A new audit of plant-based milk alternatives in Australia shows the category has grown by 58% in several products in two years, but health professionals are alerting Australians that not all ‘mylks’ are nutritionally equal.
The Grains & Legumes Nutrition Council (GLNC) audited 112 products in the four major supermarkets -- nut milks, grain milks (e.g. oat, rice), legume milks (e.g. soy, pea), coconut milks and mixes; it reviewed all label nutrition information.
Since the last audit of its kind in 2016, the number of coconut milk products has doubled (+220%), nut milks have increased by 90% and the well-established legume milk category is up by 36%. But comparing these with dairy milk, GLNC says some plant-based milks don’t stack up nutritionally and many fall short on valuable calcium and protein.