Plant Milks – A Comparison

Around 25% of Britons now drink plant-based milks. That’s huge, considering they don’t seem to have been around for that long. These days you can find a massive section of a supermarket aisle dedicated to the numerous different types of plant milks available. It’s a growing market as people become more aware of their health, animal welfare and the environmental consequences of the dairy industry.

“One of the big winners from this shift in consumption is oat milk, with shoppers buying £36m worth last year as sales surged more than 70%. Sales of coconut milk rose 16% and almond milk increased 10% over the same period. The Swedish brand Oatly said its UK sales had increased by nearly 90% to £18m in 2018 and were expected to exceed £30m this year.” – The Guardian

A Guide to Plant Milks

There are lots of plant based alternatives to cows milk available these days. Below I’ve listed some of the known pros and cons of each, regarding their environmental impact and any health implications good and bad. I haven’t included any comparison on their flavour as that’s a very subjective thing. (Personally I can’t stand the taste of almond milk!) With each type of plant milk available you’re going to find lots of options as well, including organic versions and unsweetened versions. Organic versions, as is the norm, are more expensive, and unsweetened versions are often a matter of taste. I prefer the unsweetened versions myself. Many plant milks are fortified with vitamins and minerals.

The price comparisons included below don’t necessarily include some of the cheapest options because there are so many plant milks and brands available. The price can vary massively depending on which brand you choose and where you buy your plant milk from. For example I buy unsweetened long life soya milk from Lidl which costs 55p per litre, Alpro unsweetened long life soya milk is normally £1.60 per litre (although you can save a little by buying packs of 6 or if they’re on special offer).

There are some affiliate links in this article. I may earn a small amount of money, at no extra cost to you, if you purchase something.

Soya Milk

“Soy milk or soymilk (soya milk in UK) is a plant-based drink produced by soaking and grinding soybeans, boiling the mixture, and filtering out remaining particulates. It is a stable emulsion of oil, water, and protein.”

Environmental Impact of Soy Milk

✓ Soybeans require far less energy than cows to produce milk.
✓ Soybeans are good for the soil as they replenish the nitrogen content.
X  The growing of soybeans is a major contributor to deforestation especially in the Amazon rainforest, however the majority of soybeans grown in South America are cultivated to feed cattle rather than for soy milk.

Health Benefits of Soy Milk

There are concerns that too much soy can lead to an excess of certain phytoestrogens which may have a detrimental effect on the human estrogen hormone. There are health benefits to phytoestrogens but they might not outweigh the health risks, especially to infants. It’s wise not to consume too much soy based food or drink until the health benefits and risks are properly assessed.

Have a read of ‘The Truth About Soy‘ to learn more about the environmental impact of soy.

Almond Milk

“The basic method of modern domestic almond milk production is to grind almonds in a blender with water, then strain out the almond pulp (flesh) with a strainer or cheesecloth. Almond milk can also be made by adding water to almond butter.”

Environmental Impact of Almond Milk

✓ Almond milk has a lower impact than dairy milk, in terms of water use.
X  More than 80% of the world’s almonds are grown in California. The problem with this is that it takes about 5 litres of water to produce only 1 almond. With California being a very drought-prone state this is obviously not great.
X Additionally the pesticides used could also have long lasting effects on the environment.

It’s worth noting that the almond industry is making progress towards increasing the sustainability of almond production. There are more organic almonds available now as well.

Health Benefits of Almond Milk

Health-wise almond milk is lower in calories than cow’s milk, low in sugar (unsweetened milks anyway), high in vitamin E (cow’s milk contains no Vitamin E) and it is a good source of calcium; a surprisingly better source of calcium than cow’s milk (although this is mainly down to calcium being added). Vitamin D is also often added to almond milk. Some people who are allergic to soya milk and / or dairy milk can drink almond milk as a healthy alternative.

Read ‘how eco-friendly are nuts?‘ to learn more about the environmental impact of almonds.

Oat Milk

“Oat milk is a type of plant milk derived from whole oat grains by soaking the plant material to extract its nutrients.”

Environmental Impact of Oat Milk

✓ A litre of oat milk needs about 48 litres of water to produce. (Compare that to a litre of cow’s milk = 1050 litres of water; 1 litre of soy milk = 297 litres of water).
✓ Oats use 80% less land than is required for dairy milk.

“Oatly teamed up with local partners to send used oat kernel hulls to farms and biogas facilities instead of into landfills, Bratskeir reported, adding that in the U.S., Oatly’s production waste is “used as a part of fertilizer growth and animal feed.”” – Bustle.

Always check the company website to see what their sustainability practises are, not all oat milk producers will be as sustainable as Oatly.

Health Benefits of Oat Milk

You won’t get as many nutrients from oat milk as you would from a bowl of oats, but it’s usually enriched with nutrients to make up for this. Commercial oat milk is often fortified with Vitamins A, D, B2, B12 and minerals such as calcium. Oat milk tends to have more calories, carbs and fibre than cow’s, soya or almond milk and less protein.

Hemp Milk

“Hemp milk, or hemp seed milk, is a plant milk made from hemp seeds that are soaked and ground in water.”

Environmental Impact of Hemp Milk

✓ Hemp requires very little water to grow compared to some other plant based milks.
✓ Hemp seeds don’t need the use of herbicides or pesticides, making it one of the most environmentally friendly plant milks.

