Cow’s Milk Alternatives
If you are reading this expecting a comparison of plant milks, don’t be disappointed as I will discuss these at the end of the blog. But firstly, it’s important as a nutritionist to address the purpose of plant milks. In recent years they have become incredibly popular - personally, I love an oat flat white! But many people are using plant milks as direct swaps for cow’s milk, not realising that they are often ultra-processed, containing emulsifiers, seed oils, sweeteners and preservatives that may damage the gut microbiome. They also do not offer the complete protein profile we get from cow’s milk. Although many are fortified, until recently very few contained iodine, which is an essential mineral required for proper thyroid function. Ideally we don’t want to be relying on fortification to obtain our nutrients, as real food sources are always superior.
There are many reasons why you might be avoiding cow’s milk. You may have an allergy or intolerance. You may be adopting a vegan diet, or you may just want to reduce your carbon footprint. These days, the alternative options available are plentiful. But do they measure up in terms of nutritional profile? Cow’s milk provides a complete source of protein, as well as fat, carbohydrates, calcium, iodine, vitamin A, vitamin B12, vitamin B2, folate, phosphorous, zinc and magnesium …it’s a tough one to match. So what are the best alternatives?
Can you replace with other dairy foods?
If you are avoiding cow’s milk due to a lactose intolerance, you may find that you can actually tolerate fermented dairy products such as yoghurt, cheese and kefir. These provide all the same nutritional benefits as cow’s milk, with the added bonus of probiotics to boost your gut health. Lactose intolerance occurs when the intestines are not making enough of the enzyme lactase, which is needed to break down the lactose in cow’s milk. In the absence of lactase, the lactose is digested by bacteria in the gut, producing fatty acids and gases which cause bloating, flatulance, pain and diarrhea symptoms. When cow’s milk goes through the fermentation process to create yoghurt/cheese etc., the lactose is converted to lactic acid which can be more easily digested.
A nutritional therapist can help you re-introduce dairy products to your diet if you are unsure about your lactose intolerance. They may advise supplementing lactase or working on your gut health to improve enzyme function and relieve symptoms.
What about non-dairy wholefoods?
Before you reach for the oat milk to pour over your cereal, is it maybe time to re-think the way we eat? A balanced meal will contain protein, fat and carbohydrates. Swapping cow’s milk for oat milk has many of us consuming only carbohydrates for breakfast, which can wreak havoc on our energy levels throughout the day. You may be surprised to know that it’s possible to obtain all the nutrients you would otherwise be getting from cow’s milk, by eating a varied and balanced omnivorous wholefood diet (note that a vegan diet will require supplementation of vitamin B12 as a minimum - speak to a nutritional therapist to ensure you are getting all the nutrients you need). Here are some examples of alternative food sources for each of the vitamins and minerals in cow’s milk:
CALCIUM - Canned oily fish with bones (Sardines/Salmon/Anchovies), Kale, Collard greens, Almonds, Seeds (Sesame/Poppy/Chia), Beans, Lentils, Tahini, Tofu, Edamame, Figs
IODINE - Seafood, Seaweed, Eggs, Iodized table salt
VITAMIN A - Eggs (yolk), Oily fish, Liver, Oysters, Sweet potato, Butternut squash, Carrots, Collard greens, Spinach [Note that plant sources contain carotenoids which are converted to vitamin A in the body]
RIBOFLAVIN (B2) - Red meat, Eggs (yolk), Salmon, Cod, Chicken, Almonds, Quinoa
VITAMIN B12 - Meat, Fish, Eggs
FOLATE (B9) - Beans, Lentils, Asparagus, Spinach, Beetroot, Citrus fruits, Broccoli, Walnuts, Flaxseeds, Bananas
PHOSPHOROUS - Seafood, Pork, Poultry, Organ meats, Nuts (Brazil, Almonds, Cashews), Whole grains, Oats Quinoa
ZINC - Meat, Shellfish, Lentils, Beans, Chickpeas, Pumpkin seeds, Peanuts, Cashews, Almonds, Eggs, Dark Chocolate
MAGNESIUM - Dark Chocolate, Avocado, Black beans, Pumpkin seeds, Chia seeds, Flaxseeds, Cashews, Brazil nuts, Almonds, Bananas, Spinach
NB: the above food lists for each nutrient provide examples and are not exhaustive.
Which Plant Milk is best?
These days, there are so many plant milks to choose from. It’s great to have options, but it can be confusing and overwhelming. Many plant milks fall under the category of ultra-processed; containing emulsifiers, sweeteners, preservatives and additives. When choosing your plant milk, read the label of ingredients and follow the guidelines below.
If you are eating a varied, omnivorous wholefood diet, which provides all of the nutrients you need and you just want something to mimic milk for your cereal, coffee or cooking, then it’s best to go for an organic, unsweetened and minimally processed option. A couple of good brands to look out for include Rude Health and Plenish, which are both available in most supermarkets and offer lots of different options (e.g. oat, soya, coconut, almond, cashew, hazelnut). When buying organic, it is still worth comparing the labels as you will find the nutrition profiles of the options available to be very different. Especially in terms of carbohydrate and protein values.
If, however, the purpose of your plant milk is to replace the nutritional benefits of cow’s milk (more often the case with children), make sure you choose a high protein option, fortified with calcium, iodine, B12 and riboflavin and avoiding sweeteners and additives as much possible. Charlotte Stirling-Reed (the baby and child nutritionist) has a great comparison on her website from 2020, which shows what you need to look out for when comparing nutrition labels. At the time of comparison, the winning plant milks, in terms of nutritional matching with cow’s milk, were M&S unsweetened Soya and Mighty Pea unsweetened.
