Milk is milk. Or is it? These days, you can walk down your grocery aisles and find many different non-dairy milk options. You may wonder, “Are these non-dairy milk alternatives providing the nutrients my family needs for good nutrition?”
When it comes to plant-based, non-dairy milks – like almond milk, rice milk, soy milk, coconut milk or hemp milk – many people don’t realize these non-dairy milk options don’t always have the same naturally occurring nutrients as real, dairy milk.
Substituting another beverage for milk can lead to gaps in calcium and other key nutrients like high-quality protein, phosphorus and vitamin B12. With the emergence of fad and elimination diets, like the Paleo diet, many people could be missing out on important nutrients when they cut out certain food groups entirely.