What is the best milk to drink?

Cow’s milk is a classic part of a balanced diet for centuries. But now, the alley of the milk of the grocery store has more milk options than ever.

With all the milk alternatives available, you may be wondering what is the best milk to drink.

Noelle Park, a clinical dietitian at Osf Healthcare, explained what is the healthiest milk to drink and what are the best milk alternatives for people who may not be able to consume dairy products.

Reasons to avoid dairy products

Some people avoid cow’s milk and cow’s dairy products for various reasons.

Dairy allergies

For those who suffer from an allergy, they can break out in a feeding or eczema after drinking milk.

Intolerance to lactose

Lactose intolerance is an inability to completely digest sugar in dairy products. For people who are slightly intolerant to lactose, they may experience bloating, cramps, diarrhea or gas after consuming dairy products.

For people intolerant to lactose, there are solutions that make dairy products possible.

“We have lactase pills that help provide the enzyme to digest lactose,” said Park.

Celiac disease or irritable colon syndrome

People with celiac disease or irritable colon syndrome should see what foods and drinks they consume. They must take additional care in their diet and avoid certain things to manage their conditions.

Chronic kidney disease

People with chronic kidney disease should monitor the amount of cow’s milk they drink due to high phosphorus and protein levels.

Milk options

Plant and nut milks are available as a non -dairy alternative for cow’s milk. The nutritional value of milk options without dairy products varies depending on the type.

Cow’s milk or dairy milk are rich in calcium, potassium, phosphorus and protein.

Gais without skimmed milk (fortified calcium)

A cup of milk without fat or skimmed contains:

• 86 calories
• 8.4 grams of protein
• 504 mg of calcium
• 250 mg of phosphorus
• 410 mg of potassium
• 12 g sugar
• 0.44 g total fat

2% milk

• 122 calories
• 8 g of protein
• 285 mg of calcium
• 229 mg of phosphorus
• 366 mg of potassium
• 461 UI of vitamin A
• 12 g sugar
• 4.8 g total fat

Whole milk

• 146 calories
• 7.86 g of protein
• 276 mg of calcium
• 222 mg of phosphorus
• 349 mg of potassium
• 249 vitamin a
• 12.83 g of sugar
• 7.93 g of total fat

All these elements are essential nutrients to your diet. Thus, dairy milk is a good way to get all the nutritional value that you can from milk. Dairy milk is generally higher in calories and sugar.

Getting good nutritional value of cow’s milk substitutes can be a compromise.

I am milk

Advantages: rich in protein and vitamin A

Disadvantages: not a significant source of calcium

• 127 calories
• 10.9 g Protein
• 1.23 g of sugar
• 93 mg of calcium
• 135 mg of phosphorus
• 304 mg potassium
• 1499 vitamin A
• 4.7 g of total fat

Almond milk (not sweet and calcium)

Advantages: low in calories, rich in calcium

Disadvantages: not a significant source of protein

• 39 calories
• 1 g Protein
• 2 g of sugar
• 482 mg of calcium
• 6 mg of vitamin E
• 2.5 g total fat

Rice and oat milk

Advantages: low in fats and calories

Disadvantages: low in protein and nutrients

• 115 calories
• 7 g of protein
• 288 mg of calcium
• 9 g sugar
• 2.4 g of total fat

Coconut milk

Advantages: rich in phosphorus and potassium

Disadvantages: not a significant source of calcium or protein, rich in fat

• 445 calories
• 4.5 g Protein
• 40 mg of calcium
• 216 mg of phosphorus
• 497 mg of potassium
• 0 ui of vitamin A
• 48 g total fat

Other nut milk

The cashews, nuts, hazelnut milk and macadamia are alternatives of nuts and milk made from less common plants.

Generally, nuts of nuts are rich in fats and calories, but they are also rich in essential nutrients, such as iron and vitamins E and D (if they have been fortified).

These milk options are not good for everyone.

“These lactose -free milks have been really created for people who cannot tolerate cow’s milk due to allergies or to be lactose intolerant and other reasons,” said Park.

Healthiest milk to drink

In the end, cow’s milk is the healthiest to drink if you can tolerate it. It has the most nutritional value.

Cow’s milk has many health benefits, such as helping to improve muscle mass and bone health. For ordinary milk drinkers, three cups a day are the norm. You can also get this equivalent in other dairy products, such as cheese and yogurt.

Milk with low fat, skimmed or 1% cows are healthier options compared to 2% or whole milk. They contain less fat.

“If you cannot have cow’s milk, soy milk and rice milk are often healthiest milk for intestinal health – especially for people with celiac disease, an autoimmune disease that can cause inflammation,” said Park.

Last update: April 25, 2024