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Difference between Almond / Rice / Soy milk?
What's the difference between Almond, Rice, and Soy milk? I see it mentioned in some of the smoothie recipes I have encountered in here.
So which is healthier?
So which is healthier?
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Ivan Mathew on -
There's a lot of debate between which is the best "milk." Depending on what you're looking for, ultimately it can come down to taste, but I've provided a little background and input on each of the different milks and also provided you with the super healthy alternative to all 3 - hemp milk.
Almond Milk
Tastes: light, nutty flavour, definetly the best tasting of the "milks;" available in chocolate, vanilla, sweetened or unsweetened.
Nutrition: Almonds themselves are rich in magnesium, potassium, manganese, copper, vitamin E, selenium and calcium, as well often fortified with vitamins A and D, perhaps one of the more nutritious "milks."
Cons: depending on the ratio of almond to water in the almond milk you might get very little of these vitamins and minerals; high glycemic index sweeteners again are rampant in most brands
Almonds are one of the healthiest nuts you can eat, so in theory almond milk should be super healthy for you. Depending on the ratio of almond to water in the almond milk, you might get very little of the actual nutrients from this amazing nut and are spent fighting the crash from the artificial sweeteners later on. Definetly better than soy or rice milk by leaps and bounds its still not optimal in commercial versions. You're best off soaking almonds overnight (to release enzyme inhibitors and letting it begin to sprout) and making your own almond milk from scratch, there are a host of recipes available online.
Grade: A home made; C- commercially
Hemp milk
Tastes: light nutty flavour, can taste a little thin; available in chocolate, vanilla, sweetened or unsweetened.
Nutrition: highly alkaline protein; complete protein containing 20 amino acids, including all 10 essential fatty acids; often fortified with vitamins A and D.
Cons: Need to shake before use every time as pulp settles; Commercial brands might have some sweeteners, check labels; not widely available.
Hemp contains edestin which is the most easily assimilated protein in the world for our bodies in addition to containing all twenty amino acids and all 10 essential fatty acids that can only be obtained through diet as our body cannot produce them. The high quality protein of hemp not only helps our body grow, but helps us use fat as a fuel. I've heard its illegal to grow in the USA and its misassociations with marijuana leave it to the realm of more socially conscious and more often than not organic growers from Canada, so the likelihood of any GMO strains and pesticides are super low.
After trying both Manitoba Harvest brand and Hemp Pure, I'd have to go with Manitoba Harvest unsweetened as my number one choice commercially, with Hemp Pure just tasting like sugar water (first ingredient listed on Hemp Pure brand is not hemp, but rather brown rice syrup).
For myself I just make it from scratch, 1 cup of hemp seeds to 8 cups of water and a sweetener like agave or pure maple syrup blended all together until it looks like milk.
Grade: A+ home made; B commercially
Rice milk
Tastes: sweet and really "thin" on the tongue; available in chocolate, vanilla, sweetened or unsweetened.
Nutrition: often fortified with calcium, vitamin A and D.
Cons: super high glycemic index rating; often GMO'd; a lot of unpronouncable ingredients.
Rice milk is processed from brown rice and usually contains rice syrup, evaporated cane juice or some other natural sweetener. It is typically fortified with calcium, vitamins A and D. Largely a source of quick release carbohydrates, its not so much a nutritional "milk" as it is just for those who either A.) miss milk or B.) want to use it as a milk substitute in recipes. Don't bother!
Grade: F
Soy Milk
Tastes: thick with a chalky aftertaste; available in chocolate, vanilla, sweetened or unsweetened.
Nutrition: claims to reduce LDL (bad cholesterol) by 10% with 4 daily servings; often fortified with vitamin A and D; a source of protein.
Cons: highly GMO'd; linked to hypothyroidism; a lot of unpronouncable ingredients; not a significant source of calcium; a common allergen along with corn, gluten, yeast; sometimes thickened with agar agar which can lead to digestive problems in some.
Soy is North America's number two crop after corn and likely its second most prevalent ingredient in processed foods on said continent. I've heard about agricultural corps patenting high yield strains of soy beans meaning the likelihood of anything "natural" existing in a soy bean these days pretty low. It also mimics female hormones in males and leads to hormonal imbalances, taps your thyroid with these phyto-estrogens for short term energy and long term bust increasing your chances for hypothyroidism. In addition there's all sorts of other weird sugars and things you cannot pronounce in it. Lastly, that chalky aftertaste is nothing you want first thing in the morning, all in all, a big grade F! Without going too off topic, big corps I'm sure love it as its a way to keep all the cheese pizza vegetarians sick after quitting McDonalds.
