Plant-based drinks are currently very trendy – but is this also justified? That's exactly what we're going to take a closer look at in today's blog post. In doing so, we will not only analyse the plant-based drinks themselves, but also use the comparison with classic cow's milk . Who performs better in comparison, what you should pay attention to, and how you can make your own plant drink creations for your porridge , for example, can be found in this post.
How plant-based drinks are made
In most cases, the starting material – oats, spelt, rice, or the like – is soaked in water for the production of the plant-based drinks and then mixed or ground. The remaining lumps or flour residues are then filtered out and the drink is supplemented by the addition of salt, oil, and sweeteners. The whole thing is then usually made durable by heat, which is why most of the plant drinks have a significantly longer shelf life than, for example, cow's milk.
Unfortunately, sugar is often used for sweetening in the food industry . Also, the fact that some plant drink manufacturers use flavorings or stabilizers is not necessarily optimal. It is therefore advisable to regularly use your own blender and make your own drink – preferably with natural sweeteners such as dates, honey, or agave syrup.
The production of plant-based milk alternatives is extremely simple, which is why you can also make your own plant-based drink with a little practice. The main ingredient of the milk alternatives is water ,the second main ingredient varies from product to product.
The big nutrient comparison
In order to compare cow's milk and its alternatives in a meaningful way, we should first take a closer look at the energy content and the nutrients it contains. While a classic whole milk brings about 64 kilocalories per 100 milliliters , plant-based drinks usually come with a little fewer calories.
However, the plant-based milk alternatives sometimes differ considerably, which is why a clear number is hardly noticeable. While some nut drinks only need just over 10 kilocalories , a protein-rich soy milk can provide 30 to 50 kilocalories per 100 milliliters.
Thus, plant-based drinks are somewhat ahead in this comparison – but the content of micronutrients is really interesting , as they make up a healthy product.
These nutrients make up cow's milk
Let's first look at cow's milk. A whole milk has about 64 kilocalories per 100 milliliters – of which about three and a half grams are each accounted for by proteins and fats, while carbohydrates are represented with just under five grams .
The fats contained are mainly saturated fatty acids , which should only be consumed in moderation, as they can pose a threat to the cardiovascular system.
The carbohydrates are 100 percent sugar . However, this naturally occurs in milk as so-called milk sugar, which is why you should not immediately shy away from it. Nevertheless, excessive consumption should be avoided, as you can quickly get to around ten grams of sugar with a glass of milk.
However, the protein content should be highlighted , which can be seen at around eight grams per glass . The biological value of these proteins is also extremely worth seeing with a value of 85. As a reminder, the higher the value, the better the protein supplied can be used as a building material in the human body.
In addition, milk enjoys a high status as a source of calcium . This nutrient is especially important for healthy bones and teeth. In addition, cow's milk provides you with some important vitamins such as vitamins A, D, and B12.
Recipe: Homemade oat milk
Accessories
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Blender
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Sieve
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Bowl
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Carafe or bottle for storage
Ingredients
- 100 g organic oatmeal
- 1 l water
- A little more water (to soak the oatmeal)
- 1 Date
- 1 pinch of salt
- Vanilla flavour (optional)
Preparation
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Soak the oatmeal in water for about 15 minutes.
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The oatmeal comes together with a date, a pinch of salt, and about a liter of water in your blender. If you like, you can add some more vanilla flavouring to easily turn your oat drink into a vanilla variant. Blend the ingredients in the blender for about 1 minute.
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Finally, take a strainer and a bowl and pass the oat milk through the strainer so that all lumps are filtered out of the plant milk and the clear oat milk is collected in the bowl.
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And you can enjoy your cereal, your overnight oats or your warm porridge with your own oat milk.
Nutritional values
These nutrients characterise plant-based drinks
Plant-based drinks are lower in calories compared to whole milk . Soy milk contains an average of just under 50 calories – however, the energy content of plant-based milk alternatives varies greatly, with the energy content of soy milk usually being the highest. Nut drinks, for example, sometimes require fewer than 20 calories.
The lower calorie content of the plant-based drinks is mainly due to the increased content of water and thus a comparatively lower proportion of fats and carbohydrates .
Soy milk, for example, contains only about two grams of fats , the majority of which fall on healthy unsaturated fatty acids . The carbohydrate content is also slightly lower than that of whole milk, at around two and a half grams per 100 millilitres .
The protein content , on the other hand, is almost as high as that of whole milk, at around seven grams per glass. In addition, the high biological value of the proteins of soy milk, which is extremely high with a value of 84, should be emphasized.
The content of micronutrients in soy milk is also noteworthy. For example, it contains abundant folic acid as well as some healthy plant substances such as flavonoids or saponins.
B or D vitamins naturally do not occur in soy milk in significant amounts, but in the food industry they are often supplemented by artificial additions of calcium, vitamin B12 and vitamin D.
Which plant drink is the best?
While soy milk differs only marginally from whole milk in terms of nutrient distribution, other milk alternatives sometimes differ greatly. You can get an overview of the different plant drinks compared to whole milk in the table below.
| Calories | Carbohydrates | Fats | Saturates | Proteins | Sugar | |
| Whole milk | 65 kcal | 4,7g | 3.6g | 2.4g | 3.4g | 4,7g |
| Soy Milk | 39 kcal | 2.5 g | 1.8 g | 0.3g | 3.0g | 2.5 g |
| Oat Drink | 40 kcal | 6.0g | 1.4 g | 0.2g | 0,6g | 3,8g |
| Almond drink | 13 kcal | 0.0 g | 1.1g | 0.1g | 0,4g | 0.0 g |
| Sparkling drink | 45 kcal | 8,4g | 1.0g | 0.1g | 0.3g | 5,7g |
However, it should be noted that the nutritional values of the individual plant drinks vary from manufacturer to manufacturer and can vary considerably.
Almond milk
Accessories
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Strainer or nut milk bag (alternatively you can use a fine kitchen towel)
Ingredients
- 200 g almonds
- 1 tablespoon dates, agave syrup or date syrup for sweetening
- 1 litre of water
- 1 pinch of salt
Preparation
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Soak the peeled almonds in a bowl of warm water.
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Leave the water-covered almonds overnight.
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Simply drain the water after soaking the next day.
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Then add the almonds with about twice as much fresh water and some sweetener to your high-performance blender. Also, add some salt to make your almond milk last longer.
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Afterwards, the almond milk is briefly sieved so that the milk no longer contains any pieces. The best way to do this is to use a nut milk bag, through which you squeeze the nut milk over a bowl.
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The little pieces of almond left over don't throw them away! You can combine them with oatmeal, hazelnuts, and other ingredients of your choice to make a delicious porridge.
What's healthier now?
While the classic whole milk stands out due to its high protein content, the amount of calcium and vitamins – however, it contains unhealthy saturated fatty acids, cholesterol, and lactose, which can be problematic especially for allergy sufferers.
In addition to the health aspects , however, it should also be noted that the ecological balance of cow's milk is comparatively poor. For example, the greenhouse gases produced during production are three to four times higher than in the production of plant-based drinks.
Soy milk , on the other hand, has a lower content of unhealthy saturated fatty acids, contains no cholesterol, but hardly any vitamin A or B. The protein content is very similar, as is the bioavailability.
However, there are now a variety of different milk alternatives with individual strengths and weaknesses , which is why it is difficult to draw a clear conclusion. It is best to simply tailor your milk(replacement)consumption to your individual needs and alternate the alternatives regularly in order to enjoy all the benefits.
