REVIEW: Beyond the cow – ranking the best milks

5)  Soy Milk: I think soy milk is the closest in flavor to cow’s milk in a way that makes me feel a bit uncomfortable when I drink it as I really don’t like cow’s milk. One of its downsides is the carbon emissions created in the production of soy milk, as it’s far more than that of both almond and oat milk. Rating: 4/10– meh.

4) Coconut Milk: Good in certain beverages, but definitely not something I would consider as my main milk as it is too sweet, but it definitely adds a nice flavor to a lot of things. I use heavy coconut cream instead of heavy whipping cream in my vodka sauce and it is very nice. Coconut milk-based yogurt is pretty good too. Rating: 6/10– it’s alright.

3) Cashew Milk: I’ll be honest, I’ve never actually had a glass of cashew milk. My experiences with it have all been as the base for dairy-free ice cream — and it is delicious. In addition to it being amazing in frozen desserts, it is also the least calorie-dense of all the milks on the list. It’s also pretty environmentally friendly because of the small amount of land needed to grow cashews. Since I’m not sure how it is on its own, I cannot give it a perfect score. Rating: 7.5/10– good as far as I know.

2) Almond Milk: Almond milk is similar to coconut milk in that it is great in small quantities to add to another beverage. I love an almond milk chai latte for that very reason, but it wouldn’t be a milk I would sit down and drink a straight glass of. It also consumes the most water of any plant milk, making it not the best option in terms of environmental impact. Rating: 8/10–pretty good, but not perfect.

1) Oat Milk: The absolute best milk. A better milk could not be fathomed. Not only is oat milk the best tasting of the milks, but it’s also regarded as the most environmentally friendly, all things considered. It is so creamy and delicious I could sit down and wreck about four glasses of the stuff, something I couldn’t do with any other milk. I’ve also found that it is a great option to cook with. Its creamy consistency makes it perfect for mac and cheese and vodka sauce instead of regular milk or heavy cream.. The foundation for the milk being oats makes it such a strong choice, further showing the versatility of oats. RATING: 10/10 — the best milk.

Disclaimer: You’ll notice I haven’t included conventional cow milk on this list and this may confuse some people because that is what people think of when they think of milk typically. This is because I feel that as a society, we have moved past cow’s milk. It is the worst for the environment and despite the popular “Got Milk?” campaign, it’s actually not very good for you. Studies have actually suggested drinking cow’s milk leads to an increased risk of breast and prostate cancer. Yes, it has some protein, but you can get protein from literally anywhere. I’d give cow’s milk a 0/10, and that’s being generous.