Nowadays, choosing a milk to pour in your cereal is as difficult as ever with the endless options available to us. From traditional cow milk to alternatives from nuts, weeds, and even goats, which of these is the best? The answer depends on your individual needs. Let’s take a look at some of the best and most common options:
Skim Milk
Benefits: This classic and traditional low-fat cow milk is among the most popular choices for the average American. It’s also the cheapest and the easiest to find at any supermarket (except probably in India). Skim milk is great as post-workout drink, since you get the same amount of protein without the heaps of saturated fat and only half the amount of calories as whole milk. At 30% of calcium per cup, just one glass a day is an easy way to help keep your bones strong. According to a recent study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, people felt fuller and ate fewer calories after drinking skim milk than after drinking a fruit drink.
Keep in Mind: This clearly isn’t an option for vegans or those who are intolerant to lactose. And while skim milk may be more filling than a fruit drink and low in calories, it is also low in fat. This is not necessarily a good thing; foods and drinks that have reduced fat are not as filling, so you are likely to end up compensating for the lack of calories by eating or drinking more.
Soy Milk
Benefits: With 7 grams per 8 ounces, this alternative has almost as much protein as cow’s milk, keeping you full and helping you build muscles, so it’s a great option for athletes and dieters. It is also cholesterol free and has high potassium, relieving muscle cramps for the health conscious. In addition, there is about 20-30% of bone-strengthening calcium per cup, depending on the brand.
Keep in Mind: Recent studies have proven that soy beans have a natural xenoestrogen, a chemical that mimics estrogen. High doses have been known to cause breast cancer, so be sure to limit your intake. Also, be aware that flavored soy milk has around 2 to 3 times the extra sugar, which is now being blamed for shorter life-spans, high-blood pressure, premature aging, anxiety, weight gain, and even cancer.
Goat Milk
Benefits: To me, goat milk is the best option. Jennifer Lowe of the British Dietetic Association claims it’s less allergenic and easier to digest than cow milk because of the smaller fat globules. The milk is also lower in fat, contains more brain-boosting omega-3 fatty acids, and ample amounts of bone-strengthening calcium and phosphorus, body-regulating magnesium, and linoleic acid, which aids in fat loss. It even has significantly higher levels of zinc and selenium, helping strengthen your immune system.
Keep in Mind: If you’re lactose intolerant, this isn’t a safe option. Also, cow milk has significantly more B-12 vitamins than goat milk, which helps form red-blood cells, so you’ll have to find a replacement in your diet.
Rice Milk
Benefits: Quite frankly, there aren’t a whole lot of benefits to drinking rice milk. But rice is among one of the least allergenic foods in the world, so just about anybody can drink this. And most importantly, rice milk is responsible for great horchata, something we should all be thankful for.
Keep in Mind: Rice milk has a lot of carbs (twice as much as cow’s milk), lots of calories (up to 120 per cup), and has more sugar than the other options. In addition, this milk has no fiber, a scarce amount of protein, and just doesn’t have much nutritional value in general. However, if this is your best option, you can look for certain brands that have fortified vitamins and other nutrients mixted into the drink.
Lactose-Free Milk
Benefits: Thirty million Americans are lactose intolerant because they can’t properly digest lactose, a natural sugar in milk and milk products. Lactose-free milk is just cow milk with added lactase, which is an enzyme that breaks down lactose and makes it easier for your body to digest it. It has all the same nutrients as regular cow milk does too, so you’re not missing out on anything.
Keep in Mind: Many lactose-free formulas are sweetened with corn syrup, and according to a study at Princeton University, corn syrup can cause high cholesterol and significant increases in body fat, specifically around your stomach.
Hemp Milk
Benefits: Hemp is a weed that is very versatile and environmentally friendly. From bikes, to ale, to paper, to milk, hemp can do it all. Best of all, hemp is naturally rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, great for your heart and your brain. Hemp milk has more calcium than cow’s milk, is cholesterol free, and has a high amount of iron so it’s a great option for those who suffer from anemia. Recently, Pennsylvania State University scientists discovered that iron deficiency can deteriorate cognitive functioning in women; this would be due to the role iron plays in delivering oxygen to brain cells.
Keep in Mind: Unfortunately, hemp milk is low in calcium and protein, two vital nutrients that are crucial in our daily lives, especially athletes.
Almond Milk
Benefits: Almond milk has the least amount of calories in the bunch, and even has the highest levels of vitamin E, which is good for protecting our skin. In fact, just drinking two cups a day gives you a full day’s serving of the vitamin. Almond milk is also rich in calcium, Vitamins A and D, and is believed to help lower cholesterol.
Keep in mind: While the raw nuts may have countless health benefits, the nutrients are stripped after the milking process, which involves grinding the almonds with water. Consequentially, almond milk is low in fiber and protein in comparison to alternative choices such as soy milk.