Grade: F
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Permalink Reply by Vega Kelly on -
Thank you for posting this incredibly thorough answer! Now I have to try making my own hemp milk.
Ivan Mathew said:There's a lot of debate between which is the best "milk." Depending on what you're looking for, ultimately it can come down to taste, but I've provided a little background and input on each of the different milks and also provided you with the super healthy alternative to all 3 - hemp milk.
Almond Milk
Tastes: light, nutty flavour, definetly the best tasting of the "milks;" available in chocolate, vanilla, sweetened or unsweetened.
Nutrition: Almonds themselves are rich in magnesium, potassium, manganese, copper, vitamin E, selenium and calcium, as well often fortified with vitamins A and D, perhaps one of the more nutritious "milks."
Cons: depending on the ratio of almond to water in the almond milk you might get very little of these vitamins and minerals; high glycemic index sweeteners again are rampant in most brands
Almonds are one of the healthiest nuts you can eat, so in theory almond milk should be super healthy for you. Depending on the ratio of almond to water in the almond milk, you might get very little of the actual nutrients from this amazing nut and are spent fighting the crash from the artificial sweeteners later on. Definetly better than soy or rice milk by leaps and bounds its still not optimal in commercial versions. You're best off soaking almonds overnight (to release enzyme inhibitors and letting it begin to sprout) and making your own almond milk from scratch, there are a host of recipes available online.
Grade: A home made; C- commercially
Hemp milk
Tastes: light nutty flavour, can taste a little thin; available in chocolate, vanilla, sweetened or unsweetened.
Nutrition: highly alkaline protein; complete protein containing 20 amino acids, including all 10 essential fatty acids; often fortified with vitamins A and D.
Cons: Need to shake before use every time as pulp settles; Commercial brands might have some sweeteners, check labels; not widely available.
Hemp contains edestin which is the most easily assimilated protein in the world for our bodies in addition to containing all twenty amino acids and all 10 essential fatty acids that can only be obtained through diet as our body cannot produce them. The high quality protein of hemp not only helps our body grow, but helps us use fat as a fuel. I've heard its illegal to grow in the USA and its misassociations with marijuana leave it to the realm of more socially conscious and more often than not organic growers from Canada, so the likelihood of any GMO strains and pesticides are super low.
After trying both Manitoba Harvest brand and Hemp Pure, I'd have to go with Manitoba Harvest unsweetened as my number one choice commercially, with Hemp Pure just tasting like sugar water (first ingredient listed on Hemp Pure brand is not hemp, but rather brown rice syrup).
For myself I just make it from scratch, 1 cup of hemp seeds to 8 cups of water and a sweetener like agave or pure maple syrup blended all together until it looks like milk.
Grade: A+ home made; B commercially
Rice milk
Tastes: sweet and really "thin" on the tongue; available in chocolate, vanilla, sweetened or unsweetened.
Nutrition: often fortified with calcium, vitamin A and D.
Cons: super high glycemic index rating; often GMO'd; a lot of unpronouncable ingredients.
Rice milk is processed from brown rice and usually contains rice syrup, evaporated cane juice or some other natural sweetener. It is typically fortified with calcium, vitamins A and D. Largely a source of quick release carbohydrates, its not so much a nutritional "milk" as it is just for those who either A.) miss milk or B.) want to use it as a milk substitute in recipes. Don't bother!
Grade: F
Soy Milk
Tastes: thick with a chalky aftertaste; available in chocolate, vanilla, sweetened or unsweetened.
Nutrition: claims to reduce LDL (bad cholesterol) by 10% with 4 daily servings; often fortified with vitamin A and D; a source of protein.
Cons: highly GMO'd; linked to hypothyroidism; a lot of unpronouncable ingredients; not a significant source of calcium; a common allergen along with corn, gluten, yeast; sometimes thickened with agar agar which can lead to digestive problems in some.
Soy is North America's number two crop after corn and likely its second most prevalent ingredient in processed foods on said continent. I've heard about agricultural corps patenting high yield strains of soy beans meaning the likelihood of anything "natural" existing in a soy bean these days pretty low. It also mimics female hormones in males and leads to hormonal imbalances, taps your thyroid with these phyto-estrogens for short term energy and long term bust increasing your chances for hypothyroidism. In addition there's all sorts of other weird sugars and things you cannot pronounce in it. Lastly, that chalky aftertaste is nothing you want first thing in the morning, all in all, a big grade F! Without going too off topic, big corps I'm sure love it as its a way to keep all the cheese pizza vegetarians sick after quitting McDonalds.
Grade: F
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Permalink Reply by Darrick on -
Thanks Ivan! I've been drinking hemp milk for a while now (Living Harvest usually) and have been curious about making my own. Going to give it a try now!
