Wellness ·
So you’re wondering which is healthier, homemade or store-bought plant milk. I know it’s super confusing which is better for you and worth your money, so I’m going to lay out the pros and cons of both. Plus, I’ll answer some questions I get asked all the time!
Get your pencils out peeps, because I’m going to take a deep dive into this whole question of “is making your own nut milk healthier?” Short answer, yes, long answer read on!
Store-Bought Plant Milk
The Good Stuff
It probably comes at now surprise, but store-bought plant milk has become more and more affordable. Gone are the days of buying overpriced almond milk. Additionally, you can buy it right off the shelf and store it in your pantry for months – so convenient. And of course, these plant milks taste absolutely delicious – macadamia vanilla milk? Sign me up!
To recap, the positives of buying plant milk is that it’s affordable, convenient and delicious!
The Bad Stuff
However, all the positives of store-bought plant milk are precisely why it’s so bad. Yep, I said it, store-bought nut milk is not good for you! However, there are a few brands that are actually very healthy which I will share later in this post, but most nut milk brands tend to not be healthy.
So let’s get into why store-bought plant milk are bad.
- Processed Oils: Most grocery store nut milks have tons of added oils, the main ones used are sunflower oil and safflower oil. Both of which are HIGHLY processed oils, meaning that they are stripped of their nutrients. Yikes!
- Added Sugar: While most brands have unsweetened versions of nut milk, cane sugar and corn syrup can be sneakily added into the milk without you even realizing it.
- Thickeners and Emulsifiers: this is perhaps the main reason why I never buy any nut milk from the grocery store. I can guarantee that your favorite oat milk, soy milk, almond milk, cashew milk etc. has guar guam, xantham gum, gellan gum, sunflower lecithin and phosphates. These help thicken the nut milk up to replicate the creaminess of cow’s milk. However, despite making the texture of the nutmilk amazing, these gums and thickeners have been linked to poor gut health and sub-optimal digestion – in other words they harm the gut microbiome.
Homemade Plant Milk
The Good Stuff
One of the best things about making your own plant milk is that you get to control how rich you’d like it to be. Most store-bought nut milks have only 2.5% nuts and the rest is water, which means that the nut milk isn’t really that nutritious. However, if you make it yourself, you will not only get creamier richer milk, but also more nutrient dense plant milk!
In the recipe below I’ve listed out two options for cashew milk. One super rich and decadent version that is similar to half-n-half. While the other version is less thick and more of a lower-calorie cashew milk.
Additionally, since you’re making your own homemade nut milk, you can add in any flavors or sweeteners you like.
Essentially, homemade plant milk is richer, creamier, much more versatile and nutritious than any store-bought plant milk!
The Bad Stuff
However, I want to be fair. There are a few negatives to making your own nut milk.
Homemade nut milk tends to only last 4-5 days in the fridge – so you do have to make it quite frequently. Although in my opinion it’s worth it. Additionally, nuts are quite expensive and oftentimes the store-bought version is cheaper.
But, other than those two points, there really are no other negatives to homemade plant milk!
Your Plant Milk Questions, Answered!
- Is making your own nut milk healthier? Absolutely. Not only is it healthier, but it’s also much richer, creamier and more nutrient-dense.
- Is it cheaper to make your own plant milk? Yes and no. If you’re making nut milk and using a ton of nuts to make only a few cups of milk, then yes, it’s quite pricey. However, if you’re making oat milk, it would end up being even cheaper than buying it from the store.
- Is it worth making your own almond milk? Definitely. The flavor, richness and texture is so much better than the store-bought version.
- Is homemade almond milk healthier? Which non-dairy milk is healthiest? Honestly, any type of homemade nut milk is healthy. There is no “healthiest” plant milk. However, if I had to choose I would go with a homemade almond OR cashew milk as they are the most nutrient-dense nuts!
- What is the healthiest brand of plant-based milk? Elmhurst, MALK and Three Trees are the healthiest nut milk brands out there.
Still Want to Buy Plant Milk?
I get it. It’s just more convenient! So I’ve put together a few of my top three personal favorite brands below that are just as healthy as the homemade stuff.
- Elmhurst – I love their Almond and Cashew milk.
- Three Trees – the Vanilla Bean Almond milk is divine.
- MALK
