These days it's not only vegans we hear ordering "An oat cappuccino, please!" More and more people are choosing against classic cow's milk, regardless of whether they want to eat fully plant-based. Some do it out of conviction, feeling that even a small step towards animal welfare is what counts, others for health reasons, such as lactose intolerance. So you don't have to taste your way through all the milk alternatives, in this post we explain the differences between them.
What are the benefits of plant-based milk?
The typical hallmark of plant-based milk is that it has a subtle taste of the particular nut or grain, and not the classic "milk" taste. This is often seen as a drawback, because the cappuccino then doesn't taste as you're used to, but more and more often that's exactly the reason people choose a plant-based cappuccino.
Besides the different taste, milk alternatives are often fortified with calcium, vitamin D, B12, B2 and omega-3 fatty acids and so contribute to an adequate nutrient intake. Producing oat milk and the like doesn't require undignified factory farming either. Alongside the ethical aspect comes the issue of harmful antibiotic use. Antibiotics are meant to protect the animals from disease as a precaution, but also make them put on weight faster. It's been shown that regular antibiotic use leads to clearly more fat being stored.
If we avoid keeping animals, we also avoid the creation of greenhouse gases. Several studies came to the conclusion that producing just one litre of cow's milk is as harmful to the climate as burning the same amount of petrol. The reason is the release of methane, which cows give off during digestion. According to the Demeter association, that only applies to milk from factory farming. A cow whose manure is used as fertiliser and which is allowed to graze on a meadow could even help improve the climate. However, if we look at the figures of the Federation of Organic Agriculture (BOELW), organic farmers in 2018 achieved just 4.9% of the sales revenue of agriculture as a whole. So the balance for the climate doesn't look positive.
Milk alternative: soy milk
Soy milk is the best-known milk alternative worldwide. It has a high protein content and 50% fewer carbohydrates than classic cow's milk. It's also cholesterol-free and lactose-free. Soy milk also sets our nutrient balance up well, as it's rich in folic acid, vitamin E, vitamins B1 and B6 as well as potassium and trace elements such as zinc, iron, fluoride, selenium and copper. The plant-based milk also contains flavonoids, i.e. secondary plant compounds, which come from the soybean, may support the immune system and contribute to maintaining cognitive ability. Rainforest is destroyed for soy farming, but that soy is used only as animal feed. The soy that ends up in our cartons is grown in European fields under strict guidelines.
Oat milk
Oat milk is number 1 in Germany. That's mainly because the grain can be grown in Germany, so this milk alternative has a very good environmental footprint. And it's not only the local sourcing that's responsible: making oat milk also needs less water than soy milk. Thanks to its fibre, oat milk is very filling and has the highest protein content of all the milk alternatives. The low amount of vitamins and minerals is made up for by the frequent addition of extra calcium and vitamin D. Beta-glucan, a fibre found in oats, contributes to lowering the cholesterol level in the blood.
Almond milk as a milk alternative
Of all the milk alternatives, almond milk has the worst environmental footprint: almonds are grown abroad and first have to be transported to Germany. On the other hand, this milk alternative contains many important nutrients and minerals such as calcium, magnesium and copper. Almond milk also contains plenty of fibre and unsaturated fatty acids.
The vitamins E and B in almond milk supply the skin with vital nutrients and may help prevent skin changes and wrinkles. You could almost say: almond milk is the drink of eternal youth. Vitamin E is also an antioxidant and protects our cells from free radicals. On top of that, the trace elements copper, iron and zinc help strengthen our hair and nails.
It usually has only half as many calories as cow's milk and a delicate almond taste. Many people therefore drink almond milk on its own.
Milk alternatives made from almond, oat, soy, coconut, pea and rice
Coconut milk & pea milk
Coconut milk has the most intense taste and is also rich in health-supporting fats. It also contains a lot of potassium: if you have 100 ml of coconut milk, it can cover 10% of your daily requirement. It also contains biotin, which is important for enzyme synthesis and metabolism. But watch out! We're talking about coconut milk in a carton here. Canned coconut milk has an even higher fat content and is mainly used as a cream substitute in the kitchen.
Pea milk is made from yellow peas and also has a pungent taste of the pulse itself. That's why it often doesn't suit coffee! It's popular mainly because of its high protein content. It also contains important omega-3 fatty acids and is naturally rich in calcium.
Milk alternative: rice milk
Rice milk isn't just the milk alternative for people with lactose intolerance, it's also a safe choice if you have a gluten intolerance. Compared with the other types, though, it has a clearly lower protein content and almost exactly as many calories as cow's milk. It's made from wholegrain rice, which is first ground, cooked with lots of water, then fermented, filtered and emulsified with oils. Thanks to its delicate sweetness, it goes wonderfully in all kinds of desserts, such as pudding and semolina porridge.
Milk alternatives at frank juice
So you see: the different milk alternatives don't just differ in taste but also in the nutrients they contain. The three big players are soy, oat and almond milk. They're not only the most commonly used but also have a higher nutrient content. For coffee lovers, various brands also offer a barista version, which froths nicely too. If you fancy a creamy, rich milk alternative in special flavours, head straight to our M*lks!
