Shopping and labels
Which plant milk should you pick?
Short answer
For drinking, choose an unsweetened drink fortified with calcium (usually about 120 mg/100 ml), ideally also with vitamins B12 and D. Soy has the most protein – close to cow’s milk; oat, rice and almond drinks have little.
Organic drinks often have no added vitamins or calcium – check the nutrition table. Barista versions have more fat so they foam better, not more vitamins.
Children: until 12 months, plant drinks do not replace breast milk or infant formula. From age 1, unsweetened calcium-fortified drinks (ideally soy) can be part of a varied diet. Rice drinks are not given to children under 5 because of arsenic.