Mes Notes · This or That? · July 2026
Oat, Almond or Soy Milk?
The milk aisle has exploded with options — which one is actually worth it?
Oat Milk
Bestseller, best for coffee
Best for
The barista version froths beautifully — by far the best for coffee. But it has the highest carb content of the three, so worth noting if you're managing blood sugar.
Almond Milk
Lowest in calories, but surprisingly low in almonds
Best for
The lightest option for calorie-conscious people and those keeping carbs low. Small catch: most commercial almond milks contain only about 2% almonds.
Soy Milk
Closest to dairy in protein content
Best for
By far the best choice if protein is your goal. If it tastes metallic or beany, try a different brand — quality varies hugely.
Verdict
For protein, soy wins easily. For calories, almond. For coffee, oat. Want both protein and foam? A barista-style soy milk is a solid middle ground.
Oat, almond, soy. Plant-based drinks have taken over the shelves, and faced with so much choice, it's hard to know which one to put in your basket. The good news: there's no single 'best' plant milk. It all depends on the use — your morning coffee, your recipe, or simply the taste you prefer. Here's how to choose, with rough values per 100 ml, unsweetened.
Oat milk: the king of coffee
Oat milk has around 44 kcal and 5.5 g of carbs per 100 ml. It's the richest of the three in carbs, which gives it a creamy texture and lets it froth well. That's exactly what makes it the best choice for coffee and lattes: it blends without splitting and gives a lovely, silky foam.
Best for
Coffee, hot drinks, porridge, and anything that benefits from being creamy.
Almond milk: the lightest
Almond milk is the lightest of the three, with around 14 kcal and just 0.2 g of carbs per 100 ml. Its flavour is mild, slightly nutty and discreet. One thing to keep in mind: it's naturally low in protein. It's perfect if you want a neutral, light everyday drink, but it's not the most nourishing — the 'lightest' option isn't necessarily the 'best', it all depends on what you expect from your drink.
Best for
Light everyday use, smoothies, cereal, when you want a discreet flavour.
Soy milk: the highest in protein
Soy milk has around 33 kcal and, above all, 3.3 g of protein per 100 ml, which makes it the closest to cow's milk nutritionally. It's the only one of the three with a genuinely useful protein content. Its protein richness also makes it more stable when cooked and more filling.
Best for
Protein intake, cooking and baking, nourishing smoothies.
So, which one to choose?
oat milk — coffee and creamy drinks
almond milk — a light, neutral everyday drink
soy milk — protein and cooking
Two tips that apply to all three. Always choose an unsweetened version, since sweetened plant drinks often hide a lot of added sugar. And if you're replacing cow's milk day to day, go for a version fortified with calcium and vitamin B12, which plant drinks don't contain naturally.
Want to use them in the kitchen? Try them in a frozen blueberry smoothie or a morning porridge. Soy milk also works beautifully in savoury recipes and sauces.