Leading Plant-Based Milks Ingredients List:

Plant-based milk brands' ingredients list may vary per country and per formulation.

We picked products that we believe are collectively representative of the current offering plant-based milk market (oat milk, almond milk, macadamia milk, and soy milk).

However, it goes without saying that this list cannot be considered as an exhaustive review of every option available on the market.

Oatly Full Fat USA formulation: Oat base (water, oats), low erucic acid rapeseed oil. Contains 2% or less of: dipotassium phosphate, calcium carbonate, tricalcium phosphate, sea salt, dicalcium phosphate, DHA algal oil, sodium ascorbate (antioxidant), tocopherols (antioxidant), riboflavin, vitamin A acetate, vitamin D2, vitamin B12.

Califa Farms: Almond milk (Water, Almonds), Cane Sugar, Calcium Carbonate, Sunflower Lecithin, Sea Salt, Guar Gum, Natural Flavor, Gellan Gum, Potassium Citrate.

Milkadamia Barista: Macadamia Milk (Filtered Water, Macadamias), Cane Sugar, Calcium Phosphate, Potassium Citrate, Potassium Phosphate , Natural Flavor, Salt, Sunflower Lecithin, Gellan Gum.

Pacific Food Soy Barista: Organic Soybase (Water, Whole Organic Soybeans), Cane Sugar, Contains 1% Or Less Of: Carrageenan, Dipotassium Phosphate, Expeller-Pressed Canola Oil, Natural Flavor, Sea Salt, Sodium Citrate.

Science-Backed Reasons Why We Believe Better Options Had to be Created:

1. Most of current plant-based milks are low in protein content:

In a 2021 study by Drewnosky et al. concluded that "often viewed as equivalent to milk in nutritional value, many PBB (Plant Based Beverages) are often low in protein and are fortified with varying amounts of calcium, and vitamins A and D. Nutrient standards for this category should be adopted by the food industry, by public health regulatory authorities, and by standardization bodies such as the Codex Alimentarius."

2. Most of current plant-based milks have a sugar content similar to a can of regular Coke:

In 2023, Shkembi and Huppertz studied the glycemic responses of regular milk and plant-based drinks.

They observed that "the main carbohydrates present in plant-based drinks positioned as milk substitutes are glucose, sucrose, maltose and fructose. These sugars (except fructose) are known to have high-glycemic-index values compared to those of lactose".

Furthermore, table 2 in their study shows glycemic indexes of 58.68 for Almond MLK, 64.21 for organic almond drink, 59.94 for hemp milk unsweetened, 59.61 for organic oat drink, 61.50 for soya original.

Let's compare that to International table of glycemic index and glycemic load values for common soft drinks:

Coca Cola, soft drink (Atlanta, GA, USA), glycemic index = 63

Fanta, orange soft drink (Coca Cola Amatil, Australia) = 68

We'll let the reader ponder Shkembi and Huppertz's study conclusion with the health claims made by the leading plant-based milks:

"With type 2 diabetes among the major diet-induced non-communicable diseases worldwide, such insights appear crucial to prevent inadequate messaging to consumers."

3. Most of current plant-based milks are loaded with unhealthy additives

We've listed in these footnotes the ingredients of some of the current leading products on the market. Let's now unpack why the additives they use makes us state they are not the most healthy choice you can make for yourself.

[Impacts of seed oils, gums]

Why we believe soy milk should be avoided if you care about your health

We believe that, whenever a debate is polarized to the point of "it's going to kill you" vs. "it's a miracle plant", the objective truth probably lies somewhere in between these two extremes.

And the debate about soy milk is that heated.

So, to form our own opinion, we turned to the scientific literature.

1st issue: GMOs and Glyphosate (aka Roundup)

We believe nature should be left alone, and are against Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs). And in their 2019 paper, Bohn and Millstone note that "about 77% of the global soybean production comes from Glyphosate-Tolerant (GT) soybeans".

