So many milks, so many choices

Confused about the growing options for milk available in grocery stores? This is not surprising.

In addition to a variety of cow’s milk products, consumers can now choose from a range of soy-based, nut-based (like almond), grain-based (like rice) milks, and more.

There are advantages and disadvantages to having so many options. Here's a guide to help you choose the milk that's best for you.

The health benefits of milk

Dairy foods are good sources of necessary vitamins and minerals including calcium, vitamin D, vitamin A, and other micronutrients. Drinking a lot of milk and eating dairy products can improve bone health and reduce the risk of fractures.

Nondairy milks were originally designed for people with a milk allergy or lactose intolerance.

However, nondairy milks that are fortified can also be good sources of calcium, vitamin D, and other vitamins and minerals for anyone. But not all of them are fortified. Just be sure to check the label or Nutrition Facts panel to find out.

Dairy milk

Dairy milk can vary from 0% butterfat in skim milk to 3.25% butterfat in whole milk. The more butterfat the higher the calories, total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol. The chart below compares the nutritional values for 1 cup (8 ounces) of various types of dairy milk.

Most people should aim for three servings of dairy products a day, but most Americans fall short. If you are trying to lose weight, fat-free and low-fat products help limit the extra calories.

Soy milk

Soy milk is almost identical to dairy milk in its nutritional content. Most brands have moderate amounts of fat, which makes them similar in calories to low-fat (1%) cow’s milk.

They're also fortified with vitamin D, vitamin A, and calcium. Just be sure to check the label for this. Soy milks are much higher in protein than other nondairy milks — about 7 grams per cup versus 1 to 2 grams (or none at all). This is an important difference for vegetarians and vegans who are trying to meet their protein needs.

There used to be concern that drinking soy milk could help fuel breast cancers and hormone disorders due to the presence of isoflavones, a plant estrogen similar to human estrogen, but this has been debunked. However, some people may have allergies to soy-based products.

Nut milks

These come in varieties such as coconut, almond, cashew, walnut, macadamia, or hazelnut. Some come in a variety of flavors like “vanilla” and may have added sugar, so read labels carefully. Nut milks are lactose-, soy-, and gluten-free, which can be appealing for those with allergies or diet restrictions. The unsweetened versions are also lower in calories than other milks: one cup has about 35 to 45 calories. However, they provide much less protein than dairy and soy milks. You also want to search for products that are fortified with vitamin D and calcium.

Coconut milk

One cup (8 ounces) of a coconut-milk beverage has the same number of calories as a cup of skim milk. But one key difference is that it's much higher in fat, especially saturated fat. Coconut is one of the only plants that contains saturated fat (more commonly found in high-fat animal products).

However, this may also explain its unique taste, which is why so many people on restricted diets are drinking it as an alternative to lactose-, soy-, and gluten-free milks.

Raw coconut milk (usually in a can) comes from grated coconut. It's much more concentrated in taste, as well as calories and fat. This tends to make it more appropriate as a flavor additive to soups and sauces when cooking.

Grain and seed milks

Rice, oat, and quinoa milks are the most common examples of milks in this category.

They are unique for their higher total carbohydrate and sugar contents. The rarer seed milks, like hemp, sunflower, and sesame seed, have the highest fat content of all the alternatives — 6 grams per cup.

The following chart shows how the various milks compare in nutritional value. Serving size is 1 cup (8 ounces.

*Based on Silk, Soymilk, Original **Based on Blue Diamond, Almond Breeze Almondmilk, Original, Unsweetened ***Based on So Delicious Coconut Milk beverage, Dairy-free, Original ****Based on Rice Dream Rice Milk Drink, Enriched Original*****Based on Living Harvest Hempmilk, Original

The bottom line

Consumers have more milk options now. These can help them meet key nutrient needs, especially for calcium and vitamin D, which some of us are lacking. Try to choose lower-fat, unsweetened options, as the higher-fat or sugar-sweetened options can add extra, unnecessary calories.