Ivan Mathew said:For myself I just make it from scratch, 1 cup of hemp seeds to 8 cups of water and a sweetener like agave or pure maple syrup blended all together until it looks like milk.
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Permalink Reply by Stephanie Belding on -
Fascinated by Ivan's hate-on for soy and rice milk and thought I'd pipe up to say, thanks for your opinion but I've had great success with soy in terms of flavour, digestibility and non-GMO'd crops. Also, as with rice milk, one has to take the time to try out different brands, flavours and read the ingredient list. To each their own I guess; also keep in mind that commercially produced organic plant milks are often where many of us get our fortified vitamin support - in terms of added calcium, D and the like. Just my two cents.
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Permalink Reply by Ellen (Ontario) on -
A big thank you, Ivan, for the detailed explanation. Much appreciated! :)
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Permalink Reply by Nicole Lund on -
Thanks great summary! I wish I'd known about more about soy when I first became a vegetarian when I was a tennager, now I have hypothyroidism (I realise that it may not be directly caused by eating large amounts of soy for many years but my symptoms are greatly lessened now when I cut it out completely). I usually make almond milk because hemp is so expensive here but I've used the commercial kind of hemp milk while camping and away from my vita mix, and It was great. Thanks again for the info.
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Permalink Reply by Dave Shishkoff on -
Wow..that's just about the most unbalanced review of non-dairy milks i've ever read.
Personally, hemp milk has a disgusting flavor. So bad i couldn't even bring myself to finish off the carton.
There's nothing wrong with organic soy milk if you don't have a food sensitivity. Organic means non-GMO. Stay away from brands like Silk who are non-organic. Some companies that do use organic are So Nice, Vitasoy and Edensoy.
Never been much of a rice milk fan, although the new Good Karma stuff was really tasty, and i'm looking forward to more access of their products in Canada! Almond milk is okay, too watery for my liking.
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Permalink Reply by Stephanie Belding on
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I totally agree with Dave, but didn't want to sound that harsh ;)
Good note with Silk- since they've been bought ou, they still list themselves as organic but aren't any longer- important for people to know. I like So Nice- and they're flavours are good, too- they do a great Soy Nog at the holiday time as well. Belsoy has a good chocolate soy milk and I've tried Pacific brand as well- really good. Almond milk is watery but great on certain granola-like cereals. For plant milks in coffees or teas, they all have individual characteristics that work with one more than another so again, I encourage people to try all kinds of different brands and types- as I too almost wholeheartedly disagree with the above review.
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Permalink Reply by linda hope on -
There is quite a lot of information out there on the possible harmful effects of soy products (non fermented). I cut them out of my diet a long time ago. I think it may be worth a "google" to decide for one self. This includes non gmo soy as well.
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Permalink Reply by Ivan Mathew on
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While hemp milk I agree is far from being the ideal tasting beverage (I'll have it rarely, maybe to thicken a smoothie) by any means, its nutritional profile in comparison casts a large shadow over soy milk. Apart from the goitrogen with its hypothyroidism links, soy milk is loaded with trypsin inhibitors which prevent proper protein digestion (in contrast to an advertised benefit of soy); phytic acid, a fibre which impairs the absoprtion of minerals; and phytoestrogens which not only spike estrogen levels and mimic them in males but they are also inhibit thyroid function. These same phytoestrogens are linked in many scientific studies to not only sexual and reproductive issues, but to social disorders and aggressive behaviour. It can inhibit youth male development and accelerate youth female development, leaving daughters with the equivalent of taking 5 birth control pills a day in their bloodstreams while still children. I grew up in a household with a nutritionist mother whom has been writing patient-specific menus since the early 70's for a large hospital and very few patients, especially males and mental ward patients, are allowed to drink it. Big food's favourite poison for healthy active lifestyles with its effects on our systems similar to a drug.
We are just in a position where the information is available to all of us and where its super simple and easy to make our own healthy milk substitutes for ourselves.
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Permalink Reply by Jedidiah Soliz on -
I agree with Ivan. Soy has much less nutritional value than hemp. Why not choose the healthier choice. If you don't like the taste then why not spruce it up with some natural healthy sweeteners to give it some extra flavor. I am lucky because I personally like the taste of hemp milk. The major drawback for me when buying it in the store is that it is more expensive, so I generally buy almond milk, but now that I know how to make it on my own, I will give it a try. I do not feel that almond milk has a watery taste, I enjoy the taste, and besides, I only use it with cereal and the cereal has the dominating taste. If you have a good tasting cereal, then the taste of the milk is pretty much covered up. The milk with the most watery taste to me is rice milk.
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Permalink Reply by Mara Martinelli on -
I, too, will make my own hemp milk. Very helpful post.
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