Whether you want to be conscious about the environment or you are lactose intolerant, many people are starting to make the switch from regular milk to plant-based milk, such as almond milk or oat milk. So, what's the better plant-based milk: almond milk or oat milk?
Price
Price is an important factor for consumers when deciding between two similar products. In one carton of almond milk from one of the biggest almond milk producers, Silk, you receive 64 ounces of milk. This carton costs $3.19. In one carton of oat milk from one of the biggest oat milk producers, Oatly, you also receive 64 ounces of milk. However, the cost of a carton is $4.99. Both of these prices are from the same website, www.target.com. Most almond milk is comparatively cheaper than oat milk.
Winner: Almond Milk
Environmentally Conscious
One of the main reasons people prefer to drink oat milk and almond milk is because it’s better for the environment. Regular milk can oftentimes involve inhumane treatments for the cows. Additionally, a lot of land is required to feed and house the cows, with a lot of deforestation and water needed to maintain the land. So, are almond milk and oat milk environmentally conscious?
With almond milk, the main issue is high water consumption. About 80 liters of water go into producing one glass of almond milk. In a carton of almond milk, about 2% of the carton is almonds while the rest is water. While the water consumption is less than the 120 liters of water needed to produce one glass of regular milk, almond milk uses way more water than any other milk alternative.
With oat milk, it needs 6 times less water than almond milk. However, oat milk isn’t perfectly environmentally conscious. As the table demonstrates, oat milk produces more emissions and uses more land than almond milk. However, these differences are not drastically different. This leads to the conclusion that oat milk is more environmentally conscious.
Winner: Oat Milk
Healthier
People often switch to almond milk and oat milk in hopes of getting a healthier alternative. One serving of almond milk has 30 calories, 115 milligrams of sodium, and 1 gram of protein. One serving of oat milk has 120 calories, 95 milligrams of sodium, and 2 grams of protein. While oat milk has more calories, it has fewer milligrams of sodium and more grams of protein than almond milk. This makes oat milk the healthier milk alternative.
If we want to compare this with a serving of regular cow milk, there are 160 calories, 135 milligrams of sodium, and 8 grams of protein. Cow milk has more calories and sodium than both oat milk and almond milk. While it does have a lot of protein, oat milk is still the healthier milk option.
Winner: Oat Milk
The Results
While no plant-based milk is perfect, oat milk is the winner of this debate. Oat milk is the more environmentally conscious and healthier milk compared to almond milk. Next time you're purchasing regular cow milk, consider switching to oat milk. I suggest Oatly’s Oat Milk.