Health Benefits of Hemp Milk

Hemp is packed full of goodness. Hemp seeds are one of the highest sources of plant based protein and are naturally high in calcium, omega-3 and omega-6. You can get more calcium from hemp milk than cow’s milk! You can also get magnesium, iron, zinc and vitamin B1 from hemp seeds.

Rice Milk

“Rice milk is made by pressing the rice through a mill using diffusion to strain out the pressed grains”

Environmental Impact of Rice Milk

X  Rice takes a lot of water to grow.
X  There’s a risk of arsenic contamination in rice paddy fields.
X  A lot of rice is now genetically modified and has been deemed unsafe in some countries.

Health Benefits of Rice Milk

Rice milk is a good source of magnesium and vitamin B, but it is high in carbohydrates and low in protein compared to other plant based milks. It’s the best plant milk for those with allergies.

Coconut Milk

“Coconut milk is traditionally made by grating the white inner flesh of mature coconuts and mixing the shredded coconut pulp with a small amount of hot water in order to suspend the fat present in the grated pulp. The grating process can be carried out manually or by machine.”

Environmental Impact of Coconut Milk

✓ Coconut farms tend to be very eco-friendly and require little water
✓ Coconut trees are great at absorbing carbon dioxide
X  As with all products, transportation and the processing have to be taken into account

Buy fair trade coconuts to make sure that workers and animals are not exploited. (Monkeys have been trained to pick coconuts in Thailand).

Health Benefits of Coconut Milk

Coconut milk is a good source of various vitamins and minerals. One cup contains 5 grams of both protein and fibre. Coconut milk also contains vitamin C, iron, potassium, folate, magnesium, copper, manganese and selenium.

Read more about all the uses of coconuts.

Hazelnut Milk

Hazelnuts just need to be soaked and then blended with water and strained to produce the milk.

Environmental Impact of Hazelnut Milk

✓ Hazelnut trees capture carbon and help to reduce carbon emissions
✓ Hazelnut trees have a low water footprint and can tolerate poor soil
✓ They’re pollinated by the wind and so don’t rely on commercial honey bees.
X  There are concerns about child labour in Turkey

Health Benefits of Hazelnut Milk

Hazelnut milk is a source of vitamins A, B and E as well as folate and dietary fibre. Hazelnut milk is also known to be an antioxidant making it a good choice for those with high cholesterol.

Which Are The Most Environmentally Friendly Plant Milks?

All plant milks are better for the environment than cow’s milk, however both hemp milk and oat milk appear to be much better for the environment than the alternative plant milks. Rice milk and almond milk are just not great especially in terms of water use and soy milk is not the best for your health if you drink too much of it.

We also have to consider the packaging. Almost all plant milks come in tetra packs, which is a bit frustrating. Fortunately they can now be recycled, but only if you go to specific drop-off points. I’m extremely lucky that my local recycling centre accepts Tetra packs but most don’t. A local producer of oat milk (Oato, based in Kendal) delivers oat milk in glass bottles and is about to start deliveries to my town. A bottle will only cost 95p as well after a first free sample. Have a look to see if there are similar companies operating near you.

Based on my research I’ll certainly be moving away from consuming quite so much soya milk even though it’s pretty reasonably priced. I’m glad I don’t like almond milk as that seems to be the worst in regards to environmental impact. Personally I’ll be choosing oat or hemp milk. To keep the costs down and to minimise my carbon footprint and litter I’m going to try and make oat milk at home. Oat, hemp and hazelnut milk appear to be fairly easy to make at home.

How to Make Plant Milks

How to Make Oat Milk

Add 1 cup of oats and 4 cups of water to a high speed blender. Blend for 30-45 seconds and then strain through a t-shirt. (Minimalist Baker) How simple does that sound?

How to Make Hemp Milk

Add 1/2 cup of hemp seeds, 3-4 cups of water (less water for thicker milk) and a pinch of sea salt to a high speed blender. Blend for 1 minute. It normally doesn’t need straining but you can strain through a t-shirt if you wish. (Minimalist Baker)

How to Make Hazelnut Milk

Add 100g of hazelnuts in a bowl to soak overnight. The next day drain and rinse the hazelnuts. Put them in a blender with 2 cups of water. You can add a sweetener if you like (sugar, maple syrup, dates etc). Strain the liquid through a t-shirt or muslin and keep in a glass container in the fridge. (Spicie Foodie)

All plant milks have the potential to separate, so give them a good shake before using.

• Cows’ milk (whole, vitamin D added)
• Soy milk (unsweetened; calcium, vitamins A and D added)
• Almond milk (unsweetened)
• Oat milk (unsweetened, fortified oat milk by Oatly) 

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Sources

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soy_milk
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Almond_milk
• https://sustainability.ucsf.edu/1.713
• https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/almond-milk-health-benefits
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oat_milk
• https://medium.com/@tabitha.whiting/what-milk-should-you-buy-to-reduce-your-environmental-impact-e0489153e3b8
• https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/oat-milk#nutrition
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemp_milk
• https://www.delicious.com.au/food-files/health/article/hemp-milk-coming-s-you-need-know/O4xUlyLa
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rice_milk
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coconut_milk