“An oat cappuccino, please!” is an order we now hear from more than just vegans. More and more people are choosing against classic cow's milk, regardless of whether they want to eat entirely plant-based overall. Some do it out of conviction, because even a small step towards animal welfare matters to them, others for health reasons, for example because of lactose intolerance. So that you don't have to taste your way through all the milk alternatives, in this article we explain the differences between the various milk alternatives.
What Are the Benefits of Plant-Based Milk?
The typical hallmark of plant-based milk is that it has a subtle taste of the respective nut or grain, and not the classic “milk” taste. This is often seen as a disadvantage because the cappuccino then doesn't taste as you are used to, but more and more often it is exactly the reason why people choose a plant-based cappuccino.
Besides the different taste, milk alternatives are often fortified with calcium, vitamin D, B12, B2 and omega-3 fatty acids, and so contribute to an adequate supply of nutrients. Producing oat milk and the like also doesn't require undignified factory farming. Besides the ethical aspect, this also takes care of the issue of harmful antibiotic use. Antibiotics are meant to protect the animals from disease as a precaution, but also to make them put on weight faster. It is proven that regular use of antibiotics leads to significantly higher fat storage.
If we avoid keeping livestock, we also avoid the production of greenhouse gases. Several studies came to the conclusion that producing just one litre of cow's milk is as harmful to the climate as burning the same amount of petrol. The reason lies in the release of methane, which is released during the cows' digestion. According to the Demeter association, this only applies to milk from factory farming. A cow whose manure is used as fertiliser and which is allowed to graze in the meadow could even help improve the climate. However, if we look at the figures from the German Organic Food Industry Association (BOELW), organic farmers achieved just 4.9 % of the sales revenue of all agriculture in 2018. So the balance for the climate doesn't look positive.
Milk Alternative: Soy Milk
Soy milk is the best-known milk alternative worldwide. It contains a high proportion of protein and 50% fewer carbohydrates than classic cow's milk. It is also free of cholesterol and lactose. Soy milk also puts our nutrient balance on a good footing, as it is rich in folic acid, vitamin E, vitamins B1 and B6, as well as potassium and trace elements such as zinc, iron, fluoride, selenium and copper. The plant-based milk also contains flavonoids, that is secondary plant compounds, which come from the soybean, strengthen the immune system and contribute to maintaining cognitive ability. It's true that rainforest is destroyed for soy farming - but that soy is only used as animal feed. The soy that ends up in our cartons is grown in European fields under strict guidelines.
Oat Milk
Oat milk is number 1 in Germany. That is mainly because the grain can be grown in Germany, so this milk alternative has a very good eco balance. And it's not just the local sourcing that is responsible for this: producing oat milk also needs less water than soy milk. Thanks to its many dietary fibres, oat milk is very filling and has the highest protein content of all milk alternatives. The lower proportion of vitamins and minerals is compensated for by the frequent addition of extra calcium and vitamin D. Beta-glucan, a dietary fibre found in oats, contributes to lowering the cholesterol level in the blood.
Almond Milk as a Milk Alternative
Of all the milk alternatives, almond milk is the one with the worst eco balance: almonds are grown abroad and first have to be transported to Germany. On the other hand, this milk alternative contains many important nutrients and minerals such as calcium, magnesium and copper. Almond milk also contains plenty of dietary fibre and unsaturated fatty acids.
The vitamins E and B in almond milk supply the skin with vital nutrients and may help guard against skin changes and wrinkles. You could almost say: almond milk is the drink of eternal youth. Vitamin E is also an antioxidant and protects our cells from free radicals. On top of that, the trace elements copper, iron and zinc strengthen our hair and nails.
It usually has only half as many calories as cow's milk and a fine almond flavour. Many people therefore drink almond milk straight.
Milk alternatives made from almond, oat, soy, coconut, pea and rice
Coconut Milk & Pea Milk
Coconut milk has the most intense flavour and is also rich in healthy fats. It also contains a lot of potassium: if you have 100 ml of coconut milk, it can cover 10% of your daily requirement. It also contains biotin, which is important for enzyme synthesis and metabolism. But you have to be careful! Here we are talking about coconut milk in a carton. Canned coconut milk has an even higher fat content and is mainly used as a cream substitute in the kitchen.
Pea milk is made from yellow peas and also has a penetrating taste of its own, like the pulse. That is why it often doesn't suit coffee! It is popular above all because of its high protein content. On top of that, it contains important omega-3 fatty acids and is naturally rich in calcium.
Milk Alternative: Rice Milk
Rice milk is not only the milk alternative for people with lactose intolerance, it can also be chosen without problems if you have a gluten intolerance. However, compared with the other types, it has a much lower protein content and almost as many calories as cow's milk. It is made from wholegrain rice, which is first ground, cooked with plenty of water, then fermented, filtered and emulsified with oils. Thanks to its delicate sweetness, it goes wonderfully in all kinds of desserts, such as pudding and semolina porridge.
Milk Alternatives at Frank Juice
So you see: the different milk alternatives don't just differ in taste, but also in the nutrients they contain. The three big players are soy, oat and almond milk. They are not only the most commonly used, they also have a higher nutrient content. For coffee lovers, various brands also offer a barista version, which froths up nicely too. If you fancy a creamy, rich milk alternative in special flavours, pop over to our juice Mister White. In this almond milk, almond purée, banana, cinnamon and agave come together for a very special taste experience. Mister White is also part of our popular juice cleanse.
