Plant-based milk vs. dairy milk, which is better?
While plant-based milks are a great option for those with an allergy, intolerance, or personal preference to avoid dairy, it is important to note that just because the word milk is in the name, it is not a direct substitute.
Fortified soy milk will provide similar nutrition benefits to dairy milk, and is a good option for those avoiding dairy for a variety of different reasons. It is important to note the various plant based foods that these milk alternatives come from, and how the nutrition content differs between them.
It is best practice to review the nutrition information on the label of the product to compare nutrients between brands.
Here is a breakdown of the nutrition content of different types of “milk”:
For comparison purposes, we are looking at the original (not necessarily unsweetened) version of each of these products. Serving size = 1 cup.
Comparison of Nutrition Facts for 1 cup of Dairy Milk vs. Plant Based Milks
*Added sugar: Some have added sugar because the product used for the chart was labeled “original” not necessarily unsweetened.
For the purpose of making this table we chose the original option sold at stores. We chose 2% reduced fat milk for the dairy milk as it is between whole and skim. Be sure to choose a product with the fat content that will suit your individual needs. For plant based milks, there are other options such as plain unsweetened or vanilla unsweetened. Be sure to check the label so that it suits your individual dietary needs! Another important note is that while coconut is a plant based food, it does contain saturated fat. When it comes to reviewing sugar content, total sugar is different from added sugar. Added sugar is what it sounds like, sugar that is added to enhance the flavor of a product, while total sugar also includes naturally occurring sugar, which is present in dairy milk.1 If you are choosing a plant-based option, try to choose one that is fortified, meaning that nutrients are added back into the product that aren't naturally occurring. You'll need to check the nutrition facts label to see if there is added calcium, vitamin D and occasionally Vitamin B12, Vitamin A and the omega-3 fatty acid DHA.2
As you can see, there is some nutrition benefit to all of the options, but they are not exact substitutes of one another. You will get the most nutrition from dairy or soy milk, and you can always choose a lower fat dairy milk, or an unsweetened plant based milk to suit your personal needs.
Overall, when choosing your milk or milk alternative, consider the following:
Choose milk or plant-based milk alternatives higher in protein, calcium, vitamin D and potassium
Choose milk or plant-based milk alternatives lower in saturated fat and added sugars
When choosing a plant-based milk, try to find one that is fortified
Some plant based milks are lower in calories than others, but not all, so if you are choosing a plant based milk alternative to reduce calorie intake, be aware you might be consuming less calories along with less nutrition benefits.
So, neither option is "better" or "worse" than the other, they are just different!
Written by: Sarah Loring, MS, RD, LD.
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