Milk nutrition: How do dairy and different plant-based options stack up?

Dairy milk. Soy milk. Almond milk. Even banana milk? Yep, the milk aisle is fuller than ever with a range of creamy beverages for you to choose from – and now, the non-dairy options can be officially referred to as “milk,” according to a February decision by the Food and Drug Administration.

The best choice, though depends on what you’re looking for: From taste to calcium and cholesterol levels, people have different priorities when it comes to making their milk selection. 

Plus, your preferences may differ depending on how you use it. Some people prefer oat milk in their coffee, for example, because they think it has the creamiest texture amongst the non-dairy milks, while others may prefer a different flavor if they’re simply pouring themselves a tall glass to enjoy.

To help you figure out how the choices differ from a nutrition-based standpoint, we pulled together some of the basics of each option.

Note: Each nutritional breakdown is based on a one-cup serving (240 ml) of the brand listed on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s FoodData Central database. Different brands or versions of each milk may vary.

Dairy milk, 2%

• calories: 122
• total fat: 4.66 grams
• protein: 8.23 g
• calcium: 309 mg
• sodium: 95.6 mg
• cholesterol: 19.6 mg

Soy milk

• calories: 110
• total fat: 4.51 g
• protein: 7.99 g
• calcium: 451 mg
• sodium: 96 mg
• cholesterol: 0 mg

Oat milk

• calories: 120
• total fat: 4.99 g
• protein: 3 g
• calcium: 350 mg
• sodium: 101 mg
• cholesterol: 0 mg

Almond milk

• calories: 50.4
• total fat: 1.99 g
• protein: 1.01 g
• calcium: 130 mg
• sodium: 149 mg
• cholesterol: 0 mg

Coconut milk

• calories: 75.6
• fat: 5.08 g
• protein: .512 g
• calcium: 459 mg
• sodium: 46.4 mg
• cholesterol: 0 mg

And this is just scratching the surface of available milk options. Other non-dairy milks you may find include pistachio, macadamia, cashew, hemp, flaxseed, rice, pea, and of course, banana milk.

Other things to consider when choosing milk

We’ve talked about health differences and taste preferences, but there are other factors that go into someone’s decision to buy one carton over another, including: 

Allergies: Specific dietary restrictions are a major player in milk options. For example, some non-dairy milks may not be an option for people with nut or soy allergies, whereas people who are lactose intolerant or follow a vegan diet, plant-based milks are likely a go-to. 

Environment: The environmental impact of every alt-milk in the market isn’t yet known, but there is data amongst rice, soy, almond and oat – and we know they’re all better on the planet than their cow milk counterpart. 

Among the non-dairy options, rice has the lowest impact on land use, almond has the lowest impact on greenhouse emissions, and soy has the lowest impact on freshwater use, according to a Global Change Data Lab analysis.

Other additions: What else separates dairy and plant-based milks? Dairy cows are almost always pregnant, which naturally boosts levels of progestins, estrogens and other hormones.

Meanwhile, plant milks can contain different additives. On the positive, they’re often fortified with nutrients like calcium to be comparable with dairy. But they can also include additions like vanilla flavoring and sugar — and the CDC advises people, especially children, to avoid added, unnecessary sugars.