On World Plant Milk Day, here’s a definitive guide to the popular dairy alternatives
Even if you’re a die-hard fan of semi-skimmed and have it in every cup of tea you drink, we’re sorry to tell you that it’s going to become increasingly tougher to avoid plant milks – or ‘mylks’ are they’re now known.
Dairy alternatives are no longer just for vegans or people who are lactose intolerant, but have started reaching a wider audience. Wired reports on Mintel’s findings that UK plant-based milks have gone up by a third since 2015, when dairy milks only increased by 5%.
Long gone are the days where you’d have to make your own oat milk or go to a specialist health food store, because your local Tesco probably has everything you need.
As they say – if you can’t beat them, join them. And what better time to join them than World Plant Milk Day? Yes, apparently that is a real thing. Even though it’s unlikely to become as popular a holiday as Christmas any time soon, it’s a good opportunity to give you an unofficial rundown of some of the most popular non-dairy alternatives.
Soy
Soy milk is most people’s entry point into plant-based alternatives. Even though it might be the most widespread, that doesn’t necessarily make it the best. There’s controversy around soy, with some studies linking it to an increase in breast cancer growth.
However, it’s not without its benefits – it’s low in calories and has just as much protein as cow’s milk, something that someone on a meat-free diet often struggles with.
But the worst thing is probably how basic you sound when ordering a soy latte in Starbucks – it’s widely seen as a pretty dull plant milk.
Almond
If you’re willing to spice things up a little bit (without getting carried away), almond milk is the one you should try.
It’s particularly good in tea because it has a mildly nutty taste that complements your brew without overpowering it.
Oat
Oat milk is the Bobby Berk from Queer Eye of the plant milk world. If you’re yet to watch the Netflix show, that means it’s quietly doing the hard graft in the background without getting huge amounts of credit.
Perhaps this is because oats don’t sound quite as exciting as the likes of almonds or cashews. But we’ll fight its corner, as it’s the perfect addition to cereal, tea, porridge – basically anything. Not all alternative milks actually taste like the thing they come from – almond milk doesn’t have even a hint of a marzipan flavour. However, oat fits the bill of having a mild and well, oaty flavour.
Coconut
Do not, we repeat, do not, put coconut milk into your tea. The coconut taste is so strong that it overpowers everything else in your mug, which is not what most people want in their cuppa.
Not we’ve got that PSA out of the way, what’s good about this particular alternative? If you’re into coconut flavours you’ll love it – use it in smoothies or desserts and you’ll immediately add a creamy and tropical taste.
Rice
Look, we don’t have anything against rice milk, but it’s definitely forgettable for a reason. It does a job, but don’t expect a taste sensation or anything like that.
Choose this one if you want a milk with very little flavour – it’s something to put in your cereal on a grey Tuesday morning.
Cashew
Here we start getting a bit *fancy*. We tend to lump cashew, hazelnut and tiger nut milks together, because they all have a pretty similar vibe.
These are the kind of milks you order when you want to show off your knowledge of the plant-based world – but don’t do this down your local caff, you’ll be laughed out of there. Even if they are some of the more pretentious options out there, we can’t deny they all have a creamy and nutty taste that is pretty delicious. Your friends might judge you for your extra taste in plant milks but, if you can find them or are dedicated enough to make your own, they’re tasty.
Quinoa
Even some vegans shudder at the thought of quinoa milk – rice we can take, but why bring poor quinoa into this? We’re not likely to recommend this one to a friend, unless they’re particularly adventurous and like their milks somewhat… gloopy.
The Press Association
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