There are a dizzying amount of milks and milk substitutes out there and new varieties keep cropping up. Long gone are the days of good old-fashioned cow’s milk straight from the udder and straight into our kitchens. These days other options are available that often make a more suitable substitute – if not necessarily on nutritional level, then, at least, on one based around dietary restrictions and limitations. Here’s a brief breakdown of a few popular, trending kinds of milk currently available at grocery stores and health stores.

Soy Milk – For vegans and vegetarians, soy milk was once the gold standard of milk substitutes. Lately though, it seems to have fallen a bit out of favor. For women, eating soy-based products may be quite beneficial though the jury is still out on this. Soy products including soy milk contain isoflavones – a type of estrogen produced by plants – that may help ward off bad cholesterol, osteoporosis even hot flashes. Whether or not this type of estrogen can have a negative impact on men is still not certain. However, Dr. Walter C. Willett of Harvard School of Medicine reminds us that regular milk also contains a variety of hormones including estrogen as well.

Almond Milk – Characterized by a sometimes chalky, nutty flavor (go figure, right?), almond milk is the current, seemingly most popular milk substitute. At the very least, its use is trending upwards in cafes and grocery stores. The benefits of almond milk were recently skewered in this thoughtful, albeit sarcastic article in Mother Jones. Aside from being heavily processed – as is soy milk – almond milk is still not apparently more nutritional than regular milk.

Raw Milk – Often touted as the best way to consume regular milk, what differentiates raw milk from your garden-variety store-bought milk is pasteurization. Pasteurization kills off harmful bacteria found in milk, especially during transport from farm to store. Unfortunately, pasteurization also kills off all the good bacteria found in raw milk. Proponents of raw milk insist that this good bacteria is vital for our health. Unfortunately, while raw milk was once readily available in stores, it’s harder to find due to the somewhat legitimate concern of foodborne illnesses. A recent study done by Harvard School of Public Heath demonstrated a higher increase in foodborne illnesses in relation to raw milk than with standard pasteurized milk.

Coconut Milk – In comparison to cow’s milk, coconut milk is easier when it comes to the process of making it and also it’s easy to digest. Coconut milk is high in nutrients, and good fats such as the MCT (medium chain triglyceride) that our bodies can easily burn as a fuel. I use coconut milk in almost everything. Smoothies, sauces and even when I bake. It almost seems like the best choice, except that you have to watch for BPA (Bisphenol-A) that you can find in some canned foods including coconut milk. Some studies indicate that BPA could be harmful, and others not, however one recent study in particular seems rather concerning. If you love coconut milk as much as I do, then the safe solution is to buy coconut milk from companies that don’t use BPA in the lining of the metal cans. These brands are Native Forest, Aroy – D, and Trader Joe’s Light coconut milk, which some of you have mentioned in the comments as your favorite brand. The only problem is that their “Light” version of coconut milk is too low in fat, which doesn’t make it a great substitute for cream when baking or making sauces. You’ll have to use a thickener, but it’s going to be BPA free.

What kind of milk are you drinking? What are your reasons? Let me know!