When did grabbing a hot drink become so complicated? With coffee snobs ditching dairy for ‘almond flat whites’, a regular coffee order nowadays marks you as distinctly passé.
While only a third of UK households actually drink plant-based ‘milks’ – made from oats to almonds, peas to coconuts – these so-called healthy alternatives have become an unavoidable trendy status symbol.
Try as their manufacturers might to convince shoppers otherwise, they simply aren’t milk. Well, that’s what the Supreme Court decided last week following a legal battle between Oatly, a Swedish oat drink brand, and Dairy UK, the trade association.
It came after Oatly attempted to trademark the phrase ‘post-milk generation’ five years ago.
When Dairy UK objected, saying the word ‘milk’ should only refer to the animal product, a long legal saga ensued – culminating in the unanimous ruling that Oatly’s coinage was ‘confusing’.
Now, Oatly can’t use the word ‘milk’ at all, but must use ‘oat’ or ‘plant-based drink’ instead.
So what’s actually in these milk alternatives and which ones are the healthiest?
Nutritionist Nichola Ludlam-Raine puts them to the test.
Nutritionist Nichola Ludlam-Raine discovers what’s actually in these milk alternatives and which ones are the healthiest
OAT – BEST FOR CAPPUCCINOS
Oatly Oat Drink Vanilla (£1.80, sainsburys.co.uk), 68 kcal per 100ml
Oat is the most popular dairy-free option, with half a million litres sold a day. But it is ‘lower in protein than dairy, so you must make sure you get protein from other sources – such as lean meat, fish, eggs, tofu and lentils,’ says Nichola.
Oatly’s vanilla-flavoured oat drink (pictured) has 5.9g of sugar per 100ml – half a teaspoon is added sugar (the rest from the oats). ‘Ideally, we need to keep added sugar to under 30g a day, so this shouldn’t be your default milk, as that sugar content can really add up,’ adds Nichola
HEALTH RATING: 3/5
SOYA – CLOSEST TO COW’S MILK
Tesco Sweetened Soya Drink (£1.30, tesco.com), 42 kcal per 100ml
‘Soya is nutritionally the closest match to cow’s milk, providing similar protein, and is often fortified with calcium and B12. It’s a good option for those not wanting to compromise on protein,’ says Nichola.
Tesco’s sweetened version lists sugar third on its ingredients list, with 2.7g per 100ml. ‘If you’re having a couple of cappuccinos [a day], then that’s quite a lot of added sugar. If you want the benefits of a soya bean, have edamame beans or tofu. And if you want soya milk, ideally go for unsweetened.’
A 2024 paper in the journal BMC Medicine analysed 17 studies in which soya drinks were substituted for cow’s milk and found the use of soya – including sweetened – led to lower blood pressure, cholesterol and inflammation.
HEALTH RATING: 3/5
Now, Oatly can’t use the word ‘milk’ at all, but must use ‘oat drink’ or ‘plant-based drink’ instead
COCONUT – PACKS IN FLAVOUR
Alpro Barista Coconut (£2.40, waitrose.com), 33 kcal per 100ml
Coconut drinks can help to boost existing recipes, from pancakes to smoothies, says Nichola: ‘It’s a great way of adding flavour without needing to add any sugar. I would advise choosing unsweetened ones and those with added vitamins and minerals, especially if being consumed frequently.’
There is only 0.7g of saturated fat per 100ml in this Alpro product – 4 per cent of daily recommended allowance, but it also contains sugar and stabilisers such as gellan gum.
‘Ultra-processed foods come on a spectrum,’ says Nichola. ‘I wouldn’t put this coconut milk in the same category as confectionery, fizzy drinks and fast food. Many plant drinks do contain stabilisers, but these aren’t inherently harmful and allow the product to have added nutrients, which is very helpful’.
HEALTH RATING: 4/5
ALMOND – A SWEET TREAT SWAP
Califia Farms Almond Barista (£2.35, sainsburys.co.uk), 28 kcal per 100ml
Almonds are rich in protein, fibre, zinc and potassium. Research shows almond drinks can be a powerful source of antioxidants, capable of improving gastrointestinal health and helping prevent anaemia.
Rude Health’s comes in at 5g of sugar per 100ml, making it a sweet-tasting option for cereal
Nichola points out this version has added sugar, which many other almond drink alternatives do not. Plus, she says: ‘It doesn’t have iodine added, it’s low in protein, so it’s not equivalent to the other almond drinks. It also doesn’t have B12 which many other versions do.’
HEALTH RATING: 1/5
RICE – SPLASH ON YOUR CEREAL
Rude Health Organic Brown Rice Drink (£2.40, waitrose.com), 64 kcal per 100ml
‘Rice drinks aren’t recommended for children under five because of the levels of arsenic in them,’ says Nichola. Even for adults, she says: ‘I wouldn’t rely on it for nutrients. It’s not a great dairy replacement because it’s very low in protein.’
It is gluten-free (as is cow’s milk, but oat drinks sometimes are not due to cross-contamination), so that will appeal to those with coeliac disease.
Rude Health’s comes in at 5g of sugar per 100ml, making it a sweet-tasting option for cereal. It also contains sunflower oil, which is often found in ultra-processed foods.
‘It’s not an oil I recommend,’ says Nichola. ‘But the amount of oil that’s added in these products is very low – less than a teaspoon per litre’.
HEALTH RATING: 2/5