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Plant-based milk

Even if many cultures have consumed plant-based milk, its popularity has increased in the past few decades. People prefer plant-based milk for various reasons such as nutritional value, animal welfare, and low impact on the environment. You will now get a huge range of plant-based milk for drinking, baking, cooking and many more.

What is plant-based milk?

Plant-based milk is those substitutes prepared from nuts such as hemp seeds and hazelnuts, seeds like sesame, coconuts, almonds, flax, oats, etc. or legumes like soy. Such milk is made by soaking them in water, grinding to make them puree and then straining fibre from the liquid.

Why do people opt for plant-based milk?

Plant-based milk provides a detectable alternative to animal milk. It is thin, flavourless, creamy-texture which you can add to coffee, cake batter or cereals. Here are some of the major reasons why plant-based milk is increasing in trends:

Lactose intolerance: One of the major reasons why people opt for plant-based milk is that their bodies cannot break down a kind of sugar called lactose found in cow’s milk.
Allergies: Many people are becoming allergic to animal milk, for which they are looking for a good substitute.
Vegan lifestyle: Vegans like plant-based milk to avoid foods made from animal products.
To avoid antibiotics, growth hormones and pesticides: It is known to everyone that farmers use growth hormones or antibiotics to help the dairy cows grow, make milk and sustain in concentrated space on industrial farms, which is not good for human health.
Impact on environment: People who like plant-based milk might do so because plant farming is less harmful when compared with livestock farming.

10 best plant-based milk

So, now that you know about what plant-based milk is and why people prefer it, let’s discuss about ten best plant-based milk.

Sl.no	Type of milk	Taste	Best use	Rich in
1	Almond milk	Nutty	Eat with cereals	Unsaturated fat, calcium
2	Cashew milk	Nutty	Cooking and baking	Unsaturated fat, carbohydrates, protein
3	Coconut milk	Coconut taste	Cooking and baking	Rich in carbohydrates and fats.
4	Hazelnut milk	Creamy and nutty taste	With coffee	Rich in protein and unsaturated fats.
5	Hemp Milk	Nutty taste	Cereals, cooking and baking	Omega – 3 Fatty acids.
6	Mecademia nut milk	Good taste	Coffee and desserts	Protein
7	Oat milk	Sweet	Cereals, cooking and baking	Dietary fibre, antioxidants and phytochemicals.
8	Rice milk	Sweet	Cereals, and baking	Carbohydrates and anti-oxidants
9	Soy milk	Nutty	Cooking and baking	Protein
10	Spelt milk	Sweet	As sweetener	Protein

1. Almond milk: A milk rich in many healthy nutrients

Almond milk is one of the best plant-based milk having a nutty taste. It is good to eat with cereals. It contains fewer calories and less protein. The fat it contains is unsaturated fat which is good for health.

2. Cashew milk: A new variety of plant-based milk

Cashew milk has a slight nut taste and is best for cooking and baking. The fat it contains is mainly unsaturated and is one of the best choices for those with a high cholesterol level. It helps in adding thickness which is best for use in lattes.

3. Coconut milk: Best for cooking

Available mainly in cans and is best for baking and cooking, which gives your food a special aroma. From curries to vegetable soups, chia seed pudding and ice creams, coconut milk is used in many dishes. Coconut milk that is available for drinking is best for making coffee and also for cereals.

4. Hazelnut milk: A milk that offers a creamy treat

Plant-based milk has a nutty flavour that makes it one of the best choices for baking foods, and also you can add it to coffee. Hot chocolate with hazelnut milk is one of the best dairy-free alternatives to usual hot chocolate.

5. Hemp milk: A milk rich in Omega 3 Fatty acids

Hemp milk is milk that is made from hemp plant seeds. It contains fewer carbohydrates and is rich in unsaturated fats, which is good for health. One glass of hemp milk offers 50% of the required daily dose of alpha-linolenic acid. This is why it is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids. It has a nutty taste and is best for cereals, cooking and baking purposes.

6. Macadamia nut milk: A delicious alternative to milk

This plant-based milk has arrived recently and is not available widely. But it has become popular because it is low in calories and carbohydrates. It is rich in protein and possesses a very good taste. It is best for use in coffee and desserts.

7. Oat milk: A plant-based milk that is rising in popularity

Oat milk has a sweet taste and a very thin consistency, such as low-fat milk. Because of their richness in dietary fibre, antioxidants and phytochemicals, they are one of the healthy options. If you consume oats milk regularly, it helps in lowering gastrointestinal issues, and it also has cholesterol-decreasing properties. They taste great with cereals and are also good for cooking and baking.

8. Rice milk: Best for those having allergies

It is cereal-based milk and is hypoallergenic. This is why it is best for people with lactose intolerances and allergies. They are rich in carbohydrates and low in fat and proteins. When processing, carbohydrates mainly break down into sugars that offer rice milk a sweet taste.

9. Soya milk: A great milk alternative

It belongs to the legume-based milk category and is the only milk alternative with the same protein amount as cow’s milk. Because many manufacturers reinforce soya milk with calcium and several other vitamins like B12 and B2, nutrition experts recommend using it as a replacement in cooking and baking. It is also available in many flavours, such as vanilla, banana and chocolate.

10. Spelt milk

Like wheat, Spelt milk also consists of gluten which is not good for those with celiac disease or intolerance to gluten. Since it has a sweet taste even without using sugar, it can be used for making sweet dishes and as a natural sweetener.

Conclusion

So, by now, you might have understood that several options are available for those looking for alternatives to dairy milk. But it would help if you kept in mind that plant-based milk is not the same as dairy milk, especially regarding nutrients. If you depend on cow’s milk as a source of vital nutrients such as calcium, then make sure the vegan milk you want to use has all those nutritional contents.

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FAQs

Which is the healthiest plant-based milk?

Soy milk is one of the healthiest plant-based as it contains a very high level of magnesium, selenium, zinc and phosphorus.

Which plant-based milk is close to whole milk?

Soy milk is close to cow’s milk in terms of nutrition. It is so because it consists of the same amount of protein as cow’s milk, but it has half the amount of fat, calories, and carbohydrates.

Is plant-based milk good for our environment?

Plant-based milk is a better option when you compare it with cow’s milk as they use less land and freshwater and create fewer gas emissions than cow’s milk.

Is it ok for vegans to drink almond milk?

Yes, but as long as you are not allergic to any of its ingredients. Maximum almond milk is vegan.

Does any of the plant-based milk taste like dairy milk?

Yes, some plant-based milk, such as Ripple milk, tastes the same as cow’s milk. But again, it’s purely based on each person’s view.

Which plant-based milk is best for use with coffee?

Well, it all depends on a person’s tastes, preferences, and views. While some plant-based milk gets curdled in hot coffee, others might remain better.

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