Not all plant milks are equal

Everything we buy from a supermarket has an impact on the environment…….. everything! I recently found an amazing online resource that informed me that my 1 cup of coffee a day generates 155kg of greenhouse gases per year. That’s equivalent to driving a petrol car for 397miles or heating an average house for 24 days! Whereas, my beloved cup of English tea generates just 15kg of greenhouse gases, equivalent to driving a car for 39miles or heating a house for 2days. Just tea for me from now on!!

Check it out: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-46654042?app=news.science_and_environment.story.46654042.page

Now that I’ve chosen my morning beverage, what about the milk that goes in it? The great thing about using plant based milk is the amount of choice. If any of you are like me then your fridge is also lined with 4+ different plant milks but are all plant milks equal?

In short, the answer is ‘no’. You can use the link to look at some really interesting data about the amount of land used to grow plant milk crops, the emissions generated to produce them and the amount of water used on the crops too.

But if you’re not a fan of data, I’m going to give you a run down of some of the most popular milks including traditional cow’s milk….. pros & cons but mainly just my two pennies worth.

Cow’s milk

The pros – well, it is easily available and cheaper than most other alternatives but come on, I’m clutching at straws. There aren’t too many pros here.

The cons – much more to write here! The impact on the environment is enormous……… in every way, the amount land used, the emissions, the water, you name it the dairy industry ticks all the boxes. Not to mention the loss of essential forests to raise cattle. Next is the effects on human health. Humans are generally lactose intolerant. The intolerance varies in severity from human to human but most of us do not product lactase, the enzyme needed to digest lactose. This results in bloating, stomach, cramps, diarrhoea and flatulance…… all delightful consequences of cow’s milk. I’m not an expert on this but many milks contain added hormones which are given to the cows which pass into their milk as well. Animal cruelty is an issue too. Cow’s are often artificially inseminated and then their calves are removed from them at a young age. Their babies are left alone, away from their mother and the cows are milked so frequently that they produce more milk than would be needed for their calf. They can often be seen with huge udders that look so uncomfortable, they are then forced to have another baby to keep the milk supply up. Of course, there are farmers that do look after their cows and it’s important to say not all dairy milk is produced in these conditions but it is so important to know where the milk you drink comes from and what’s in it!

Here’s what I think….. I have consumed cows milk for most of my life but since trying alternatives I have noticed that I am less bloated. I don’t think I ever realised that I was bloated before but now I can’t imagine going back to cow’s milk. My advice is just try an alternative and see if it makes a difference to you…… I bet you won’t look back!

Is it me or are cows just so cute? 🙂

Soya milk

Soya milk has much, much less of an impact on the environment than cow’s milk but it is still higher than some other non-dairy alternatives. However, it is versatile and readily available in most restaurants and supermarkets. Soya milk tastes pretty good too, although I’m not keen on the sweetened versions. For me, soya is my preferred choice in my tea. To be honest I can barely tell the difference from cow’s milk when it’s in tea but I don’t particularly like it on its own. To top it off soya is low in fat & sugar and also high in protein….. win, win!! Soya is a great plant-based milk and is always in my fridge!

Almond milk

Almond milk is yummy! It’s that simple!! Only problem is I don’t find it as versatile. I like it in my cereal but it’s not nice in hot drinks and I personally wouldn’t drink it on its own. I also wouldn’t use it any cooking either but I do love it on my cereal! In terms of the environment, almond milk is still infinitely better than cow’s milk and takes up less land mass and produces less emissions than soya production but it does require a fair amount of water. Nutritionally, it is low in fat, sugar and protein. This one usually features in my fridge too!!

Coconut milk

I love, love coconut milk. It’s tastes like such a treat, it has such a decadent flavour and is creamy and just, well….. delicious. But much like it’s almond counterpart I don’t find it to be so versatile. It is my favourite milk on cereal and I use it frequently in curries but that’s about it. I don’t put it in drinks and although drinking it on its own, I’m sure is lovely I don’t think I could manage a 200ml glass of it. Although producing it isn’t too damaging to the environment, transporting it from tropical climates to our supermarket shelves (if you live in sunny England, like me!) gives it a large carbon footprint compared to other plant milks. Nevertheless, you guessed it…… it’s in my fridge!!

Oat milk

For me, this is the 5 star plant milk. Environmentally, it has the lowest impact, nutritionally it fairs similarly to many of the other plant based milks but with the added bonus of containing fibre. In terms of taste, I think it is beautiful in its simplicity. The tastes is fairly plain and so it is inoffensive. Oat milk works in tea and coffee. I use it in cereal and when making sauces or adding to mashed potatoes to make them extra creamy and yet oat milk is one of the lesser used plant milks. I think it is incredibly underrated and I highly recommend it. So of course it has a pride of place in my fridge!!

There are many other plant milks too, hemp milk, hazelnut, cashew, rice and pea milks. I haven’t tried all of these but am interested in hearing your opinions on them so pop a comment in the box below! Or are there any I don’t know about yet?

So, there is a plant milk to suit everyone, every taste and every purpose. You just have to do the leg work or don’t decide on a favourite and just have them all, like me!

Thanks for reading!……. x