I’m don’t think I’m lactose intolerant, but apparently around 65% of the human adult population is!

That’s a surprisingly high number. Lactose is a sugar found in milk and other dairy products. If you’re lactose intolerant, that means your body has a difficult time digesting that dairy sugar, and it can give you various kinds of digestive issues.

If you’re not lactose intolerant, my opinion is that drinking your milk organic, raw, and full-fat is the best way to go. Organic, raw and full-fat dairy has the most nutrients and is more likely to be free from potentially harmful chemicals. I highly recommending this post, Are Milk and Dairy Healthy?, if you’d like to learn more about that.

I personally choose not to consume very much dairy because it can cause my digestion to get sluggish, and sometimes it makes me bloated. (Okay, maybe I am lactose intolerant. I actually don’t know.)

There is an abundance of non-dairy milk alternatives, and it can be difficult to figure out which option is best! In this post, I share the ingredient and nutrition information for 7 of the most common non-dairy milk alternatives.

The “healthiest” choice for you might be different than the “healthiest” choice for someone else, so I encourage you to read up on your options and make an informed decision for you and your family.

Just a heads up: This post contains Amazon affiliate links. That means if you click a link and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no cost to you. As always, all opinions are entirely my own. Thanks for supporting me!

2 Things to Look for in All Non-Dairy Milk Alternatives:

Make sure it’s unsweetened. Many forms of non-dairy milk alternatives add sugar. If it doesn’t specifically say unsweetened, it likely has sugar in it. Check the ingredients.
Check that it doesn’t contain carrageenan, which is a seaweed-derived thickener that has been linked to stomach and digestive issues as well as causing inflammation in some studies.

My Favorite: Almond Milk

Almond milk is made by grinding soaked almonds with water then filtering out the pulp. It’s not very thick, and has a light nutty flavor.

Almond milk is my personal non-dairy milk alternative of choice. It’s not as expensive as some other options, and I enjoy the taste. It’s also Paleo and Whole30 compliant.

Protein: 1g

Fiber: <1g

Sugars: 0g

Total Carbs: 1g

Fat: 2.5g

Calcium: 45% of daily value

Other nutrients: significant amounts of Vitamins D, E, and A

Buy Almond Milk on Amazon

Soy Milk

Soy milk is made by pressing ground, cooked soy beans. It has a lot more protein and a bit more fiber than any other non-dairy milk alternatives on this list. Many people (myself included) enjoy the creamy taste.

However, soy milk gets a bad rap for a few reasons, and I personally choose not to drink it. Here are the two most compelling reasons not to drink it, in my opinion:

Soy milk contains phytoestrogens, which are plant compounds that look like estrogen to the body. Studies disagree over whether or not phytoestrogens may disrupt hormone balance, but it’s not a risk I personally want to take.
Soy also contains high amounts of phytic acid, which is called an anti-nutrient, because it hinders the body’s ability to absorb and use nutrients from food. (Much of the phytic acid is lost when soy is fermented for foods like tempeh and miso, but there is no fermentation in the process of making soy milk.)

Soy milk is not Paleo or Whole30 compliant.

Protein: 7g

Fiber: 2g

Sugars: 1g

Total Carbs: 4g

Fat: 4g

Calcium: 30%

Other nutrients: significant amounts of Potassium, Magnesium, Folate, Riboflavin, and Vitamins B12 and D

Buy Soy Milk on Amazon

Coconut Milk

If you’re allergic to nuts or simply don’t like them and want to avoid soy, coconut milk might be the best non-dairy milk alternative option for you. Coconut milk is Paleo and Whole30 compliant.

Coconut milk is creamy and delicious. Not all brands of coconut milk taste coconutty. So if you’re not a fan of the taste of coconut, you don’t necessarily need to write it off.

Be aware that for a lot of recipes that call for coconut, the intention is for you to use canned coconut milk, not the kind that comes in a carton. Canned coconut milk is thicker and is really good for things like soups and curries.

Protein: 0g

Fiber: 1g

Sugars: 0g

Total Carbs: 2g

Fat: 4.5g

Calcium: 10%

Other nutrients: significant amounts of Vitamins B12, D, and A, and Magnesium

Buy Coconut Milk on Amazon

Oat Milk

I first heard about oat milk at a coffee shop that offered it as one of the non-dairy milk alternatives for in their espresso drinks. Oat milk is made by blending oats with water and straining it. Since it’s made from a grain, oat milk is not Paleo or Whole30 compliant.

Even unsweetened oat milk is naturally somewhat sweet with sugars from the oats, and it is the highest in carbs by far of the non-dairy milks on this list. But it might be a great option for people who don’t do nuts or coconut.

Protein: 4g

Fiber: 2g

Sugars: 19g

Total Carbs: 24g

Fat: 2.5g

Calcium: 10%

Other nutrients: significant amounts of Riboflavin, Iron, and Vitamins D and A

Buy Oat Milk on Amazon

Cashew Milk

Cashew milk is made in the same way as almond milk or any other nut milk, by soaking the cashews, then blending them with water and filtering out the pulp.

It doesn’t have quite as much nutritional value as almond milk, but it’s very similar. Cashew milk is Paleo and Whole30 compliant.