They further describe Glyphosate-Tolerant (GT) soybean agriculture as "a ‘technological package’—a plant-and-herbicide-combination—which enables farmers to kill weeds by spraying herbicides during the growing season, except those weeds that have developed tolerance to glyphosate. The genetic modification makes the soy plants tolerate the herbicide."

Research shows Glyphosate is nasty on its own:

It has been associated with cancer, liver damage, reproductive and developmental issues, causing cell damage...

So when you consider that the University of Norway found glyphosate levels in soy beans farming to be 1.6x the levels considered to be extreme by the inventor of Roundup itself, Monsanto...

...in our book, soy milk is already a big no.

2nd issue: hormonal health

While the consensus is not clear on whether soy should be considered a good or bad "thing", there are enough papers to make us pause and wonder:

Since soy's phytoestrogens can affect both male hormones and female hormones, to the point of disrupting sex hormone levels and the female ovulation cycle...

Since soy's phytoestrogens have long been recognized to induce hypothyroidism and goiter when not counteracted with elevated iodine intake...

Since soy's phytoestrogens have demonstrated the ability to increase social, aggressive, and anxiety-related behaviors in animal research...

...should we still consume it for the health benefits claimed to be associated with soy consumption?

We believe in caution and therefore will recommend the reader to pay particular attention to the research from Patisaul and Jefferson which concludes:

"Phytoestrogens are intriguing because, although they behave similarly to numerous synthetic compounds in laboratory models of endocrine disruption, society embraces these compounds at the same time it rejects, often with vigor, use of synthetic endocrine disruptors in household products.

Thus, phytoestrogens both expand our view of environmental endocrine disruptors and propound that the source of the compound in question can influence the direction and interpretation of research and available data.

While the potentially beneficial effects of phytoestrogen consumption have been eagerly pursued, and frequently overstated, the potentially adverse effects of these compounds are likely underappreciated."

For those reasons too, in our book, soy milk is a big no.

Almond Milk's impact on honey bees and why it matters to the environment:

In 2019, US beekeepers lost 40% of their colony over the past year.

In 2022, it as estimated that almond cultivation in the United States killed more than 50 billion bees in a single year, a third of the entire population of commercially bred bees.

In 2025, Washington State University is projecting colony losses to reach between 60% and 70%.

According to the Virginia Farm Bureau, honey bees pollinate 80% of US-grown crops. So, without bees, we could go hungry.

But it goes much beyond just food.

Honey bees play a crucial role in ecosystems as pollinators, facilitating plant reproduction and contributing to overall biodiversity.

They are essential for the production of many crops, wild plants, and natural ecosystems by transferring pollen between flowers, leading to seed and fruit production. This pollination process supports a wide range of plant species and, in turn, sustains various animal populations that rely on these plants for food and shelter.

Without bees, our entire ecosystem is threatened.

But to be clear:

Almond trees aren't killing bees.

Pesticides and corporate greed are.

Sustainability claims:

[Need to make this more digestible]

Water footprint

According to WaterCalculator.org, 16 121 liters of water are required to produce 1 kilogram of almonds, 2 540 liters of waters for 1 kilogram of oats and 2 134 liters of water to produce 1 kilogram of soy beans.

In comparison, even regular dairy fares better: it only requires 1 067 liters of water to produce 1 kg of cow milk.

In comparison, TheNextOatMilk relies on a plant that is estimated to require only 387 liters of water to produce 1 kilogram of this plant.

Carbon footprint

Research by Michael Clark et al. estimates the carbon footprint per 1 liter of milk to 3,70 kg for cow's milk, 1,44 kg for rice milk, 0.89 kg for soy milk, 0.66 kg for almond milk and 0,45 kg for oat milk.

In comparison, TheNextOatMilk relies on a plant that is estimated to require only 0,32 kg to 0,43 kg to produce 1 liter of milk from this plant.