How to Choose Between Nut Milks

Nut milk is made from different kinds of nuts, including almonds, cashews, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, walnuts, and peanuts. Most nut milk can be substituted one-to-one for cow’s milk in recipes, and it's a great option if you're lactose intolerant or just want to consume less dairy. There are a lot of considerations—both nutritional and personal—you should take into account when deciding which nut milk is right for you.^[1]

[Edit]Steps

[Edit]Selecting a Nut Milk Based on Nutrients

1. Opt for almond, cashew, or macadamia nut milk for something that's rich in calcium. While all dairy milk has calcium, the same cannot be said of all nut milk. If you need more calcium in your diet, select a type of nut milk that is high in calcium. Almond, cashew, and macadamia nut milk are all high in calcium, whereas hazelnut, walnut, and peanut milk are all low in calcium.^[2]
   
   • Unfortunately, nut milk that is high in calcium will be low in protein, and vice versa. That means you’ll have to select between one or the other, not both.
2. Select hazelnut, walnut, or peanut milk if you want nut milk that has lots of protein. Dairy milk offers a very decent amount of protein ( of 2% cow’s milk contains of protein), but not all types of nut milk have much protein. If you want to keep your protein intake up, you’ll want to select hazelnut, walnut, and peanut milk. Cashew milk actually has the lowest protein content of all nut milk.^[3]
   
   • While hazelnut, walnut, and peanut milk all have protein in them, none of them has as much protein as cow’s milk. For example, of either hazelnut or walnut milk contains only of protein and of peanut milk contains of protein.
3. Choose almond or cashew milk if you’re watching your fat intake. Dairy milk comes in different fat contents, such as skim, 1%, 2%, and homo. However, nut milk doesn’t have the same levels of fat content. Macadamia nut, hazelnut, walnut, and peanut milk are all high in fat (more than per ). Therefore, if you’re watching your fat intake, you’ll want to stay away from these types of nut milk.^[4]
   
   • Walnut and peanut milk have the highest levels of fat, at per . Whereas, cashew milk has the lowest level of fat, at per .
4. Pick cashew, almond, or macadamia nut milk for a lower calorie intake. As a comparison, of 2% cow’s milk contains 120 calories. Nut milk can contain anywhere from 25 to 150 calories per . Cashew, almond, and macadamia nut milk all have less than 100 calories per cup, whereas hazelnut, walnut, and peanut milk all contain 100 calories or more per .^[5]
   
   • Keep in mind that most nut milk comes in both sweetened and unsweetened varieties. If you opt for the sweetened variety, you’ll be increasing the number of calories per glass.
5. Look for a type of nut milk that has the vitamins you need. Different types of nut milk are high in different types of vitamins. For example, almond, cashew, and macadamia nut milk are all high in vitamin D. Almond, cashew, and hazelnut milk are all high in vitamin E. Macadamia nut and hazelnut milk are both high in types of vitamin B.^[6]
   
   • Walnut milk is also high in omega 3 fatty acids.

[Edit]Picking a Nut Milk Based on Personal Factors

1. Opt for almond milk if you’re on a budget. In general, nut milk is more expensive than dairy milk. However, the price between different types of nut milk could be significant, depending on where you shop and what’s on sale. Almond and cashew milk tend to be the most common types of nut milk, therefore they’re also likely to be the least expensive.^[7]
   
   • Keep in mind that nut milk also comes sweetened vs. unsweetened and in different flavours. These differences may also affect the price.
   • Macadamia nut milk is a fairly new nut milk and is mainly made in Australia with Australia macadamia nuts. This will also likely mean it is more expensive when purchased in Europe or North America.
2. Pick almond milk if you want to try the most popular type of nut milk. It’s okay to follow the crowd. If a lot of other people like something, there’s a higher chance you’ll like it to. Therefore, if you want to select a type of nut milk based on popularity, go with almond milk, which has over 60% of the non-dairy milk market.^[8]
   
   • Next in line after almond milk is cashew milk. However, keep in mind these two types of nut milk rule the market mainly because they have the most options available. Other nut milk is slowly coming onto the market and may become more popular over time.
3. Try different nut milks to see which tastes the best to you. While most nut milk will have some sort of nutty taste to them, the subtleness of that nutty taste will differ. The other differences between nut milks you might notice is their natural sweetness and their creaminess. Decide which specific nut milk you prefer by trying a bunch of different ones, until you’ve found the one perfect for you.^[9]
   
   • To get a sense of which nut milk you like best, you may want to purchase a small container of each to try. Or try a different kind in your coffee or tea each time you’re at the cafe.
4. Check the percentage of nuts a milk contains before buying it. Not all brands and types of nut milk are made using the same percentage of nuts. For example, a lot of almond milk contains only 2% almonds, and most macadamia nut milk contains only 3% macadamia nuts. In both cases, the remaining percentage is mostly water and possibly some other additives like carrageenan or vegetable gum. You may wish to select a type of nut milk based on not just which nut is used, but also what other contents are added to the milk.^[10]
   
   • When buying nut milk, check the container for the percentage of that nut it contains. You may be able to purchase nut milk that contains as much as 7-15% nuts.

[Edit]Video

[Edit]Warnings

• If you or someone in your household is allergic to any type of nut, you will likely not want to try nut milk in your home. You could, however, still try nut milk at a cafe or even at work. Plus, there are other non-dairy milk options that are not made from nuts, such as soy, coconut, and hemp.^[11]

[Edit]References

[Edit]Quick Summary

1. ↑ https://www.healthline.com/health/nut-milks-mylks-health-guide#cons
2. ↑ https://www.healthline.com/health/nut-milks-mylks-health-guide#cons
3. ↑ https://www.healthline.com/health/nut-milks-mylks-health-guide#cons
4. ↑ https://www.healthline.com/health/nut-milks-mylks-health-guide#cons
5. ↑ https://www.mcgill.ca/newsroom/channels/news/nutritionally-speaking-soy-milk-best-plant-based-milk-284229
6. ↑ https://www.healthline.com/health/nut-milks-mylks-health-guide#cons
7. ↑ https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/best-milk-substitutes#section11
8. ↑ https://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/healthy-drinks/non-dairy-nut-milks-alternatives?slide=b169f801-b777-4e25-8fff-87d73a4ef5d0#b169f801-b777-4e25-8fff-87d73a4ef5d0
9. ↑ https://www.fifteenspatulas.com/best-tasting-almond-milk-and-cashew-milk/
10. ↑ https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/best-milk-substitutes#section11
11. ↑ https://www.healthline.com/health/nut-milks-mylks-health-guide#nutritional-facts