Plant milk

Variety of plant milks

Amazake (Japanese rice milk)

Glass of horchata de chufa in a cafe in Spain

Coconut milk

Plant milk has been consumed for centuries in various cultures, both as a regular drink (such as the Spanish horchata) and as a substitute for dairy milk. The most popular varieties are soy milk, almond milk, rice milk and coconut milk. The protein content varies. It contains no lactose or cholesterol, and is usually sold with added calcium and vitamins, especially B₁₂.

There are several reasons for consuming plant milk: ethical (animal welfare) reasons, environmental reasons, health reasons, including lactose intolerance, milk allergy and PKU; veganism and ovo-vegetarianism; religious reasons, such as by some Christian denominations during Lent; and simple taste preference.

In the United States soy milk was long the most popular non-dairy milk, but starting around 2010 almond milk began to increase in popularity, and in 2013 it surpassed soy milk as the most popular variety.^[1] Other popular milks in the US are rice and coconut. In Europe soy and oat milk are popular. There is also hazelnut milk and milk from peas and lupin.^[2]

Plant milks are used to make ice cream, plant cream, vegan cheese and yogurt (for example, soy yogurt).

Nutritional content of cows', soy and almond milk
	Cows' milk (whole, vitamin D added)[3]	Soy milk (unsweetened; calcium, vitamins A and D added)[4]	Almond milk (unsweetened)[5]
Calories (cup, 243 g)	149	80	40
Protein (g)	7.69	6.95	1
Fat (g)	7.93	3.91	2.5
Saturated fat (g)	4.55	0.5	0
Carbohydrate (g)	11.71	4.23	2
Fibre (g)	0	1.2	1
Sugars (g)	12.32	1	0
Calcium (mg)	276	301	293
Potassium (mg)	322	292	170
Sodium (mg)	105	90	180
Vitamin B12 (µg)	1.10	2.70	n/a
Vitamin A (IU)	395	503	n/a
Vitamin D (IU)	124	119	n/a
Cholesterol (mg)	24	0	0

Varieties

The most popular plant milks are almond milk, soy milk, coconut milk and rice milk. Hemp milk and peanut milk are also available. It can also be made from:

• Grains: barley, oat, spelt
• Legumes: lupin, pea
• Nuts: cashew, hazelnut, walnut
• Seeds: chia seed, flaxseed, quinoa, sesame seed, sunflower seed, hemp seed

See also

• Health food
• Plant cream
• Vegan cheese
• Horchata
• Roasted grain beverage
• Sikhye, a sweet, low-alcoholic Korean drink

References

1. Wong, Venessa (August 21, 2013). "Soy Milk Fades as Americans Opt for Drinkable Almonds". BusinessWeek.
2. Epperly, Victoria. Daniel's Lifestyle Fasting Cook Book. Xulon Press, 2008, pp. 248–250.
3. "Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D", United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service.
4. "Soymilk (all flavors), unsweetened, with added calcium, vitamins A and D", United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service.
5. "Almond Breeze Original Unsweetened", almondbreeze.com.

External links

• Wikibooks Cookbook category for Nut and Grain Milk recipes