Is plant milk a fair swap for cow’s milk? Pick a drink and see what a glass gives
Plant drinks are not all alike: a fortified soya drink is close to cow's milk on protein and calcium, while a plain almond or oat drink is not.
Pick a drink and how it is fortified, set a glass size, and see protein, calcium, iodine and B12 against the same glass of milk and the EU reference intakes. Includes what to check on the label, and when to ask a doctor or dietitian. General information, not medical advice.
Is plant milk a fair swap for cow’s milk?
Plant drinks are everywhere, and the cartons all look alike. The nutrition inside them does not. A fortified soya drink is close to semi-skimmed cow’s milk on protein and calcium. A plain almond drink is a different drink altogether. UK government advisers put it simply: plant-based drinks are not nutritionally equivalent to cow’s milk, and what you get depends on the plant and on what the maker added.
Try it below. Pick a drink, pick how it is fortified, and see what one glass gives compared with cow’s milk.
What to compare on the label
Protein. Soya (and, in many products, pea) drinks come closest to cow’s milk at around 3 g per 100 ml. Oat and almond drinks are usually under 1 g. That does not matter if beans, tofu, lentils, eggs or other foods carry your protein, but it matters if the drink is meant to stand in for milk in a bowl of cereal or a latte every day.
Calcium. Plant drinks contain little calcium by themselves. Most shop products add it, usually to about the level in milk, 120 mg per 100 ml. Calcium can settle at the bottom, so shake the carton before you pour.
Iodine and B12. Cow’s milk is a major source of iodine in the UK diet, and plant foods have no B12 unless it is added. In a 2023 UK survey only about a third of plant drinks were iodine-fortified, and about a fifth were not fortified at all. Both nutrients are on the label if the maker added them.
Sugar. Choose “unsweetened”. Oat drinks can still show a few grams of sugars per 100 ml, because the oats are broken down in making the drink, so this is not a sign of added sugar.
A fair swap is an unsweetened, calcium-fortified drink, ideally with iodine and B12 added too.
When the swap needs more care
If you drink a glass or two a day and eat a varied diet, the gap between drinks is small. It grows if the plant drink replaces most of your dairy and you eat little else with calcium and iodine. Other sources include tofu set with calcium, canned fish with bones, some green leafy vegetables, and iodised salt where it is sold.
For children, UK advice says an unsweetened, calcium-fortified soya, oat or almond drink can be a main drink from age 1, plant drinks should not be the main drink before 12 months, and rice drinks are best avoided under 5 because of arsenic. Any change to a young child’s diet is worth a chat with a health visitor, doctor or dietitian first.
This is general information, not medical advice. If you have a milk or soya allergy, a medical condition, are pregnant or breastfeeding, have or had an eating disorder, or take medication, talk to a doctor or dietitian before you change what you drink.
Sources
- UK SACN/COT: Plant-based drinks, health benefits and risks (2025)
- British Dietetic Association: Unpacking the myths around plant-based drinks (written under a paid Oatly membership; the figures match the UK report)
- EFSA: Dietary reference values for the EU
- NHS: The vegan diet