

Soy milk is the non-dairy staple at Starbucks and many other trendybaristas, and folks who consume it as part of their daily vente mocha-choco-soy-frappucino may be taken aback by how beany it tastes without all the other trappings. Soy allergies may make this a non-starter for many people, and concerns that an over-consumption of soy phytoestrogens may conflict with our own natural hormones may scare even more people away.

Hemp Milk is made from hemp seeds, and is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids. These essential fats promote heart health and normal brain function, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center, and many American diets lack them. Omega-3s are particularly important if you’re vegan or vegetarian because fish is one of the leading sources of these fats. It has less protein than soy milk, but more iron. It's taste has been charitably described as “acquired,” but vanilla and chocolate varieties are available, with added sugar, of course.

Keep in mind that all of these alt-milks are work arounds. They are almost always highly-processed and loaded up with sugars, preservatives, and artificial ingredients to extend shelf life and tweak the flavor. For as unnatural as you may think it is for a human to drink milk squeezed out of cow (and we won't argue that point), it is just as industrially improbable that gallons of good-tasting and good-for-you milk can be squeezed out of a variety of plants and nuts, shipped halfway around the world and stay fresh while sitting on supermarket shelves for weeks without more than a little unnatural intervention.

The truth of the matter is, that while there is no substitute for mother's milk for a nursing infant, there is no good reason to drink milk of any kind once you are an adult. The notion that animal's milk is a good source of calcium and so should be part of an adult's diet was only just introduced in the 1900s. In fact, absorption rate of calcium from milk products is about 32 percent whereas the absorption rate of calcium from green vegetables like broccoli and kale is between 40 and 64 percent. So if you put some more greens into your breakfast smoothie, you won't have to worry so much about what you substitute for the milk.