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Which Kind of Milk Is Best for You: Rice, Soy or Almond?

There are good reasons to drink a non-dairy milk, and nowadays there are a variety of non-dairy milks to choose from. Rice, soy and almond milks are relatively easy to find and can all be great choices. The question of which one is best for you depends on your nutritional needs. Whether you are trying to lose weight, gain weight or avoid lactose, you may find that one or more non-dairy milk may be perfect for you.

  1. Fats

    • All of the milks come may come in fat-free varieties. The trouble to consider with this is their sugar contents may vary, so make sure you check the nutrition label for added sugar. The body can convert added sugars and store these as fat. Almond milk tends to have the least calories, which is helpful in losing weight. If you need to add fat to your diet, soy milk is your best option. If you want to lose fat, almond milk is the lightest in calories.

    Carbohydrates

    • Rice milk is mostly made up of carbohydrates, so this may not always be the best alternative for milk based on nutritional content. However if consumed in small qualities or as a sweetener, this may be a good option to use in coffee or baking. If you want or need the extra carbohydrates in your diet, then drink rice milk. If you're on a low-carb diet, almond and soy milks tend to be lower in carbohydrates, but this may differ from brand to brand because of added sugars.

    Proteins

    • The closest alternative to milk, in protein content, is soy milk. If you're looking to build muscle while avoiding dairy milk, soy protein is a your best bet. Almond milk is low in protein, so if you like almonds, but are looking to get protein, you may be better off just snacking on a handful of almonds instead. Rice milk has the lowest amount of protein out of your non-dairy options.

    Allergens

    • Soy and nuts are both very common allergens, and even almond milk is not necessarily soy-free. If you're really concerned about allergens, the best option is rice milk. While rice may also be an allergen, it can be gluten-free and tends to be least problematic for people with allergy issues. However, in order to keep a well-rounded diet it may be necessary to look to other foods to make sure you're still getting a healthy amount of proteins and fats. If soy, almond and rice milks are all problematic because of allergens, there are other non-dairy milk options such as hemp, oat, coconut or potato milks.

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