In today’s world, asking for milk can lead to many options, from the traditional cow’s milk to plant-based alternatives. Popular plant-based milks include soy, almond, oat, coconut, and pea milk. Cow’s milk is recommended for its calcium content and other nutrients like vitamins D, A, and B12. Though, these are often added to plant-based milks. Reading labels is key when deciding which milk to choose to make sure the milk has the nutrients you need. Let’s use the table below as a start to explore some milk options.

Note: The nutrient amounts in this table are in the standard amounts of grams (g) and milligrams (mg). The prices were from Iowa grocery stores in August 2024.

Plant-based milks can be a great substitute for cow’s milk for drinking and using in recipes. But, they can be more expensive, as seen in the table above. Nutritionally, there are some differences between the types of milk that you need to look for on the nutrition facts labels. At the end of the day, there is no wrong option when choosing milk, but now you have some extra information to help find the milk that is right for you.

Written by Travis Schake, Master of Professional Practice in Dietetics Student, Iowa State University

Travis Schake recently graduated from Iowa State University with a degree in Dietetics. He is currently pursing a Master of Professional Practice in Dietetics degree at Iowa State University. He has always loved the science behind nutrition and the power it holds for our health. His hope is to make nutrition as easy to understand as possible so that all can benefit.