If you need to avoid dairy products, it means you also need to find a good alternative for the regular cow’s milk. Two popular non-dairy milks are soy milk and almond milk. So, which one does taste better? Which one is actually more nutritious and healthier? See the detailed comparisons of soy milk vs almond milk below!
In this article, you can find out more about:
– The flavor of soy milk and almond milk,
– The comparison of their nutritional values,
– The potential issues & side effects of soy milk vs almond milk, and
– Which non-dairy milk that is generally more recommended.
Taste and Flavor
Actually, both soy milk and almond milk products sold in the market now are available in many flavor choices. You can easily find soy milk and almond milk products with vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry flavors. However, these products indeed use additional sweeteners and/or flavorings. See also: Cashew Milk vs Almond Milk.
Raw or unsweetened milk products are generally healthier. You won’t need to worry about consuming excessive sugar or artificial ingredients. Unsweetened soy milk tends to taste a little sour and sweet, with a typical soy flavor. On the other hand, unsweetened almond milk tends to taste sweet and nutty.
Calories, Carbs, and Fat
Almond milk is generally better for people who want to lose weight or at least avoid weight gain. This is because almond milk has lower total calories and carbohydrates. Almond milk has a similar amount of fat as soy milk, but it is less starchy. A cup of almond milk only has about 40 calories, 1 gram of carbohydrates, and 3 grams of fat.
On the other hand, soy milk is actually also good for weight loss, as it has lower calories than regular milk, but it is not as good as almond milk. Compared to almond milk, the calories and carbs are still higher. A cup of soy milk contains about 80 calories, 4 grams of carbs, and 4 grams of fat.
It should be noted that both soy milk and almond milk are healthy sources of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. These fatty acids are helpful for reducing cholesterol, keeping healthy heart pressure, and protecting against neurological and cardiovascular diseases.
Protein
Although almond milk is great for weight loss, it is not a very good source of protein. A cup of almond milk only contains about 2 grams of protein. So, if you are only relying on almond milk, you need to make sure that you get sufficient protein intake from other sources.
On the other hand, soy milk is an excellent source of protein. It contains an almost similar amount of protein as regular milk. According to Healthline, each cup of soy milk provides about 7 grams of protein.
Health Effects and Concerns
Both almond milk and soy milk are good for people with high cholesterol, dairy allergy, or lactose intolerance. Almond milk and soy milk are acquired from plant-based sources, so they don’t contain any cholesterol or lactose.
However, some people may be allergic to almond and soy. You should avoid almond milk if you are allergic to peach or tree nuts. On the other hand, soy allergy is more specific – you should avoid soy milk only if you are allergic to soy.
Soy milk is consumed by women above 50 because it can help to relieve menopause symptoms. Soy milk is not good for men in their reproductive years because it may reduce sperm quality, but it is good for senior men to help prevent prostate cancer. However, soy milk should be avoided by breast cancer patients as the phytoestrogens may feed the cancer cells.
Soy Milk vs Almond Milk
| Soy Milk | Almond Milk |
|---|---|
| - A little sour and sweet flavor | - Sweet and nutty flavor |
| - Higher calories and carbs | - Lower calories and carbs |
| - Much higher protein | - Considerably lower protein |
| - Good for general health | - Great for weight loss |
Conclusion
For general health, soy milk is more recommended due to the higher nutritional values. It has higher protein content. However, for weight loss, almond milk is a better choice. Almond milk has significantly lower calories and carbs.