NON-DAIRY MILK: Discover the Alternatives

Not Milk?

So Delicious Coconut Milk

For years, soymilk was the go-to alternative to dairy milk. These days you can find a great diversity of milks made from sources ranging from nuts to rice to hemp. But what do these milk alternatives really taste like? We were curious, and decided to hold a tasting party (staff meeting) and invited the most discerning of palates (the entire Sprouts marketing department). We swished, sniffed and sipped seven unique "milks," noting what we liked best and what we would consider doing with each.

There are many reasons that you might seek a milk alternative. Perhaps you are lactose intolerant or a vegan. You might be looking to add a unique flavor to a recipe. Or maybe you are just curious about all the different options. The task of choosing the right dairy substitute can be daunting: the shelves are filled with choices, and many are made from surprising sources. So we commandeered a recent staff meeting to help you discover some "udderly" different milk choices.

We kept things simple by sampling only shelf-stable products in plain or original flavors from a variety of different brands. Participants were asked to consider taste, color, consistency and versatility. We found the experience enlightening and some participants even discovered a new favorite beverage.

Almond Milk

  • Brand: Blue Diamond Almond Breeze Original
  • Calories Per 1 cup serving: 60
  • Taste: Strong almond taste, lightly sweet notes
  • Appearance: Pale tan color, thin consistency
  • Nutrients: Antioxidants, Vitamin E, Calcium
  • We'd use it in: Smoothies, baking, cooking
  • Other flavors: Unsweetened, Vanilla, Chocolate
  • Most colorful reviewer comment: "You have to have really small hands to milk an almond."

Coconut Milk

  • Brand: So Delicious Sugar-Free Original
  • Calories Per 1 cup serving: 45
  • Taste: Mild coconut flavor with a faint hint of sweetness
  • Appearance: Thickest of all the options we tried; white in color; looks like whole milk
  • Nutrients: Calcium, Vitamin D, Vitamin B12
  • We'd use it in: Smoothies, cooking, coffee
  • Other flavors: Chocolate, Sugar-Free Original, Vanilla, Sugar-Free Vanilla
  • Most colorful reviewer comment: "Not half bad, but I'm not sure I'd shimmy up a palm tree for it."

Hazelnut Milk

  • Brand: Pacific Natural Foods Original
  • Calories Per 1 cup serving: 110
  • Taste: Sweet and nutty with a very rich hazelnut flavor; one of the favorites among the group
  • Appearance: Dark tan in color, thin consistency
  • Nutrients: Calcium, Vitamin D and Riboflavin
  • We'd use it in: Cooking, baking: the rich taste will lend great flavor to whole grain and/or high fiber cereals, especially unsweetened ones
  • Other flavors: Chocolate
  • Most colorful reviewer comment: "Liked it a lot, but I kind of wanted it to taste like Nutella. I wonder if the chocolate flavor does. Can we sample that next?"

Hemp Milk

  • Brand: Living Harvest Tempt Original
  • Calories Per 1 cup serving: 100
  • Taste: Earthy with mild grassy notes
  • Appearance: Tannish yellow color, thin consistency
  • Nutrients: Calcium, Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D, Iron and Omega-3 Fatty Acids
  • We'd use it in: Cereal
  • Other flavors: Chocolate, Vanilla
  • Most colorful reviewer comment: "Whoa!"

Oat Milk

  • Brand: Pacific Natural Foods Low Fat Original
  • Calories Per 1 cup serving: 130
  • Taste: Very reminiscent of a bowl of oatmeal, sweet with a vague hint of cinnamon; a favorite among the tasters
  • Appearance: Medium tan in color, thin consistency
  • Nutrients: Calcium, Vitamin D and Riboflavin
  • We'd use it in: Baking, cooking, cereal, to dunk cookies in (especially oatmeal cookies) and even drink on its own
  • Other flavors: Low Fat Vanilla
  • Most colorful reviewer comment: "Wasn't expecting to enjoy this, but it was like sipping the liquid out of the bottom of a bowl of oatmeal. Only smoother."

Rice Milk Drink

  • Brand: Rice Dream Original Enriched
  • Calories Per 1 cup serving: 120
  • Taste: Very mild in taste, neutral flavor; reminded tasters of skim milk
  • Appearance: Opaque white, looks like non-fat milk; thin in consistency
  • Nutrients: Enriched with Vitamins A, D, B12, and Calcium
  • We'd use it in: Cereal, coffee, smoothies, cooking
  • Other flavors: Chocolate Enriched, Vanilla Enriched
  • Most colorful reviewer comment: "If you put some sugar and cinnamon in this it would taste just like the horchata my nana used to make."

Soy Milk

  • Brand: West Soy Low Fat Plain
  • Calories Per 1 cup serving: 90
  • Taste: Neutral and versatile flavor; not at all sweet
  • Appearance: Tan in color; looks like iced coffee with cream; thin in consistency
  • Nutrients: Calcium and Vitamin D
  • We'd use it in: Cereal, coffee, smoothies
  • Other flavors: Low Fat Vanilla
  • Most colorful reviewer comment: "The color on this was darker than the others so I thought it might taste like milk with a drop of soy sauce in it. But it was surprisingly mild."

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